Good news: Mini Fest, Spring Climbing Courses, a Recap + Trad Fest dates!
Join us May 16-18 in the RRG for the inaugural Flash Foxy Mini Fest!!! PLUS, we've got 7 spring Education Courses coming up in 6 different states, a festival recap, and a special announcement 🤫
MINI FEST (RRG, KY)
Oh hai foxy folks!
Mondays may be boring, but this newsletter won’t be 😉 This email is chock full of ~GOOD NEWS ONLY~ because we all need a break from the horrors 💗
We had the best time hanging with y’all a couple weeks ago in Bishop, and we miss you already, which is why we are back on our laptops busily preparing for our next fest, in the Southeast!!!
THAT’S RIGHT - the first ever Flash Foxy Mini Fest in the Red River Gorge is coming up May 16-18th and TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Why come to Mini Fest?
Come for the epic overhanging sandstone cliffs, stay because Flash Foxy festivals are about so much more than climbing. When we’re not out on the rocks, we’ll be at Lago Linda Hiedaway for our opening party, workshops, group meals, demos, arts & crafts, games, fireside chats, community conversations, and more! Our event is capped at 60 participants for an *~intimate~* vibe.
Morning workshop options will include Sunrise Yoga or Bend it, Don’t break it: Injury Prevention Essentials. Evening workshop options include How to Build a Training Program or Vinyasa Nidra Yoga. We’ll have conversations about Bolting & Development and Climbing Egos & Joy. PLUS we’ll have our Garment & Gear Repair Station, Flash Foxy Sparkle Station, and….. GAMES!!!
Check out the full schedule here, and check back often because we’re updating details as we get confirmations from athletes + facilitators 🤩
Will there be clinics?
Of course! Clinics will be announced super duper soon, and will only be available to registered festival participants. Clinic registration will open April 15th so keep an eye on our newsfeed and website for announcements about topics and instructors. Please note there is an additional registration fee ($110 per day) for clinics.
This event is made possible thanks to our sponsors Arc’teryx, Scarpa, La Sportiva.
Want to get involved? Email events@flashfoxy.com!
EDUCATION PROGRAM
Spring education course schedule is live!! We’ll be visiting SIX states in the next THREE months as we work towards meeting our goal of creating accessible learning resources for foxy climbers all over the country 🌈🌷 Come climb + learn with us!
4/26-27: Sport Climbing 101 - Red River Gorge, KY - aka the Red, 2hrs from Cincinnati, 7hrs from Chicago ;)
5/3-4 Multipitch 101 - New Paltz, NY - aka the Gunks, 2hrs from NYC
These courses will be taught in partnership with our amazing guide service partners Bluegrass Climbing School (KY), Rise Outside (NY), Aspect Adventure (UT), Smile Mountain Guides (CO), Sportrock Climbing Guides (DC), and Vertical Pursuits (CA). Flash Foxy Education courses are offered on a sliding-scale starting at just $50. To ensure our programs are financially accessible, full scholarships are also available for all education courses.
This program is made possible thanks to generous support from Arc’teryx.
Want to get involved? Email education@flashfoxy.com!
CLIMBING FESTIVAL (Bishop, CA) - EVENT RECAP
This year we were joined in beautiful Payahuunadü by 333 women and genderqueer climbers for a weekend of play and community building! We learned from 27 guides, athletes, and community members; held 11 clinics, 3 workshops, and 11 meetups; gathered for two cultural presentations, a film screening of a new Arc’teryx film, and a panel discussion on community building; hosted a community slideshow presentation, gathered over 150 people for stewardship projects; and had a chilly-but-epic time dancing to DJ FixHer’s groovy tunes!
Thank YOU for making our fundraising efforts for our local partners a massive success! We raised $2,320 during our Saturday night raffle which will be split between the Bishop Paiute Tribe, and our local stewardship partners, the Bishop Climbing Rangers and Friends of the Inyo.
As a continued acknowledgement that our events take place on and benefit from native lands, we also donate $5 from every ticket sale to accompany our donation to the Bishop Paiute Tribe - which will again be going to our partners at the Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center to assist with their summer artist speaker series. This brings our total donation to the Cultural Center to $2,235.
At a separate raffle on Sunday evening we raised $2,075 for Wild Iris, the local crisis center for victims of domestic violence. Additionally, we raised $1,130 for the Flash Foxy Scholarship fund via merch sales! WOW 🤩
Photo Album?
While you’re patiently waiting for the full photo album, keep an eye on our Instagram for periodic photo dumps, and check out our lil ~preview~ photo album online now! Festival participants will get an email when the full album is live. We’ll also post on socials of course 😉 Thanks for your patience 🧡
Festival Attendees! Please fill our our Participant Survey and tell us what you thought of the festival this year. We’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can improve moving forward!
This event was made possible thanks to our sponsors Arc’teryx, Scarpa, La Sportiva, The Hostel California, Ocun, DMM, and our many in-kind sponsors and community partners. Thank you <3
Want to get involved? Email education@flashfoxy.com!
BIG NEWS: TRAD FEST 2025!!!!
Congrats, you get a prize for reading this newsletter!!!! We have some BIG NEWS:
This year, we’re taking the Flash Foxy Trad Fest to the next level (of elevation) and heading up into the Eastern Sierras for 3-days of learning and community building in Mammoth Lakes, CA! Save the dates: September 12-14th!!!
Stay tuned for more details - including scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and ticket sales dates soon!
This event is presented by Patagonia, with support from Mammoth Lakes Tourism, Arc’teryx, La Sportiva, Scarpa, and Ocun.
Want to get involved? Email events@flashfoxy.com!
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Our Managing Director, Lou Bank, was recently interviewed by Ryleigh Norgrove for Climbing Magazine. Read “DEI Isn’t Cancelled at the Crag. Here are 10 Ways You can Show Up For Marginalized Climbers,” to hear about inclusion in the outdoors!
Learn more about Lou Bank and this history of Flash Foxy on Not Your Typical Climber Podcast to talk about Flash Foxy. Listen to “Flash Foxy: Empowering Women and Genderqueer Climbers with Lou Bank” now!