Climb OUT Campout
Registration is open!
April 5th - 7th, 2024
Joshua Tree
A weekend of camping, climbing, and queer community
What is Climb OUT Campout?
Climb OUT Campout is a climbing retreat for LGBTQIA2S+ folks to find community, build skills, and connect with nature as your authentic self.
Our Story
Climb OUT Campout was created by Brie Chartier (she/her), with the help of Tera Kaia and Golden State Guiding in 2021. The inaugural event was held in Joshua Tree National Park in November of 2021 with over 23 participants and 8 guides! Brie created COCO with the hopes of creating a space for LGBTQIA2S+ folks to experience a sense of belonging in the outdoors, while learning new climbing skills with certified and knowledgeable queer guides.
Together with brands like Scarpa, Patagonia, Deuter, and Black Diamond, the first Climb OUT Campout was a huge success and has inspired the guides to create more of these events in other locations. Since 2021, we’ve hosted three events in Joshua Tree and Smith Rock – plus our flagship festival and education courses – but COCO will always have a special place in our hearts as the first-of-its-kind queer climbing retreat.
About Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park is nestled in the high desert of Southern California on the stolen lands of the Cahuilla, Serrano, Mohave, and Chemehuevi peoples, among other groups. The region is rich in climbing history and remains popular for its unique geology, playful routes, and world-class sunsets.
What's included?
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3 nights of camping (Thursday night - Sunday morning)
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2.5 days of guided climbing and skills clinics
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Evening festivities and Saturday community presentation
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Climbing gear (harness, helmet, climbing shoes, belay device)
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Swag from our wonderful sponsors
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What's not included:
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Meals
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Camping gear*
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Transportation**
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National Park pass**
* If access to camping gear and cooking equipment is a barrier to your attendance, we can help arrange borrowing among our network. Contact us if you’d like assistance with this.
** We will help facilitate carpooling to/from Joshua Tree. During the event, we will carpool from the camping location into the park each day as much as possible. Guests will only need one National Park pass per vehicle.
Scholarships
We're excited to make full scholarships available to our participants, thanks to the support of our sponsors. We have three (3) scholarship slots for this event, two (2) which are reserved for Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, and one (1) which is open application.
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Applications are due by Friday, March 8th at 11:59pm PST.
Mentee Program
The all queer COCO guide team is seeking aspiring climbing guides and educators, especially those looking to gain experience teaching others to climb in an affinity setting, to join us. We have one (1) spot for a mentee guide for this event.
Applications are due by Friday, March 8th at 11:59pm PST.
Volunteering
We're looking for a Camp “Care Bear” – basically a camp host! One (1) volunteer will receive a free ticket, and will take on some additional responsibility to help care for camp and support others in staying warm, happy, and welcome while at camp!
Applications are due by Friday, March 8th at 11:59pm PST.