Highlining above friends in Suru Valley, Ladakh

Outdoor collective · Ladakh & Sikkim

Play. Explore. Learnin the mountains.

A team of climbers, builders, movers, musicians and educators creating outdoor experiences across two Himalayan bases, all year round.

See what we do Work with us →

Suru Valley, LadakhMay to October

Zoom Rock Garden, SikkimNovember to April

+15 Meet the team →

10,000+ people have joined us
over 10 years

Who we are

An outdoor collective rooted in the Indian Himalayas

Crashpad brings together adventure sports, experiential learning, movement practices, festivals and community led initiatives.

Working across Suru Valley in Ladakh and Zoom Rock Garden in Sikkim, we create opportunities for people to learn new skills, take part in outdoor activities, experience different movement practices and connect through shared experiences.

From school programmes and climbing sessions to festivals, courses, mountain biking and music gatherings, our work brings people together through the outdoors.

10+Years active

8Projects & festivals

2Himalayan bases

Our team & community

Built by a core team. Strengthened by a community.

Crashpad is made up of a core team supported by volunteers, instructors, collaborators and local communities. We are outdoor instructors and movement practitioners to event organisers, builders and musicians. We value shared learning, practical involvement and giving people the chance to shape what we build next.

Certified outdoor guides · Wilderness First Aid certified team

Tap a photo to meet them

Ways to get involved

Crashpad grows through the people who join in. Whether you have a place, a skill, an idea or a free weekend, there is room for you here.

Partner Explore opportunities across adventure, education, sport, movement and culture. We create festivals, programmes and outreach with brands and institutions that share our values. For brands, institutions and NGOs
Collaborate Develop an event or programme with Crashpad. You bring a place, an idea or a community; we bring the team, the gear and ten years of running events in the mountains. For landowners, communities and schools
Teach or facilitate Propose a course, workshop or activity. Climbers, movers, builders, musicians and artists share their craft at our bases and festivals. For instructors, artists and practitioners
Volunteer Contribute to events, workshops and community programmes. Help build, set up, host and clean up, and learn alongside the team while you do it. For anyone with energy and curiosity

Tell us how you'd like to join in →

What we do

Festivals, events & projects

Climbing, multisport, land art, movement, mountain biking and music: the projects our team has built and runs. Hover over a project to learn more.

Bouldering under the Milky Way in Suru Valley

Multisport · Ladakh

Suru Outdoor Fest

Our flagship gathering in Suru Valley: bouldering, highlining, climbing clinics, mountain music and Ladakhi hospitality in a high altitude landscape.

Visit website ↗

Colourful installation on a village wall

Land Art & Movement

Sā

Land art and movement in the Himalayan landscape. Installations set into cliffs, villages and riverbeds, exploring how art, body and place meet.

Visit website ↗

Multisport

Go Chakung

Great Outdoors Chakung brings mountain biking, trail running, paragliding and slacklining, with camps under the Himalayan sky.

Follow on Instagram ↗

Climbing

Grit Fest

A climbing festival on the rock of Dhauj, with routes, bouldering, clinics and a community that turns up for each other.

Follow on Instagram ↗

Movement & Wellness

Ekaya

Movement and wellness gatherings from the Sikkim collective: Capoeira, flow arts, fire play and mindful practice in natural settings.

Visit website ↗

Two climbers at the Boulder Clash banner

Bouldering

Boulder Clash

Bouldering events built around crash pads, chalk, night sessions and a crowd cheering every send.

Follow on Instagram ↗

Downhill Mountain Biking

ZLS

A downhill mountain bike series that sends riders through steep, technical mountain and forest terrain.

Visit website ↗

Music

AQI

Sound system sessions and music gatherings: the DJs and evenings that bring every event together.

Follow on Instagram ↗

Partners

Friends who build with us

Brands, crews and collectives we create festivals, programmes and adventures with.

Work with us

Have a place with potential?

Connect with us and let's create something meaningful.

Our team has designed, built and run festivals, outdoor programmes, school visits and natural structures across the Himalayas. We work with landowners, communities, schools and organisations to turn places and ideas into experiences that fit the land and the people around it.

Festival & event production
Programme design
Site development
School & group programmes
Natural building
Community events

Start a conversation

Experiential learning

What we believe about learning

“Some of the most meaningful learning happens beyond the classroom.”

Experiential learning is learning by doing, exploring and reflecting on real world experiences. Whether it's climbing a rock face, building with natural materials, navigating a trail or working together to solve a challenge, every experience is a chance to develop new skills, build confidence, strengthen relationships and discover new perspectives.

At Crashpad, learning isn't just about acquiring knowledge. It's about putting it into practice, learning from the experience, and carrying those lessons into everyday life.

Students and instructors after a day outdoors

How we teach

01Do
Start with a real experience: a climb, a build, a trail, a team challenge.
02Reflect
Pause together: what happened, what felt hard, what worked.
03Make sense
Connect it to skills and ideas: problem solving, collaboration, the natural world.
04Apply
Try again, take on more, and carry the lesson into everyday life.

what we nurture CuriosityCollaborationProblem solving ConfidenceConnection with nature

Our learning brochure

Who we are, what we believe and how our school programmes work, in one booklet to share with your school.

Download the brochure (PDF) ↓

School programmes · Zoom Rock Garden

Come explore, experiment, collaborate

Full day programmes that combine adventure, nature, hands on activities and teamwork. Activities are chosen by age, group size and learning objectives.

Pick a few, or try them all!

Tap any card to find out more

Programme by grade

Grades 4 to 5 students with an instructor

Ages 9 to 11

Discover, Play & Explore

Focus: curiosity, confidence, movement and learning through play.

Introductory rock climbing
Nature walks and discovery games
Orienteering with simple maps and clues
Team building games
Farming and soil exploration
Basic bushcraft

ConfidenceObservationTeamworkEnvironmental awareness

Ages 12 to 14

Explore, Create & Collaborate

Focus: practical skills, teamwork, problem solving and environmental awareness.

Rock climbing on natural crags
Map and compass navigation
Nature education and biodiversity
Natural building and construction
Farming and composting
Bushcraft and team challenges

ResilienceCollaborationCreativityPractical skills

Ages 15 to 18

Challenge, Lead & Apply

Focus: leadership, critical thinking, responsibility and applied learning.

Technical rock climbing and rappelling
Orienteering and route planning
Ecology and landscape studies
Natural building and sustainable construction
Farming and resource management
Leadership challenges and outdoor planning

LeadershipAccountabilityRisk awarenessCritical thinking

A sample day

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Adapted to group size, grade, weather and learning objectives.

9:00 to 9:30

Welcome & orientationIntroductions, icebreakers and safety briefing

9:30 to 10:30

Nature explorationOrienteering, nature walks and discovery games

10:30 to 10:45

Snack & water break

10:45 to 12:15

Adventure activityRock climbing, high ropes or rappelling, by grade

12:15 to 1:00

Nature educationBiodiversity, ecology or a related learning activity

1:00 to 2:00

Lunch & rest

2:00 to 3:00

Practical workshopNatural building, farming or bushcraft

3:00 to 3:45

Team challengeCollaborative problem solving

3:45 to 4:00

Reflection & departureGroup circle and shared reflections

Safety & care

Certified outdoor guides and a Wilderness First Aid certified team
Risk assessment before every activity
Age appropriate activities and trained supervision
Proper safety equipment and briefings

Hands, earth & time

Natural Building

We build with what the land provides (earth, stone, bamboo, lime and timber) using traditional and ecological methods to create beautiful, functional, low impact structures.

Natural building is both a craft and a philosophy. Every project is site specific: we work with local materials to reduce embodied energy, and we build with many hands, so the people who use a space are part of making it.

Local firstSoil, stone and bamboo from the site or close by, so very little is trucked in.
Built for the climateThick earthen walls hold warmth on cold nights and stay cool through the day.
Breathable & non toxicClay and lime let walls breathe, without cement or synthetic finishes.
Returns to the landMaterials that can be repaired, reshaped, or go back into the ground.
Learning by doingEvery build doubles as a workshop for volunteers, students and the local community.

Techniques we use

Earthbag

Bags packed with moist subsoil, laid in courses and tamped solid. Strong, fast and ideal for foundations and round walls.

Cob & Rammed Earth

Sculpted or compacted earthen walls that breathe, regulate temperature and last generations.

Bamboo & Timber Framing

Structural joinery for roofs, shelters and pavilions, shaped and fitted by hand.

Stone Masonry

Dry stone and mortared work with local rock for plinths, paths and retaining walls.

Lime & Clay Plasters

Breathable finishes that protect earthen walls and give them their warm, handmade surface.

From ground to roof

01Read the site
Test the soil, find the stone, follow the sun and water.
02Prepare the earth
Sieve, mix and wet the soil to the right consistency.
03Raise the walls
Course by course, packed and tamped by many hands.
04Frame & roof
Timber and bamboo joinery, then thatch or sheet.
05Finish & gather
Plaster, light it up, and bring people in.

Discuss a building project →

Two seasons, two bases

Where to find us

May to October

~3,100 mKargil, Ladakh

Suru Valley, Ladakh

A wild high landscape of towering rock, high altitude bouldering, glacial rivers and wide open valleys. Home of Suru Outdoor Fest and our summer climbing, highlining and expedition programmes.

Suru Outdoor FestBoulderingHighliningExpeditions

November to April

30 acresUpper Sisney, Sikkim

Zoom Rock Garden, Sikkim

Thirty acres of forest, boulders and open land, with bouldering circuits, rope courses, farming and natural building. Our winter base for school programmes, retreats and community events.

School programmesClimbingHigh ropesNatural building

Flagship gathering · Ladakh

Suru Outdoor Fest

Climbing, adventure sports, movement, mountain music and community in the raw landscape of Suru Valley.

What happens at Suru

Day hikes
Bouldering to big wall
Rafting and highlining
Paragliding and longboarding

10Editions

1,000+Attendees

25+Countries

500+Boulder problems

Visit surufest.com ↗

The journey since 2016

2016A few friends and a few crash pads
Suru Boulder Fest begins as a small gathering of climbers exploring the boulders of Suru Valley.
2019UIAA Rock Climbing Festival Award
The fourth edition welcomes around 150 climbers, and the festival wins the UIAA award for community, care for the environment and new route development.
NextFrom Boulder Fest to Outdoor Fest
The festival opens up to highliners, kayakers, mountain bikers, yoga lovers and artists, and becomes Suru Outdoor Fest.
2024On National Geographic
National Geographic features Suru Valley and the festival as a new destination for climbers and hikers.
2026The tenth edition
Sixteen days, more than 500 boulder problems, a 200 m highline and people from over 25 countries.