TRAD FEST FAQ

What is the Flash Foxy Trad Fest?

The kid sibling to our flagship Flash Foxy Climbing Festival in Bishop, Trad Fest is a three-day climbing event for women and genderqueer climbers of all ages with rotating locations every 3-5 years. We hope that the Flash Foxy Trad Fest will not only reach experienced climbers but also provide a safe space for beginner climbers to come and learn more about all that climbing has to offer!

While this event will focus on trad climbing (aka traditional climbing), there will also be opportunities for top roping and bouldering!

When is the festival?

The festival is from Friday, September 12 through Sunday, September 14, 2025.

Where is the festival located?

The festival is located in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Festival events will be occurring in several locations throughout the town of Mammoth as well as at several climbing locations throughout the Eastern Sierras. Find more details about Mammoth Lakes and our venues on the Lodging + Local Beta page.

Do I have to be an experienced rock climber to attend the festival?

Not at all - beginners are welcome! We welcome women and genderqueer folks of all climbing experience levels. There will be several intro and beginning clinics and workshops in addition to intermediate and advanced offerings. The festival will be a great opportunity to try out climbing in a safe and supportive environment.

Do I need to register to attend the festival?

Yes. Registration is required to attend the festival and the number of participants is limited. More registration information can be found here.

Why are there different levels of ticket pricing?

We strongly believe in keeping the festival affordable so that folks of all situations who love climbing can attend which is why we have a “pay more if you are willing and able” model. 

The standard registration cost for the weekend is $180 - but we have also created options for lower-cost and higher-cost tickets ranging from $100-$250. If you feel that you can afford the higher price and would like to help offset the costs for other participants, please select a $200 or $250 Festival Pass. We have a limited number of $100 Festival Passes available. Lower-cost festival passes will go on sale August 1. There are also full scholarships available (see below) and opportunities to volunteer (click here for details).

$5 from each ticket sale will be donated to a local Indigenous-led organization.

What is included in the cost of registration?

• FRIDAY: Opening Party, Happy Hour, Arts & Crafts, Welcome Presentation, DJ Dance Party

• SATURDAY: Breakfast, Climbing Demos, Arts & Crafts, Evening Yoga, Dinner, Panel, Film Screenings

• SUNDAY: Morning Workshop, Breakfast, Stewardship Project, Community Slideshow

• SWAG from our generous sponsors!

Please see the Registration page for more detail.

What is not included in the cost of registration?

• Clinics: $95/clinic. Registration is open only to festival ticket holders. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds or transfers for clinics. More info here.

• Lodging: see Lodging + Local Beta for our recs

• Climbing Equipment Rental: Shoe + harness demos will be available from our sponsors, however access to demos is not guaranteed. All participants are responsible for their own climbing equipment.

• Transportation: All festival ticket holders will receive a link to a ride-share spreadsheet to help coordinate transportation. This link can be found in the festival linktree (it’s in your Eventbrite confirmation email, save it!!). All participants are responsible for their own transportation to/from the festival and to/from venues throughout the weekend. Access to a vehicle is necessary for getting to climbing areas independently. We highly encourage festival participants to carpool!

• Refunds: This event is rain or shine. We cannot guarantee weather conditions, crag conditions or any other element of climbing, road or trail access. There are no refunds for this event.

Do you need to be registered for the festival to sign up for a clinic?

Yes, clinics are only open to registered festival participants. Clinics are subject to limited attendance. Purchase of a festival pass does not guarantee that you will be able to register for a clinic. Our most popular clinics often sell out within minutes! Registration link will be sent to all other ticket holders on August 15.

The clinic or workshop I want to join is already full. Can I get on a waitlist?

Absolutely! When a session fills up, we add it to our waitlist. We then reach out to folks in the order they signed up. You’ll have 48 hours to let us know if you want the spot.

Are scholarships available?

Yes! Please see more information on our Registration Page.

Who can attend the festival?

Flash Foxy welcomes women and genderqueer climbers to join us at the Flash Foxy Trad Fest. We use “genderqueer” as an umbrella term for all folks of non-dominant genders. Still not sure if this space is for you? We’ve got more FAQs about who Flash Foxy is for.

This is an all-ages event and young children are encouraged to attend with a guardian! If you are a guardian for a young climber who wants to attend, please email us at events@flashfoxy.com.

Our goal is to create and maintain a safe and diverse space where consent and respect are our first priorities. Harassment of any kind (unwanted contact, verbal or physical abuse, racism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming, etc.) will NOT be tolerated and will lead to being asked to leave.

Can I bring my dog?

As much as we love dogs, they are not allowed at primary festival programming including the opening party, film screenings, presentations, clinics, workshops, and stewardship projects. Our events are jam-packed with both humans and activities and can be an overwhelming experience for our canine friends. Additionally, dogs can be a safety hazard during clinics and workshops. To avoid conflict, we would prefer that you leave your pup at home. Thank you for understanding!

Service dogs are allowed at all festival programming. If you will be bringing a service animal to your clinic or workshop please email events@flashfoxy.com so that we can ensure that the venue can accommodate dogs. Some approaches involve delicate scrambling and are not safe for dogs.

I have a food allergy, can I still participate in event dinners?

Gluten free and vegan options will be available for breakfast and dinner. Catered food is not prepared in a celiac/gluten free kitchen. It is up to individuals to make their own decisions regarding sensitivities. Nut-free food will always be available, but again we cannot guarantee that there is no cross contamination. At this time, no refunds or discounts will be given for those with allergies. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding!

What if I purchased a festival pass and no longer can attend?

Unfortunately, we can NOT offer refunds. However, we truly understand that circumstances can change and that you probably want your money back. While we cannot offer refunds, we strive to facilitate ticket transfers whenever possible! You must find someone who wants your ticket (tag us in your stories or post in our Facebook group for help finding someone!). If tickets sell out and a waitlist forms, we can offer ticket transfers to folks on the waitlist. Please note that as the festival date approaches, processing refunds and ticket transfers becomes more challenging.

The deadline to request a ticket transfers is Friday, September 5th. If you've purchased a pass but find yourself unable to attend, please contact us right away at events@flashfoxy.com. Ticket transfers are not guaranteed.

How does the waitlist work?

People are taken off the waitlist in the order they were added to the waitlist. When someone alerts us that they can no longer attend, we send an email to someone on the waitlist and they will have 2 days to redeem the ticket.

Is this event rain or shine?

Yes, our event is rain or shine! Regardless of the weather, we will have a good time! We cannot guarantee access to climbing or any specific climbing areas. Part of climbing outdoors is respecting the land and learning to make the best of whatever Mother Nature throws our way!

We cannot guarantee weather conditions, crag conditions, or any other element of climbing, road, or trail access. There are no refunds for this event.

Where can I find information about the accessibility of venues + programming?

The primary festival venue will be wheelchair accessible. Accessibility of crags (climbing clinics) and satellite events may vary. Details will be updated when 2025 venues are confirmed.

Face masks will be optional for all indoor events. Face masks will be available on-site.

ASL Interpretation can be coordinated upon request. All films will have captions in English. Please email events@flashfoxy.com to coordinate ASL interpretation. Advanced notice is required to coordinate ASL interpretation.

Have an accessibility concern? Reach out to events@flashfoxy.com and we’ll see how we can help!

We are always working to make the Flash Foxy festivals more inclusive and welcoming spaces, please let us know what we can do to make our event more accessible for you. Unfortunately, we are not always able to arrange accommodations but we will do our best and will provide honest answers about our event spaces, staff capabilities, and the activities that take place at our festivals. Thank you for learning and growing with us!

What’s your Covid-19 Plan?

All festival attendees must have received a minimum of 1 dose of any COVID-19 vaccine to attend any Flash Foxy event. All attendees must present proof of vaccination at registration. Proof of vaccination may consist of physical or digital vaccine records. To request a vaccine exemption* please email events@flashfoxy.com. 

*Vaccine exemptions will only be granted to those with medical conditions preventing them from receiving a vaccine. Vaccine exemptions must be requested within 48 hours of ticket purchase and at least 2 weeks before the event. All unvaccinated attendees with approved exemptions must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or at-home test) within 24 hours of the event at registration.

Face masks will be optional at all indoor programs. Face masks will be available on-site.

Additionally, we request that if you are sick - even if it’s not Covid - that you stay home. We don’t like missing events any more than you do, but we also really don’t like being sick. We especially don’t like putting our immunocompromised community members at risk. If you’re recovering from illness or think you might be getting sick… consider wearing a mask in all group settings <3

If we have to cancel any Flash Foxy event or program due to rising COVID-19 cases or other national emergencies, ticket holders will have the following refund options:

• 50% Refund (standard policy if no action is taken by the ticket holder)

• 100% Refund (by email request to events@flashfoxy.com)

• Donate the full ticket price to Flash Foxy

We ask ticket holders who have the financial ability to keep in mind that the majority of our festival expenses are fixed and non-refundable (employee salaries, insurance, perishable goods, deposits, etc). We greatly appreciate our community and your ongoing support. 

If changes in your circumstances related to Covid-19 affect your comfort levels with attending the festival, we may be able to facilitate a ticket transfer. We cannot guarantee ticket transfers. No Refunds.

If you have a positive COVID-19 test or contact with someone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 within one week of the festival we ask that you do not attend. Please inform us immediately and we will do our best to facilitate a ticket transfer. We cannot guarantee ticket transfers. No Refunds.

Our Covid-19 plan may be updated at any time.