BIG Spring Camp 2026
415 people attending
35 places left
🏔️ BIG Spring Camp 2026: The 20th Anniversary Blowout!
Get ready to pitch up, dress up, and celebrate! BIG Spring Camp is back for 2026, and it’s a massive one—we are officially 20 years old!
We’re returning to our stunning home in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia). Imagine a weekend with full use of a rugby club base, surrounded by dramatic peaks, adrenaline-pumping adventures, and a few hundred of your newest best friends. Whether you want to conquer a mountain, get wet in a gorge, or just take it easy, this is the weekend to do it.
🎂 Twenty Years of OutdoorLads
Since 2006, we’ve been getting folks outdoors, and we aren't slowing down. Expect some special 20th-anniversary surprises throughout the weekend. We’ve had two decades of mud, sweat, and beers—let's make this the biggest celebration yet! Lots of surprises and we're changing many things up this year, including the activities on offer, as we make this THE one to remember for the next 20 years.. We can't think of a better place to be to celebrate 20 years of OutdoorLads!
🛶 The Main Attractions: Activities
🟢 Good availability; 🟡 Limited spaces; 🔴 Waitlist [updated Sun 17 May 19.46]
A-E: Meeting points, on the pitch outside the clubhouse
Paid Events
Some of the most thrilling events that Eryri has to offer, led by professionals!
Saturday
A 🔴 08:45 Ultimate White Water Rafting (AM)
C 🟡 09:00 SUP & Canoeing - full day
A 🔴 09:00 Coasteering
E 🔴 09:00 Gorge Scrambling (AM)
B 🔴 09:15 Go Below Ultimate Xtreme
A 🔴 09:45 Bounce Below (New Members) (AM)
B 🔴 10:45 Ultimate White Water Rafting (AM)
A 🔴 13:00 Gorge Scrambling (PM)
C 🟡 13:00 Skyride & Fforest Coaster (PM)
Sunday
C 🟢 09:00 Coasteering - full day
E 🟢 09:00 Via Ferrata & Abseil (AM)
A 🟢 10:00 Cwm Llan Canyon NEW!
B 🔴 12:15 Aero Explorer
A 🟢 13:00 Via Ferrata & Abseil (PM)
A 🔴 13:45 Quarry Karts (PM)
Free Events
The events led by our awesome volunteer Leaders. From leisurely strolls to hardcore mountain bike routes.
Saturday
A 🟡 🏃♂️ 08:00 Conwy parkrun
B 🔴 ⛰️ 08:30 The High Carneddau & Aber Falls
D 🔴 ⛰️ 08:30 Moel Siabod Hike
D 🔴 ⛰️ 09:00 Elidir Fawr & Y Garn Mountain Walk
D 🟢 🚵♂️ 09:30 Coed-y-Brenin MTB
B 🔴 🥾 10:00 Llandudno and the Great Orme
A 🔴 🥾 10:30 Two Lakes and a Waterfall
C 🔴 🥾 10:30 Twin Waters Walk
E 🔴 🥾 10:30 Conwy Mountain
A 🟢 🥾 11:00 Where Fairies Fall NEW!
B 🔴 🥾 11:30 Industrial Heritage Walk
B 🟢 🦒 12:30 Trip to the Zoo
🟢 📽️ 19:00 Film Screening
Sunday
A 🔴 ⛰️ 08:00 Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon
B 🟡 🥾 08:30 Industry, Mythology and Ice Cream Walk
B 🟢 🚴♂️ 09:30 Cycling Along the North Wales coast, Bangor and the Las Ogwen Cycleway
A 🟢 🚵♂️ 09:45 Marin MTB
C 🔴 🥾 10:00 Aber Falls Circular and Whisky Wind-down
E 🟡 🪴 10:15 National Trust Bodnant Gardens
D 🔴 🥾 10:30 Llyn Crafnant
C 🟢 ⛰️ 10:30 Llyn Padarn & Dinorwig Quarry NEW!
A 🔴 🥾 10:30 Snowdonia Waterfalls Circular
B 🔴 🪴 11:00 Gwydir Castle - Gardens, Ghosts & Cream Tea
On-Site Entertainment Schedule
Friday
18:30 – 19:30 | Marquee | Arrival Drinks / Pre-Quiz Mix & Mingle
Grab a drink, settle in, and scout for teammates during a relaxed pre-quiz mixer.
19:30 – 21:30 | Marquee | The Iconic 20th Anniversary Quiz
The legendary battle of wits. Five rounds, 50 questions, and fabulous prizes for teams of up to six.
21:30 – Late | Clubhouse | Music & Socialising
Keep the vibes going at the clubhouse long after the quiz ends.
Saturday
12:30 – 13:30 | Outside clubhouse | Hybrid Functional Fitness Workout
High-energy strength and cardio to jumpstart your Saturday.
13:30 – 14:00 | Outside clubhouse | Stretch and Mobility Guided Session
A focused recovery session to keep you limber for the afternoon.
14:30 – 16:00 | Outside clubhouse | The BIG Outdoor Games
Giant-sized fun! Drop in for Pickleball, Bocce, Twister Ultimate, or Giant Snakes & Ladders.
14:30 – 16:30 | Marquee | Board Games & Socialising
A cozy social hub in the marquee. Play our games or bring your own favourites.
16:30 – 18:00 | Outside clubhouse | BIG OutdoorLads Rounders Match
The afternoon’s main event. Grab a bat for a friendly, competitive classic.
18:30 – 19:30 | Marquee | Fancy Dress Werk-Room
Glitter up and assemble your look in the marquee before the night begins.
19:30 – 21:00 | Marquee | Icons Karaoke
Take the stage and belt out legendary anthems. It’s all about passion, not perfection!
21:00 – Late | Clubhouse | ICONS Disco
Debut your fancy dress on the clubhouse dancefloor and party until the stars come out.
Sunday
12:30 – 13:30 | Outside clubhouse | Hybrid Functional Fitness Workout
Round two of heart-pumping functional training to earn those Sunday treats.
13:30 – 14:00 | Outside clubhouse | Stretch and Mobility Guided Session
A gentle reset to soothe aches and prep for the water challenges.
14:30 – 16:30 | Marquee | Board Games & Socialising
Another afternoon of tabletop strategy and socialising in the marquee.
15:00 – 16:00 | Outside clubhouse | The BIG Sunday Soak
Get wild and wet with slippery outdoor water challenges. Waterproof sunscreen advised!
17:00 – 18:30 | Outside clubhouse | The BIG Gay Knockout
Our twist on the classic tournament featuring ridiculous obstacles and high-energy team spirit.
19:30 – 21:30 | Marquee | Get ’Em Out More Bingo - The Gameshow Edition
Outrageous calls, retro gameshow challenges, and a chance to win a spot at BSC 2027.
21:00 – Late | Disco
One final dance at the clubhouse to celebrate an epic 20th Anniversary BSC weekend.
🍺 The Clubhouse & The Outdoor Inn
The clubhouse is our hub. By day, it’s a spot for coffee and watching people tumble off inflatables. By night, it’s a legendary party space.
In the clubhouse you'll also find the facilities like bathrooms and showers, and generally where you'll find the event organisers if you have any questions.
The Outdoor Inn is our more quiet bar area, located around the back of the clubhouse in a big marquee. A good place to chill out, play some board games, or just catch up with that guy you haven't seen since this time last year!
Saturday night in the clubhouse this year is... ✨ I C O N S ✨
Come as your favourite icon! Whether it's a gay icon, a famous landmark, the My Computer icon... Whatever it is though, it better be iconic.
🍔 Food & Fuel
No need to survive on cereal bars alone. You can do it yourself by your tent (just keep those stoves and BBQs off the grass!). Or, you can use our clubhouse catering. We've got an excellent kitchen team again this year headed up by Chef Dave, and they're bringing us another great menu for BIG Spring Camp!
From the clubhouse you can order:
- Breakfasts
- Packed lunhces
- Snacks
- Evening meals
Check out the menus here: OutdoorLads.events/BSC26Menu
(subject to minor changes depending on product availability)
⛺ Tents & Campervans
- Tents: Most folks bring their own, but if you're new to camping, we have a limited number of tents to hire for a small fee.
- Campervans/Caravans: Space is extremely limited (approx. 20 spots). As this is a rugby club, there's no EHU or waste disposal facilities. Book here >
🙋♂️ New to OutdoorLads?
If you're new (or relatively new) to OutdoorLads and worried about not knowing anybody when you get to BIG Spring Camp, then worry not! You can join one of our smaller new member camps, led by some of our amazing, approachable volunteers, who'll help introduce you to others on the first evening. You'll camp together with other new members, and have use of an event shelter for socialising near your tent. Just makes that intro to the event and to OutdoorLads that much easier! Join a new member camp >
📧 In case you missed it
Emails sent to attendees: 20 March | 10 April | 8 May | 14 May
📜 Rules to Keep Everybody Happy
- The OutdoorLads Code of Conduct applies to everyone at all times.
- Respect the grass: This is a rugby club first and foremost. So, no glass, no dogs, no BBQs/stoves on the grass, and no open fires (other than the 'official' campfire).
- Drugs: Zero tolerance to illegal substances. Anyone suspected of having drugs will be asked to leave immediately with potential of police involvement.
- Smoking and vaping: Not permitted anywhere in the clubhouse or marquee.
- Quiet Time: Noisy fun in the bars; quiet in the camping fields between 23:00 and 07:00. Please note that tents have zero soundproofing.
- Spacing: 2 metres between tents for fire safety.
- Waste: Sort your recycling before binning - this is the law in Wales. Don't leave any rubbish lying around for others to clear up. Large items like broken camping chairs need to go home with you to be disposed of.
- Vehicles: No cars outside the permitted car park areas. No EV charging on site.
- Day visitors: There are no day passes available. You must be booked on to this event to attend BIG Spring Camp for any duration of time.
Spread the cost: If you would prefer to pay in monthly instalments, please contact the office team (or raise a support ticket) and we can discuss the options available to you. There will be additional terms and conditions to agree to before you commit. You won't pay anything extra to pay in instalments. The full cost must have been paid by 1st May 2026.
OutdoorLads Foundation: Don't forget that full and concession members who may be experiencing physical, mental or financial challenges can apply for support with the costs of events themselves, or associated spend, to enable fuller participation. Further details on the Foundation pages on our website.
Photos: Provided by OutdoorLads members and volunteers, and used with permission.
Dogs: This event is not suitable for dogs and they are not permitted on site at any time.
What to bring
If this is your first time camping without being in the care of a responsible adult, here's the bare minimum you might want to consider:
- Tent: You get what you pay for with these. You'll ideally want something with two layers (an inner and an outer) for water resistance. You can pick up a suitable tent for £30 in Decathlon.
- Sleeping bag: You probably want a 3 season sleeping bag for May weather in Wales.
- Sleeping mat: Something to keep you insulated from the ground and provide a bit of softness. This can be anything from a rolled up piece of foam to a self-inflating air mattress.
- Pillow: Inflatable camping pillow or just one from home will do.
So, that's somewhere warm to sleep. You can buy food/drink from the clubhouse, or bring that and appropriate cooking equipment with you, depending what you want to cook. But, please note, there are no shared kitchen facilities available, just a small outdoor washing up area.
Things that are easy to forget that you'll definitely or probably need:
- Toiletries
- Towel
- Battery pack for phone charging
- Spare shoes and spare outer layers (in case you get wet)
- Head torch (although your phone will suffice)
When you have camped once or twice you will know what kit you need to be able to cook a full English breakfast and host a party for 8 in your tent. Until then the above basics will see you right.
Many activities will require some proper kit, like the mountain walks, mountain biking, climbing etc. So be sure to check the individual event pages' kit lists.
Food & drink
The Clubhouse Kitchen
We’ll be serving up hearty breakfasts, tasty evening meals, and snacks throughout the day. You can even pre-order a packed lunch to take on your adventures. Orders are taken at the bar, prices are kept nice and low, and best of all—every penny of profit goes straight back into the charity. So, technically, having that dessert is a good deed!
You’re more than welcome to cook up a storm at your own tent (very "back to basics" as there’s no communal kitchen, just an outdoor washing-up station).
Forgot your toothpaste? If you’ve left the essentials at home, don’t panic. There’s a Spar and a Co-op in nearby Llanrwst, 25-30 minutes walk (or a very short drive) from the site.