A Weekend Celebration of all things
Climbing & Mountaineering
Join us for a weekend of skills and community building at the BIG Depot Leeds Climbing Fair, with workshops, talks and demos from industry experts.
The centre will be open as usual to the public throughout the weekend, with careful consideration given to ensure regular climbers as well as Fair participants can make the most of the centre.
Ever wanted to join a local climbing club? We’ll have a range of mountaineering and social clubs here to talk to you about the benefits of being a part of a club.
You can book your sessions at the bottom of the page or via one of the Book Now buttons along the way.
Watch 2025 Highlights Book Now
An event for rope and outdoor climbing.
What is the BIG Depot Climbing Fair?
The Big Depot Leeds Climbing Fair is a community-focused event that has grown into a full weekend, aimed at helping climbers develop skills not just to take their climbing outdoors, but also to be good custodians of the outdoor climbing spaces we inhabit.
We’ll have accessible workshops to help you develop your skills from some of the best mountaineering instructors and the biggest climbing brands.
From practical climbing skills to best practices with equipment, and usually in no more than 1:8 ratio groups, you will come away from the day having enhanced your skills and knowledge, and hopefully made some new friends along the way.
We’re here to help build community, too, which is why you’ll be able to meet and talk with some of the main climbing clubs in the local area, to expand your network of climbing partners and friends.
Book Now
Climbing Fair 2025 Roundup
What is the format of the weekend?
Saturday
Doors: 09:00
Sessions & Skills: 10:00-18:00
Sunday
Doors: 09:00
Sessions & Skills: 10:00-18:00
Saturday Skills Workshops
How to Avoid Mountain Rescue // 10:00-11:00 // 13:00-14:00 // 15:00-16:00 // Max participants per workshop 12
Self Rescue for Climbers with Dan Mckinley // 10:00-12:00 // 13:00-15:00 // 16:00-18:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Packing for Crag Days // 10:00-11:00 // 13:00-14:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Find Your Perfect Climbing Shoe // 11:00-12:00 // 14:00-15:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Shoe Fitting Service // 12:00-13:00 // 15:00-16:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Adventure Photography with Marsha Balaeva // 10:00-14:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Learn to Fall/Confidence on the Wall // 13:00-15:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Pushing Your Grade // 10:00-12:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Psychological Skills for Climbers // 11:00-12:00 // 14:00-15:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Strength Training & Fingerboarding for Climbing // 10:00-11:00 // 13:00-14:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Conditioning & Flexibility for Climbing // 11:00-12:00 // 14:00-15:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Full Workshop Details
Sunday Skills Workshops
Junior Hoist Session with Access Sport // 10:00-11:00 // Max participants per workshop 2
Learn to Auto with Leeds Queer Climbing // 10:00-11:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Better Belaying with Dave Garry & Petzl // 10:00-12:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Fear of Lead Falling // 10:00-12:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Push Your Grade with Pete Dawson // 10:00-12:00 // 13:00-15:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Adventure Photography with Marsha Balaeva // 10:00-14:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Wild Climbers Taster Session // 11:00-12:00 // Max participants per workshop 4
Learn to Auto with Leeds Paraclimbing Club // 11:00-12:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Hoist Climbing Session with Leeds Paraclimbing Club // 11:00-12:00 // Max participants per workshop 2
NICAS Ascend Taster with Access Sport // 12:30-13:30 // Max participants per workshop 6
Cleaning Single Pitch Outdoor Sport Routes with Dave Garry & Petzl // 12:30-14:30 // Max participants per workshop 8
Learn to Auto (family session) // 13:00-14:00 // 14:00-15:00 // 15:00-16:00 // Max participants per workshop 6 (1 family per session)
Learn to Auto with Leeds Trans Climbing // 13:00-14:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Learn to Auto with Andy’s Man Club // 14:00-15:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
NICAS Taster Session // 14:00-15:00 // 15:00-16:00 // Max participants per workshop 6
Learn to Auto with Wanderers of Colour // 15:00-16:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Multi-Pitch Sport Climbing Skills with Dave Garry & Petzl // 15:00-17:00 // Max participants per workshop 8
Full Workshop Details
Climbing & Community Club Social Sessions
All social sessions take place on Sunday, 12th July. £5 fee is donated to the Yorkshire Bolt Fund and Upper Wharfdale Fell Rescue and includes entry for the session; no usual centre entry fees apply unless climbing before or after the session as a regular centre user.
Leeds Queer Climbing Social Climb // 11:00-13:00 // £5 centre entry (session only)
Leeds Paraclimbing Club Social Climb // 12:00-14:00 // £5 centre entry (session only)
Leeds Trans Climbers Social Climb // 14:00-16:00 // £5 centre entry (session only)
Andy’s Man Club Social Climb // 15:00-17:00 // £5 centre entry (session only)
Wanderers of Colour Social Climb // 16:00-18:00 // £5 centre entry (session only)
There will also be stalls for you to find out more about some of these great climbing and community groups throughout the weekend.
Upper Wharfdale Fell Rescue Landrover Stall // 09:00-17:00 // Saturday & Sunday
Yorkshire Bolt Fund Stall // 09:00-16:00 // Saturday
York Mountaineering Club Stall // 10:00-14:00 // Saturday
British Mountaineering Council Stall // 09:00-16:00 // Saturday
Leeds Queer Climbing Stall // 09:00-16:00 // Sunday
Leeds Paraclimbing Club Stall // 09:00-16:00 // Sunday
Leeds Trans Climbers Stall // 09:00-16:00 // Sunday
Andy’s Man Club Stall // 10:00-15:00 // Sunday
Program
How Much Is It?
Entry Prices
Our centre will be open commercially as usual, and so our usual entry rates will apply. If you have an Unlimited Climbing Pass or a Punch Card Pass with us, you can use these as you normally would.
All Saturday & most Sunday workshop prices are separate from entry prices.
Sunday’s community group, social and family sessions do not require regular wall entry to take part, but will only grant entry and access to the workshop. If you wish to remain in the centre and use the facilities, you will need to adhere to our entry prices and requirements.
Workshop Prices
All workshop revenue will be donated to the Yorkshire Bolt Fund & the Upper Wharfdale Fell Rescue to help keep our crags safe, functional and accessible.
Almost all sessions are priced at just £5 per person! Adventure photography is £15 per person, and the shoe fitting and sessions are free of charge.
Registrations
If you haven’t climbed at BIG Depot or any of our other Depot Climbing centres before, you’ll need to fill in a registration form and watch a safety video.
You can watch the safety video here on our Registrations Page.
Workshop Booking
All proceeds from workshops throughout the day will be donated to the Yorkshire Bolt Fund & Upper Wharfdale Fell Rescue (Mountain Rescue) to help keep our local crags safe, functional and accessible.
Workshop booking fees do not include entry to the centre (except for family and social sessions on Sunday). Please note that any entry fee to the centre will be payable on the day, and not during the workshop booking process. Bookings made here are for workshops only.
If you have not visited us before, you’ll need to fill in a registration form by clicking the link below.
Registrations & Safety VideoClimbing Fair Contributors
Petzl // Supporting Sport Climbing Skills
McKinlay Mountaineering // Hosting Self-Rescue for Trad Climbers
Access Sport // Supporting NICAS Ascend & Junior Hoist Sessions
NICAS // The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme
Monoculture Films // Hosting Adventure Photography
Andy’s Man Club // Peer-to-Peer Mens Mental Health
British Mountaineering Council // Local Area Access Team on hand, representing the national representative body
