Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival 2012

February 3rd – 5th 2012

The Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival is one of the premier climbing events in the country. Join us as we celebrate the adventure, the fun, and the camaraderie of ice climbing and winter mountaineering, here in one of the finest waterfall ice climbing destinations in North America. This year we are also offering an AIARE Level I Avalanche Course.

IMCS Ice Fest home page

International Mountain Climbing School

The Ice Fest Blog

Sign up Today! 603-356-7064
We are now taking reservations for all Ice Fest 2012 courses and clinics.

10% discount for College Students!
You must mention you are a college student at the time of registration and you must bring your valid college ID to the ice fest.


Course Descriptions

Friday Clinics and Climbs

Saturday Clinics and Climbs

Sunday Clinics and Climbs

Registration and Cancellation Information

Be Sure to Visit all of our great sponsors

Why Climb with us at Ice Fest?

  • You’ll learn from the absolute best
  • You’ll meet lots of other climbers and maybe a future climbing partner
  • There are courses for all abilities
  • Jaw dropping videos
  • A slide show and talk by the one and only Will Gadd
  • A very cool indoor dry-tooling competition
  • Free Gear Demos!
  • Free Food
  • It’s Fun

Friday evening will feature A multi-Media show with Will Gadd and our dry-tooling competition at the Cranmore Fitness Center climbing wall along with a raffle. On Saturday night we’ll have some awesome videos, you’ll have a chance to try dry tooling on the Cranmore Wall and even try the competition course.

This years guest guides will include: Kevin Mahoney, Mark Synnott, Freddie Wilkison, Emilie Drinkwater, Bayard Russell, Matt McCormick, Ben Gilmore, Majka Burhardt, Nick Yardley, Janet Bergman, Jim Shimberg, Andrea Charest and Silas Rossi.

And, of course, the awesome IMCS Guides; Brad White, Dave Kelly, Zeb Jakub, Craig Taylor, Elliot Gaddy, Sam Bendroth, Maury McKinney, Chris Magnus, Craig John, Pat Ferland, Matt Shove, Erik Eisele, Frank Carus, Paul Cormier, Paul McCoy

Since its inception 19 years ago this event has been eagerly anticipated by ice climbers in the Eastern United States and is considered one of the premier climbing events in the country. It is intended to be a celebration of ice climbing and winter mountaineering and the people that make it a part of their lives. It continues to provide a great opportunity for those attending to network, socialize, try new gear and participate in multiple day courses, one-day technicalclinics and privately guided climbs. The Mt. Washington Valley is one of the finest waterfall ice climbing destinations in North America. Each year we offer a variety of skills-based clinics and exciting slide shows with featured climbers and guides from the New England area and around the world.

Thanks to our title sponsor Outdoor Research

Sign up Today! 603-356-7064

International Mountain Climbing School (IMCS) phone: 603-356-7064

email: guides@ime-usa.com

Source: Ice Fest Blog, NEice.com, IME

 


Smuggs Ice Bash 2012

2012 Alpinist/Smuggs Ice Bash

The 6th annual Smuggs Ice Bash – the local’s ice climbing festival at the foot of Smuggler’s Notch. We are working out the details of this year’s Bash, be prepared for some great clinics, a wicked slide show, and the Petzl drytooling comp at Petra Cliffs on Friday night!!**Clinic registration and information hereThe main venue this year will be at the Smuggler’s Notch Inn, right in the village of Jeffersonville. There are rooms available upstairs, a great pub downstairs, and all the vendors in the middle. Mention the Ice Bash for a room discount. For more lodging options, click here. There is always free winter camping in Smuggler’s Notch for the thrifty.
Kick off Ice Bash at Petra Cliffs in Burlington on Friday, January 27th – 6pm: Competition begins – watch the area’s best climbers battle it out to a winner take all finish.  $5 spectator fee, food & beverages provided.  Competitors – $250 cash prize, for both men’s and women’s categories.  Limited entry – email your intent to compete with a short climbing resume toinfo@sunriseadventuresports.com

 

Bert Severin
Sunrise Mountain Guides
www.sunriseadventuresports.com

“Head to VT on January 27th for the  – WOW, Sterling Rope & La Sportiva are giving up $250 to the top men’s and women’s climber at the indoor drytooling comp Friday night at Petra Cliffs, Burlington VT!”

“Guest guide and slide show by Freddie Wilkinson – Karakoram Frontiers: A season of first ascents in the Himalayas’ last refuge. Images/videos/storytelling by Freddie Wilkinson. Jeffersonville Tavern, Saturday 1/28. Freddie will also MC the comp at Petra Cliffs in Burlington on Friday night!

Conditions are good and getting better in the Notch. Look for NEice at the trail head and get some hot soup! – Doug

Mountainfest 2012 – Day two report

Some clinics, soup delivery & a few new pieces of gear….

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The new Cassin  X Dream

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The Black Diamond Stinger

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Chapel Pond Canyon clinic

 

Doug making the delivery into the "Canyon"

 

Otis Mountain clinic

 

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Keese Lane giving some tools a run

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Zoe Hart enjoying a cup of hot soup

 

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Plenty of hot soup for the climbers on this cold day.

 

Mountainfest 2012 – Day one report

The 16th annual Mountainfest 2012 is under way.

A cold and frosty start.

Breakfast at Rock & River

Matt and Bayard talking about the up coming day of guideing

All the gear you want to demo.

Stay tuned for updates during the Fest.

Mountainfest 2012

The 16th annual Adirondack International Mountainfest

January 13-15, 2012

Mountainfest 2012

Mountainfest is an annual celebration of ice climbing and mountaineering, featuring guest athletes who entertain us with tales of climbing adventures, instructional clinics taught by visiting climbers and local guides, demo gear, and a chance to gather with the climbing community for an exciting winter weekend.

Mountainfest 2012 boasts an excellent lineup of speakers, including Zoe Hart, Bayard Russell and Matt McCormick, and Emilie Drinkwater. Their slide shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings promise to be entertaining and also offer a chance to win raffle gear and free giveaways.

We’re offering more clinics than ever this year, including tons of ice climbing courses, snow and alpine climbing, snowshoe mountaineering, avalanche safety, and wilderness first aid. Many of the event sponsors will be here with the latest gear for you to take and climb with on both Saturday and Sunday.

Whether you come for the clinics or just climb on your own and check out the evening entertainment, Mountainfest is the place to be on Martin Luther King weekend.

We are now taking registrations now. Please call us at (518) 576-2281 from 8am to 5:30pm every day.

The Mountainfest Web Site

 

Classes | Instructors | Registration | Schedule

The Mountaineer

Adirondack Rock and River Guide Service

Tuckerman Ravine Work Weekend

FRIENDS OF TUCKERMAN HELP REBUILD THE TRAILS

Saturday 10/22 and Sunday 10/23

Tuckerman Ravine Work WeekendThe Tuckerman Ravine region was hit particularly hard during Irene. Due to all the hurricane damage this season, Friends of Tuckerman Ravine (FOTR) and the White Mountain National Forest reached out for help, and NEice and many others were there to lend a helping hand.

We moved an estimated 7 tons of rock to rebuild the third bridge on the Tuckerman trail. This was no easy task given the cold, rainy weather, but the spirits were high and the work went quickly.

Please join the Friends of Tuckerman Ravine for the 2nd Annual Tucks Dinner and help fund their efforts.

Awards Banquet and Live/Silent Auction. November 5, 2011.

Sources: http://www.friendsoftuckerman.org

 

Hillman's Highway after the storm

 Click on photo to enlarge
Photos by Doug Millen

Agawa Canyon Ice

The Ice of Agawa Canyon (Eastern Shore of Lake Superior)

by Shaun Parent
Agawa Canyon One Mile

Canyon Sign at Mile 113

My first trip into Agawa Canyon was some 25 years ago on December 27, 1986 when Chris Lloyd and I ventured into the area for a week long adventure of exploring and developing ice climbs.

Things have changed plenty since the mid 1980’s when ice climbing was just beginning in the Canyon. Orient Bay to the north was known and climbers from the Midwest were flocking there on weekends due to the number of easily accessible routes. Here in Agawa Canyon, unlike Orient Bay, after 25 years the Canyon sees less than 50 visitors a season, and most of them head in during the annual Agawa Canyon Ice Festival. This March 2011 celebrates the 13th anniversary of the occasion.

The canyon is a 6 mile long north-south corridor between Miles 110 and 116 on the Algoma Central Railway which connects Sault Ste. Marie Ontario with Hearst Ontario at the end of the line at Mile 296. The line is used for hauling freight, but also has a passenger train service.

The Canyon hosts over 135 ice climbs and each year between mid-December and mid-April ice formations hang off the 200 meter walls which cloak the east and west sides of the canyon……..Read the rest of the report

AgawaCanyon

Southbound Train with the ice climb TRESTLE to the left.

North of Superior Climbing Company
Shaun Parent
P.O. Box 85 Batchawana Bay, Ontario, P0S-1A0
705-946-6054
info@northofsuperiorclimbing.com
www.northofsuperiorclimbing.com

Agawa Canyon

Agawa Canyon

Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival 2011

February 4th-6th, 2011

North Conway, NH

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The Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival, aka Ice Fest, was started 18 years ago by local climbing legend Rick Wilcox. One of the premier climbing events in the country, Ice Fest brings together climbers of all abilities to celebrate the adventure, the fun, and the comradery of ice climbing.

Friday evening Film Fest: The evening includes the Outdoor Research Film Fest with films that include Matt McCormick, Rufus J Lusk, Granite Films, Ueli Steck , Rob Frost , and Steve House !

HouseSolo“Granite Films documented Steve House soloing Repentance last year! This piece will make you squirm and your hands sweat.”

Openings for clinics are still available.  Sign up before they are filled!

See more about this event on NEice, the festival blog spot and IME

See you there!

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Smuggs Ice Bash 2011

The 5th annual Alpinist / Smuggs Ice Bash takes place this weekend.

Friday, January 28: Kick off the Ice Bash weekend at Petra Cliffs in Burlington!

6:45 p.m. Matt McCormick presents “Climbing & Culture” – world class photography and video from Pakistan’s alpine playground, the Charakusa Valley.

indoor ice climbing7:00 p.m. Drytooling Competition begins – watch the area’s best climbers battle it out to a winner take all finish.  Presented by Petzl.

Saturday & Sunday, January 29-30: the 5th annual Smuggs Ice Bash, the local’s ice climbing festival at the foot of Smuggler’s Notch, will be offering some great clinics for women, beginners, intermediate and advanced climbers alike, and a wicked slide show by Ian Osteyee at the village tavern, 6pm

For complete event info, schedule and clinics, visit: sunrise adventure sports.com

13th Annual Catskill Ice Festival

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January 21, 22, 23 & 24

Last year was  great fun! This year again will have multiple clinics on all the skills and techniques you need to get out on ice – from basic skills, to dry-tooling, to glacier travel techniques.

Slide shows on Friday & Saturday evening featuring ice climbing in the Catskills, and a special show by Freddie Wilkinson on Friday. Slide shows will be held at Rock and Snow at 8pm. – Marty Molitoris / Alpine Endeavors

More information on this event..