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Michel in a white helmet on the grey limestone of Céüse, France – Rockbusters sport climbing

18 – 24 Dec 2026 · Dalmatia, Croatia

With Klemen Becan

Motivated beginner to advanced

WINTER SPORT CLIMBING
ESCAPE

While everyone else queues at the Christmas markets, you'll be chalking up on Paklenica's sun-facing limestone: a December week in Croatia's most famous climbing gorge, coached by Klemen Bečan.

#ChalkBeforeChristmas

Reserve Your PlaceRead the Programme
Dalmatia
Croatian Limestone
18 - 24 Dec
2026
ZAD
Nearest Airport
5a
Min. Grade
€950
Price (1 Week)

About This Escape

Trade Mulled Wine for Limestone

December at home means dark evenings and plastic holds. December in Paklenica means a limestone gorge with 550 routes, a sun-facing wall to chase and a coach watching every move. Not a bad trade.

This is Croatia's most famous climbing area: polished classics in Klanci right by the car park, steep reddish walls at Crljenica and Tarajlije, and the big faces of Anića kuk overhead. In winter we follow the sun and dodge the bura — theTopo rates Crljenica's sheltered Belvedere sector as very advisable in winter.

Your coach is Klemen Bečan — former World Cup podium finisher with multiple 9a+ ascents — bringing technique, tactics and head-game coaching straight to the rock. Come for one week, or stack both and go home with real progress before Christmas.

Book Now — From €950
Duration
7 Days

One week in December

Location
Dalmatia

Paklenica National Park, Croatia

Grade Range
5a → 7c+

Motivated beginner to advanced

Venue
Paklenica

550 routes in one gorge (theCrag)

Coaches
Klemen Becan

Coach may vary by date

Price
€950

See dates and pricing for available options.

Other Dates

This Course Travels

Sport Climbing Camp runs year-round across several destinations. This page covers December in Dalmatia — here's everywhere else it's happening.

Real Rock, Real Climbers

Sun, Limestone
& Short Days

No stock photos, no staged sends — just climbers earning it.

Pablo on an overhang above an emerald canyon pool – Rodellar A MUERTE with Patxi Usobiaga
Moonrise over sunset-lit peaks around Sella, Costa Blanca, Spain – Rockbusters
Climber in a white helmet on a limestone slab in Sella, Spain – Rockbusters Spanish climbing trip
Two smiling climbers in helmets at the crag in Sella, Spain – Rockbusters
Country road into the Sella valley below limestone peaks, Costa Blanca, Spain – Rockbusters

Who Should Show Up

Built for the Off-Season

01

The Off-Season Climber

Your outdoor season ended in October and the gym is getting old. One more week on real rock before the holidays keeps the fingers and the head sharp.

02

The Christmas Escapee

You'd rather spend mid-December on limestone than in a shopping centre. Get the climbing in now and arrive at the family dinner with better forearms.

03

The Ambitious Improver

A full week of one-to-one attention from a coach with World Cup experience is the fastest way to break a plateau — two weeks even more so.

Trip Highlights

Trip Highlights

✓

Coaching on the wall: movement, tactics and head game, with video and photo analysis

✓

Max 7 climbers per coach

✓

1 or 2 weeks: join week 1, week 2 or both

✓

Year-round schedule following the best season of each crag

✓

Available anywhere on request for your group

✓

Stay inside the local climbing community, not an anonymous hotel

The Coaching

Three Skills, One Gorge

Everything we know, we try to pass on to you. Coaching adapts to each climber, from first outdoor leads to hard redpoints.

01

Technique

  • Choosing & caring for gear that keeps you safe
  • Movement skills & efficient footwork
  • Perfect balance over your centre of gravity
  • Overhang tricks: side-stepping, drop knee, flagging, heel hooking
  • Cleaning anchors — keeping all your gear
02

Mental Game

  • Basic understanding of outdoor risks
  • Climbing calls & communication that get your message across
  • Redpoint & onsight attempts on new climbs
  • Personalized coaching to break through mental barriers
  • Subtle body positioning adjustments straight from World Cup experience
03

Tactics

  • Belaying & lead belaying, catching falls dynamically
  • Setting up top-ropes
  • Clipstick timing & pre-clipping the first draw
  • Route reading on polished classics and steep red walls
  • Long-term progression beyond the trip

Daily Structure

A Typical Day

December days are short, so we don't waste them. Coaching happens on the rock, not in a classroom.

Morning
Briefing & Weather Call

Wind and sun check, crag plan, coffee

Late Morning
Guided Climbing Block

Movement & technique coaching on sun-facing lines

Midday
Crag Lunch & Reset

Packed lunch in the sun, tactics chat with your coach

Afternoon
Afternoon Session

Project burns or mileage — your call. We climb until the light goes or your arms give up.

Sunset
Pack Down & Return

Back to base, gear sorted for tomorrow

Evening
Dinner & Debrief

Cook together or eat out, tall tales from the day

Requirements

Participant profile & prerequisites

Paklenica, Dalmatia

The Venue

Paklenica National Park sits at the foot of the southern Velebit, just above the coastal village of Starigrad-Paklenica. theCrag lists 550 routes in the Velika Paklenica gorge, from the polished classics of Klanci a few steps from the car park to the steep reddish walls of Crljenica and Tarajlije and the 350m faces of Anića kuk.

December is not peak season, and we won't pretend otherwise: the bura wind can blow hard. That's exactly why we go with a coach who reads conditions — theTopo names the sunny, south-facing Crljenica (its Belvedere sector is sheltered from the bura) and Tarajlije as the gorge's winter options.

Nearest Airport
Zadar, Croatia (both ways)
Rock Type
Limestone
Routes
550 (theCrag)
Style
Gorge cragging: vertical classics to steep red walls

Your Coach

World-Class Coaching

Every camp is led by experienced Rockbusters coaches who climb these crags themselves. They know the sectors and the conditions, and how to coach climbers from first outdoor leads to hard redpoints. The coaches for each camp are listed with its dates.

Climbing coach & guide

Klemen Becan

Enjoy the climb, give a big fight and take a long fall at the end.

Meet guide

Performance & Mental Coach

A former World Cup podium finisher who has sent multiple 9a+ routes, Klemen brings decades of high-level competition experience to the mental side of climbing — fear management, focus, and cruxes that used to feel impossible.

Accommodation & Logistics

We Sorted the Boring Bits

Accommodation

Basic shared accommodation in local climbing hostels, cottages, campsites, or places run by local climbers. For higher-standard accommodation, send a personal inquiry by email or WhatsApp.

Getting There

Fly into Zadar (ZAD) for both arrival and departure — Starigrad-Paklenica is about 46km north. The group shares rental cars, stopping at a supermarket on the way.

Gear

All safety equipment provided — ropes, draws, helmets, slings. Bring your own shoes and harness if you have preferences; we've got spares if you don't. Helmets are mandatory in the national park.

Group Size

Minimum 3 participants to run the camp — otherwise we offer an equivalent alternative or a full refund.

What's Included

Full Package

  • Basic shared accommodation — for the whole week, climber-friendly facilities
  • Professional coaching & guidance — coached by Klemen Bečan
  • Technical workshops — movement, route reading, mental training
  • Video analysis — sessions to refine your technique

Not included

  • Local transport (we are happy to organize shared rental cars within the group)
  • Flights
  • Travel & climbing insurance
  • Food & drinks

Equipment

Essential equipment

Bring your own personal climbing gear. If you don't have it, we can provide it on request: tell us in advance.

  • Climbing shoes *

    Reasonably tight, for sport climbing

  • Harness *

    Available on request, ask in advance

  • Helmet *

    Available on request, ask in advance

  • Belay device with 2 locking carabiners *

    Available on request, ask in advance

  • 60 cm sling

  • Chalk bag

  • Approach shoes, headlamp, down jacket, rain jacket

  • Crag backpack

    Big enough for lunch, water and gear

  • Sleeping bag

    Needed for some accommodation, we confirm after booking

FAQ

Common Questions

What level do I need to be?

Motivated beginners around 5a up to advanced climbers pushing 7c+. Fair warning: Paklenica's popular classics are polished and graded stiff, so leave your ego at the car park.

Is December really climbing season?

It's the off-season, and the bura wind can shut down a day. The plan is to chase sun and shelter: theTopo names the south-facing Crljenica and Tarajlije sectors as winter options. Your coach makes the call each morning.

Do I need my own gear?

Bring climbing shoes and a harness you trust. We provide ropes, draws, helmets and slings, plus a full kit list once you book. Pack warm layers — it's December.

Is food included?

No. The group shops at a supermarket on the way in, there are local shops for top-ups, and dinners are flexible — cook together or eat out.

Can I do both weeks?

Yes — book both December dates for two weeks on the rock.

What if fewer than 3 people book?

We need a minimum of 3 participants to run the camp. If numbers don't add up, we'll offer an equivalent (or better) alternative, or a full refund. No hard feelings.

Where do I fly in and out of?

Zadar Airport (ZAD), about 46km south of Starigrad-Paklenica, for both arrival and departure.

Reserve Your Place

Ready to Skip the Christmas Markets?

Two December weeks, small group, one coach. Secure your spot now — or drop us a line first if you've got questions.

Book Now — €950
7 days
€950
Group size
Max 12

Questions first? Email info@rockbusters.net or catch us on WhatsApp — we reply fast.