Red Wing Climbing Festival

The goal of the event is to host an all-day team climbing competition in which participants earn points based on the total volume and difficulty of climbs completed throughout the day. At the conclusion of the competition, the teams with the highest cumulative scores will be recognized as the winners. The format is intentionally designed to encourage climbers to explore a wider variety of the more than 200 climbing routes at Barn Bluff rather than focusing solely on the area’s most well-known classic climbs.

Following the competition, participants will be encouraged to continue enjoying the climbing experience into the evening through recreational night climbing utilizing spotlights and headlamps. In addition, the City of Red Wing has graciously allowed camping at Memorial Bluff, where attendees will be able to enjoy bonfires, music, raffles, food, and continued community festivities throughout the evening.

He Mni Can (Barn Bluff) offers the highest concentration of sport climbing routes within roughly 600 miles, making it one of the premier climbing destinations in the Midwest. Its steep limestone walls, diverse route selection, and close proximity to the Twin Cities make outdoor climbing uniquely accessible to a large regional community. Sport climbing also provides a lower barrier to entry than many other climbing disciplines, helping introduce more people to outdoor recreation. Extensive volunteer-led rebolting and stewardship efforts in recent years have helped preserve and improve the area for future generations.

In order to responsibly organize and sustain the festival, the event will operate as a ticketed gathering. Many of the logistical elements that make an event of this scale possible — including insurance, sanitation, trash collection, potable water delivery, camping infrastructure, lighting, safety resources, permits— all carry a costs. While we are actively pursuing sponsorship support from climbing companies and local partners, sponsorships are not guaranteed, particularly during the festival’s first year. Ticket sales help ensure that the event can be operated safely, responsibly, and in a way that supports the climbing community, long-term stewardship of He Mni Can, and future funding for local climbing nonprofits and climbing initiatives.