Suru Outdoor Fest
The Suru Outdoor Fest, a former UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award winner, is a major Asian gathering with international reach and a long-term role in developing the valley. It is well attended and has a strong community feel.
The 2026 edition will take place from 10-25 September in the Suru Valley, Ladakh, India
The event started in 2016 as a small gathering of climbers who wanted to explore the untouched boulders of the Suru Valley in Ladakh. What began with a handful of friends and a few crash pads has grown into South Asia’s most celebrated multi-sport outdoor festival.
Every edition develops new boulder problems on the valley’s granite, expanding the only permanent outdoor bouldering area in the region. Over ten editions we have collectively put up more than 500 boulder problems — a living guide carved into the stone of Ladakh.
The festival has won the prestigious UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award (2019) and has been featured in Outlook Traveller, The Outdoor Journal, Rock and Ice, and ZEE5 — placing Suru Valley firmly on the global adventure map.
Beyond the sport, SURU FEST is a platform for environmental and community action. Every edition, a portion of all proceeds go directly into conservation work in the Suru Valley — trail building, waste management, and supporting local Ladakhi families who host and feed 1,000+ visitors.
The festival runs a Leave No Trace protocol. All camping waste is carried out. Meals are locally sourced and predominantly vegetarian, reducing the festival’s ecological footprint while supporting Ladakhi agriculture.
The SURU Initiative also funds fixed anchor installations and permanent chalk buckets at each boulder, making the area accessible to visiting climbers year-round — long after the festival ends.
Further Information
The full schedule, registration details and other information can be found here.
Disclaimer
This event has been selected as one of the profiled Rock Climbing festivals approved to appear on the UIAA’s annual calendar of rock climbing festivals worldwide. This event is not organised by the UIAA, nor is it affiliated to the UIAA. All responsibility for the organisation and running of the event lies with the organiser.