Are you a beginner or someone who wants to try climbing for the first time ever? The Albanian Climbing Festival might be the event for you. Here are some info for this niche event, organized by the small climbing community, which has formed recently in Tirana.
It all started around 7 years ago, when two enthusiast American climbers meet with a young eager local climber and started the first ever bouldering gym in Albania. They called it Rock Tirana, the aim was to start a rock revolution with the youth of Tirana, and create the first climbers community in the country. It was pretty hard at the beginning, but all of them knew the great potential that Albania has in terms of rock climbing, and they were convinced that it would go.
Two years later, the first kids clubs started and a bunch of enthusiasts joined Rock Tirana, so the next step was quite natural to undertake. The cliffs were there, some routes where already bolted, mostly by international climbers or expeditions, albeit that a few people had even a clue that you could climb in Albania. Thus, something needed to be done to expose the crazy cliffs of the country.
Rock Tirana decided to gather the community, invite some international climbers, and write to some climbing magazines to launch the first climbing festival in Albania. The destinations were the best areas where you can climb in Albania: Bovilla and Brar, located nearby Tirana, and the beautiful beach and canyon of Gjipe. The festival was a blast, more than 400 people joined, and two major climbing magazines wrote about it. Suddenly opportunities to climb in Albania reached thousands of climbers around the world.
That brought a lot of attention year after year. Four festivals were organized since. Many people have since tried to climb real rocks for their first time and most importantly Albania got the attention of some of the strongest climbers in the world. Eventually, Adam Ondra, one of the most well-known climbers, visited the country and bolted what could be easily considered that hardest line in the Balkans, in Brar.
The organizers were getting closer than ever to achieving their goal: Enjoying the adventure while also helping to change the situation in some areas. The Albanian Climbing Festival was created to serve three main goals, according to them:
– Promoting a sustainable and active lifestyle;
– Creating more climbing crags and sustaining existing routes;
– Showing the potential of natural resources for adventure tourism, and empowering small local businesses and communities.
The destination of the Festival is set in different areas in Albania every year– remote and unknown areas of unique and stunning beauty which lack the attention of public institutions. Unfortunately, faced with dire economic situations, most of Albanian villages are using whatever resources they can to make a living: exploiting nature, cutting whole forests, destroying river bands or blowing cliffs for limestone. The aim of the Festival is to empower these small villages by bringing some business through the attraction of international climbers communities. The organizers believe that tourism can improve the lives of residents, while at the same time showing care towards nature and making sustainable profits. All the money collected from the Festival is used to equip new routes all around Albania, and promote climbing/hiking or other adventure sports the regions have to offer.
The Albanian climbing community is open for registrations and contributions. Route development is a lot of work and it’s only possible through the tireless effort of locals and expats who have spent weeks cleaning, bolting and developing these amazing routes. Everyone is welcome to participate in the festival, give a hand to organizers and make the developing of new routes possible.
This year, the 5th edition of the Albanian Climbing Festival will be held in Bovilla and Brar. Both areas are very close to the capital. You can choose camping or experiencing the adventurous climbers’ lifestyle in full.
The Festival will be held on May 3rd-5th. Don’t miss it, book the dates and join! There will be loads of climbing activities, small hikes, slacklining, morning yoga sessions, and a very special party outdoors on Saturday evening.
For more information and updates keep an eye on Festival’s Facebook page and website.
