2012 Ice Fest

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

2012-02-08T08:18:00.005-05:00

This years Ice Fest was our best ever but it only happened with so many helping hands, talent, and passion.

First, we want to thank all of YOU! All of you who have a passion for ice climbing, IME/IMCS, the MWV Ice Fest and having a gosh darn good time! So thank you to ALL of the participants who took clinics, for ALL of you who checked out the demo's, for ALL who bid on the American Alpine Club Silent Auction which helped them raise $2,000+ for the Live To Dream Grant!   And ALL of you who came to the evening festivities at the Cranmore Climbing Wall on Friday & Saturday nights! We do it for the climbing community whether you come from near or far- we hope you had a blast.....that is our ultimate goal!

Next, we want to thank all of our sponsors! This would not, and could not happen without our AMAZING sponsors. First, our headlining sponsor Outdoor Research for their level of support. Their positive energy and supportive personnel just blew us away and helped make the visions for the 2012 Ice Fest a reality. In addition Sterling Rope, La Sportiva, LOWA, and Patagonia all committed at an incredible level that help make Saturday & Friday evening festivities and the comp the best to date! But ALL our sponsors made this event special and possible, including: Petzl, Grivel, Beal, Mountain Hardwear, Julbo, Nemo, Mammut, Scarpa, Black Diamond, Wild Things, The North Face, Rock On, Jetboil, Harvard Cabin, The American Alpine Club, NeIce.com, Neclimbs.com, Randy Rackliff from Cold Cold World, Rock & Ice, Tuckerman Brewing Co, The Good Loaf, Frontside Grind, Flatbread, Cranmore, and The Nereledge Inn!

We ask you to think about the companies and organizations listed above that you saw this weekend- and if you liked what you saw or tried during the weekend we encourage you to buy local. Buying local in the Northeast supports the Reps that came, and we believe it's important to support the small climbing outdoor shops that have a lot of heart and soul- and of course one that hits close to home to us is IME.

Additionally, big thanks to Sterling Rope for sending out Will Gadd who gave a killer show on Friday night that had 300+ people laughing and awe struck as well.

The filmmakers & athletes hat made the Saturday night Ice Fest Film Fest a huge success we want to send a huge thank you to! This was a series of short films that were made by Granite Films, Emilie Drinkwater, Graham Zimmerman, & Petzl.

Next, we want to thank all those who volunteered their time, energy, and hard work out of the kindness of their hearts. We gave special recognition to Doug Madara this year as he put in an insane amount of hours throughout the ice fest. There is no doubt the Face Off Comp would not have happened at the level of success without Doug. In addition we want to thank Josh Hurst and Jim Ewing who set the comp routes for the Ice Fest Face Off Competition. Josh drove all the way down from Bar Harbor Maine to help set our best comp routes to date and Jim from Falmouth, Maine. Other people who we want to thank personally for their time are Nickie Sekera, Susan Ainsworth, Megan Blackburn, Jim Surette, Sarah Garlick, Brian Threlkeld, Paul Clifford, Katie Dott, Sam Bendroth, Andy Knepsheild, Tim Keenan, Bayard Russell, and the AAC volunteers, who all donated time to help make this event so incredible.   Also, those who helped move the ladder during the comp, Jim Shimberg & Jay Dufresne for belaying during the comp, and anyone else that helped in some way or form. We heart you.

Of course we want to thank all the IMCS guides and our guest guides as well. We were just blown away by the top caliber guides we had for the 2011 Ice Fest. Our guest guides this year included Janet Bergman, Emilie Drinkwater, Matt McCormick, Kevin Mahoney, Ben Gilmore, Majka Burhardt, Silas Rossi, Bayard Russell, Freddie Wilkinson, Matt Shove, Mark Synnott, Jim Shimberg, Andrea Charest, Art Mooney, and Nick Yardley. Wow! What a stellar line up we had this year!

Next we want to thank our IMCS intern Krissy Boucher. She helped us a bunch throughout the weekend! Thanks girl!

And of course, our assistant event planners Ashley Link & Naomi Risch were undeniably incredible. Plain and simple- whatever it was they got it DONE. To us, they were two angels sent from the heavens! But these two were always right with us or one step ahead of us, and were a vital key player in making the whole weekend such a success!

Freddie Wilkinson was our amazing MC that has the place intrigued and laughing! We were so psyched that he joined us again this year. Thank you Freddie!

Big thanks to all Ice Fest Face Off Competitors that came from near and far! We had some new ladies in the line up, which totally rocked! We also had some new men in the comp, and Ivan Tighe came all the way from Vermont to throw down.   Janet Bergman & Kevin Mahoney both ultmiately took first place in the comp! Congrats & nice work you two!

Mon Voyage Neon rocked the house Friday night for the Face Off Competition and then again during Saturday evenings festivities. We will keep our fingers crossed that this awesome DJ will join us again next year!

Dave Kelly (Ashley Link & Sasha Eisele) who really helped keep the IMCS office and clinics in order during registration- a daunting and challenging task as we had 120 clients go out on Saturday!

Finally, we want to thank Rick Wilcox and Brad White who trusted us with the amount of time we put in, our visions, and our requests of them. Rick has seen this Ice Fest happen for 18 years and Brad for 10+, and to put it into our hands with all the faith, trust, and support they give- is absolutely amazing. Thank you Brad & Rick!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

-Sasha Eisele & Anne Skidmore Russell, 2012 Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest Event Coordinators

MWV Ice Fest is HERE!

2012-02-03T05:51:00.000-05:00

The Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest is here folks! We're so psyched to see you this weekend and we hope you have a great time whether your going out with one of our clinics, testing demos, or checking out Friday & Saturday evenings festivities! Below are the top things we think you shouldn't miss! Also all evening events you need CASH to get in, so swing by the bank!

-Test out demo gear from one or a few of our amazing sponsors!
-If we have any room, sign up for a clinic on Sunday! Saturday is pretty much full!
-Will Gadd's Show this FRIDAY evening (yes, tonight!)! Doors open at 7pm sharp! Be there!
-The Ice Fest Face Off Comp! This is following Will's show, and is high quality entertainment! (TONIGHT!)
-The American Alpine Club's Open Drytooling hours! SATURDAY, 5-7pm! Open for the public to try dry tooling on the Cranmore Climbing Wall!
-The Ice Fest Film Fest! Films from ice climbing in Scotland, India, Alaska, and a special film about the Ice Revolution featuring Rick Wilcox! SATURDAY night! Doors open at 7pm at the Cranmore Climbing Wall!
-Silent Auction to raise money for the AAC Live To Dream Grant! Score DEALS on gear! SAUTRDAY night at the Cranmore Climbing Wall!
-Apres climbing hour at International Mountain Equipment. A fun time after climbing! Soup, food, & beverages!
-Frontside Grind Coffee at the American Alpine Club table! Learn all about the AAC and grab a cup o' joe!
-VIEW THE BETA SHEET HERE!

See you all soon!

Showing IME The Love!

2012-01-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

Hey folks we want to encourage all you ice festers and climbers to support your local gear shop this weekend, and we're talking about the one and only, IME! They will have a ton of gear
in stock and can special order just about anything!

IME has become a legend, and the number one outdoor shop for
serious hikers, climbers and skiers in Northern New England. Store
owner and renown ice & mountain climber Rick Wilcox has a strong passion for
climbing and his love for big mountains has led him all corners of the
globe. At I.M.E. they have made a commitment to supply their customers
with the best technical gear and clothing available today. We deal
with all of the major suppliers of outdoor products. If they don't stock
the item which you need, they can surely order it for you. In addition
to technical gear, they also have a great selection of Alpine Touring
and Telemark equipment. And unlike the big retailers, our staff really
does 'walk the walk', not just 'talk the talk'. So we hope you'll all think about supporting this wonderful local gear shop that has become the central climbing hub here in North Conway, NH!

La Sportiva boots are in!

Lovin' The Flatbead Love!

2012-01-30T15:08:00.000-05:00

We ❤ Flatbread Company!

Well, sometimes....sometimes we have our favorites. And Flatbread Company right across the street from IME is most definitely one of our favorites. They are a restaurant just filled with goodness! They try to keep their food local, organic, and made with love. In addition this restaurant is always literally, feeding back into our local community here in North Conway by having benefit nights almost every week! See out point? Good food, good folks there! In addition they are special and long going sponsor of the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest! We heart them!

So some key beta to the weekend, is trying to eat early to make it to the evening festivities on time! We definitely recommend you head over to Flatbread Co. for an early dinner, or even better- order it to go! We know after one bite you'll taste what we're talking about, and will make it a must stop every time you come back to the Mount Washington Valley!

Ice Fest Count Down Begins!

2012-01-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

It's the week of folks! Four more days, and then we'll kick off the 2012 Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest! There's a lot happening during the weekend. One key piece of beta is EAT EARLY or grab food TO GO so you can make it to Friday and Saturday evenings festivities on time. Also some clinics are filling up! NOW is the time to call and sign up before the clinic you've been meaning to sign up becomes full! Below is our beta sheet for the weekend! Check it out!

Mon Voyage Neon: Mixin' It Up Again!

2012-01-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

Hey hey kids! JUST IN! Mon Voyage Neon sent us a line this morning that he whipped up some special new tunes just for all of YOU Ice Festers to listen to and get psyched for Friday & Saturday evenings events! This guy is so dang awesome! Check it:

DJ Mon Voyage Neon will be spinning music on both Friday and Saturday evenings events! We are so psyched to have this guy back! Not only is he a passionate and talented climber, but he is a pro at making the atmosphere of our evenings a rockin' good time. So check our his new mix as you end you Friday (TGIF, right?), and have your weekend winter & ice dreams dancing through your head! Then we'll see you all NEXT weekend. Yeah-yuh!

Mon Voyage Neon, he's back and ready to get y'all groovin' for a great time!

Frontside Grind Is Back!

2012-01-27T10:35:00.001-05:00

Do you wake up thinking......coffee, coffee, coffe....climbing, climbing, climbing?

Well, so do we and the awesome folks at Frontside Grind and the American Alpine Club get that too! The Frontside Grind (FSG) will back at the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest for all you folks that love a REALLY good cup o' joe! Austin and Laura are the awesome owners of Frontside Grind and they gather beans beans from around the world and roast them to perfection. In fact they have so much love for the Ice Fest folks that Austin roasts a special blend each year for our event! This year the Dropline Blend will be at the AAC table. But really, Frontside Grind's coffee is incredible and roasted by such good folks. We are so excited they're joining the 2012 MWV Ice Fest again. Don't forget FSG is conveniently located right across the street from us in the Eastern Slope Inn where you can also grab a breakfast sandwich, baked goods, juice, yogurt, or even Kombucha!

Each morning of the Ice Fest you can grab a cup Frontside Grind Dropline Blend at the American Alpine Club's table. Swing by, say hi, and educate yourself on why the American Alpine Club rocks and all the benefits you get as a climber when you have a membership! They'll also fill you in on the Live To Dream Grant that we'll be fundraising for throughout Saturday evenings festivities with a silent auction at the Cranmore Climbing Wall. Get ready to SCORE some deals on gear kids! Also, we want to note that you should tune yourself into the American Alpine Club's 2012 Annual Benefit Dinner Weekend that is being held right in Boston the first weekend in March! It is a huge honor to have it being held here on the east coast, and it a benefit dinner to support the American Alpine Club and it's programs that are in place to support climbers and the climbing community!

Printable Schedule For 2012 MWV Ice Fest!

2012-01-26T10:49:00.001-05:00

Print it up folks! Stay in the know! Here is a complete schedule of the 2012 Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest! We can't wait to see you all next weekend! You can also view it HERE!

Also here it is below in a more simple format:

MOUNT WASHINGTON VALLEY ICE FESTIVAL

2012 ICE FEST SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, FEB. 3RD

TIME	EVENT	PLACE	DETAILS
8:00AM-10:00AM	Gear Demo	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Free & open to public (return gear 3:30–5:00PM)
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM	Climbing Clinics	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Visit http://ime-usa.com/imcs/ice_fest.html for the full schedule. Call IMCS 603-356-7046 to make reservations.
3:30PM – 5:00PM	Après Climbing Party and demo gear return	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Free & open to the public. Upstairs @ IME and have a beverage and some food to munch on from one of our awesome sponsors!
7:00 – 11:00 PM	Will Gadd Multi-media show & Dry-Tooling Face Off w/ DJ Mon Voyage Neon	Cranmore Climbing Wall @ The Cranmore Family Fitness Center	Hosted by Freddie Wilkinson 7:00: Doors open: $10 at the door: ticket price includes one raffle ticket. 7:30–8:15: Will Gadd Multi-Media Show 8:30: Intermission. 9–11:00: The Indoor Dry-Tooling Face Off with the Pros!

SATURDAY, FEB. 4TH

TIME	EVENT	PLACE	DETAILS
8:00AM- 10:00AM	Gear Demo	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Free & open to public (return gear 3:30–5:00PM)
8:00AM – 4:00PM	Climbing Clinics	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Visit http://ime-usa.com/imcs/ice_fest.html for the full schedule. Call IMCS 603-356-7046 to make reservations.
3:30PM- 5:00PM	Après Climbing Party and demo gear return	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Free & open to the public Come hang out at upstairs @ IME and have a beverage and some food to munch on from some of our awesome sponsors!
5:00PM-7:00PM	The AAC Open Dry Tooling Hours Drytooling at Cranmore for the public to try out routes.	Cranmore Climbing Wall @ The Cranmore Fitness Center	Open to the public. Did you watch the Face Off Comp and were intrigued? The AAC is hosting the Open Drytooling Session. If you do well on the first route, you can try the comp routes from Friday. $10 at the door (covers whole evening) AAC membership get in for $5 or FREE if you signup/renew your AAC membership at the door.
7:00 – 11:00 PM	The AAC Live To Dream Ice Grant Silent Auction The Ice Fest Film Fest.	Cranmore Climbing Wall @ The Cranmore Fitness Center	$10 at the door; AAC membership get in for $5 or FREE if you signup/renew your AAC membership at the door. Silent Auction held to benefit The AAC & MWV Ice Fest Live To Dream Grant. A special grant that will fund North East Ice Climbers to get after their alpine/ice climbing dreams! Rad! Silent Auction will close 30 minutes after film fest is done. 8pm: The Ice Fest Film Fest: Alpine, Ice, Mountain, Lifestyle films that will leave you inspired! Hosted by Rick Wilcox and music by DJ Mon Voyage Neon

SUNDAY, FEB. 5TH

TIME	EVENT	PLACE	DETAILS
8:00AM- 10:00AM	Gear Demo	IME	Free & open to public (return gear 3:30–5:00PM)
8:00AM – 4:00PM	Climbing Clinics	IMCS (IME Upstairs)	Visit http://ime-usa.com/imcs/ice_fest.html for the full schedule. Call IMCS 603-356-7046 to make reservations.
3:30- 5:00PM	Demo Gear Return	IME	Please be prompt with your return time as the reps are psyched to pack up on time!
3:30-5:00PM	Road Munchies & IME Love Hour	IMCS	Snacks and food will be offered to help you hit the road right and you can buy your favorite gear from the weekend before you take off!

Don't Wait! Sign up for a Clinic today!

2012-01-25T08:04:00.009-05:00

2012 Ice Fest Available Clinics!

Friday, February 3rd:

Newbie Ice Climbing with Janet Bergman! For those of you who've never tied into a rope before and want to try ice climbing!
Intro to Ice Climbing: For Rock Climbers! For those of you who have tried rock climbing, indoors or out, and know how to tie into a climbing rope and how to belay.
Patagonia's Intro to Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Ben Gilmore! This is an intermediate level course for the folks who are ready for the steep stuff!
Sterling Rope's Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Kevin Mahoney! This advanced level course will help you take your steep waterfall ice skills to the next level!
Outdoor Research's "Ladies Just Wanna Ice Climb" Clinic with Emilie Drinkwater! Beginner to Intermediate ice climbing instruction for the ladies!
Outdoor Research's Intro to Mixed Climbing with Bayard Russell! Learn to skills to start dry tooling with confidence!
AIARE Level I Avalanche Course with Silas Rossi!
Snow Kiting Clinic with Zeb Jakub! For those of you who're into trying new things!

Saturday, February 4th:

Newbie Ice Climbing Clinic!
Outdoor Research's Intro to Ice Climbing for Rock Climbers with Matt Shove!
Julbo's Intro to Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Freddie Wilkinson and/or Nick Yardley! Intermediate Level Course
Outdoor Research's Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Bayard Russell Advanced Level Course
Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Kevin Mahoney Advanced Level Course
Patagonia's Intro to Leading on Ice with Ben Gilmore! An advanced level course for those of you who're ready for the "sharp end"!
Intro to Mixed Climbing with Matt McCormick! ONE MORE SPACE ONLY!
Sterling Rope's Mixed-Master Clinic with Mark Synnott! This clinic is for YOU if you're already getting out on the mixed terrain or have dabbled in it with your ice climbing!
Patagonia's Women's Mixed Climbing Clinic with Majka Burhardt! This one is for the ladies out there getting psyched on mixing it up!

Sunday February 5th:

Newbie Ice Climbing Clinic!
Intro to Ice Climbing for Rock Climbers!
Outdoor Research's Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Clinic with Emilie Drinkwater and/or Janet Bergman!
Patagonia's Intro to Leading on Ice with Ben Gilmore!
Patagonia's Women's Steep Ice Climbing Clinic with Majka Burhardt! For all you ladies who're ready to take your ice climbing to the next level!
Sterling Rope's Mixed-Master Clinic with Freddie Wilkinson!
Snow Kiting with Zeb Jakub!

Space is limited in these clinics, so be sure to sign up quick! Call IMCS at 603-356-7064 today!

Also, make sure you check out our evening events happening Friday and Saturday! Friday don't miss Will Gadd and the Dry-Tooling Face-off! Doors open at 7 and you definitely don't want to miss it! Saturday night is our American Alpine Club Open Drytooling hour at the Cranmore Climbing wall from 5-7pm (open to the public, yes you!), and then the Ice Festival Film Festival after. AND the AAC and MWV Ice Fest Live to Dream Fundraiser silent auction is also Saturday evening!

The weekend is packed full, and it is all for you! We're totally psyched to see you there!

Outdoor Research: Designed By Adventure

2012-01-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

When Outdoor Research was founded back in the 80's they started as a company that made gaiters. Since then, because of people who are constantly pushing the limits of outdoor sports, they have developed into one of the more innovative outdoor apparel companies out there. They make everything from the gaiters and water bottle parka's that they started with, to gloves, hats, stuff sacks and some of the best technical clothing out there.

Outdoor Research's Alpine Alibi II

One of the newest pieces of gear they've come out with is the Alpine Alibi II Glove. This glove is designed specifically for ice climbing at altitude (which means it works real well especially when its cold!). It is highly insulated (with PrimaLoft One®) yet still allows for superb dexterity and grip. Externally they're built with a weather resistant soft shell fabric that includes a waterproof/breathable GoreTEX® insert to keep your hands dry and protected from the weather while also allowing for sweat to escape when you're really working hard. The Alpine Alibi II has a new leather palm (Pittards® Armortan®) which also allows for just the right amount for grip, even when wet, for precise tool handling.

We've tested these gloves, and trust us, they're totally awesome! They'll be available to demo at the OR table upstairs at IME all weekend! Make sure you stop by to give them a test drive, your hands will thank you!

Get Psyched for Will Gadd!

2012-01-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

Sterling Rope!

Will Gadd climbing a steep pillar of ice outside Rjukan, Norway. Photo by Christian Pondella

Remember back in November when we announced that Sterling Rope is bringing Will Gadd to the 2012 Ice Fest!? Well, we're still totally psyched! He's going to be speaking on Friday, February 3rd at 7:30 p.m. This guy re-defined the sport of ice and mixed climbing! He's been traveling around the world on all kinds of adventures, and he's going to be here this year to share them with YOU! We'll definitely be hearing about the crazy stuff he's been doing in British Columbia's Helmcken Falls and probably the adventures he's had in Norway and Sweden!

Gadd climbing at Helmcken Falls, British Columbia

Again, Will Gadd will be speaking before the Face-Off Competition on Friday night February 3rd at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 and its $10 to get in! Make sure you plan to be there for this, it'll be a night to remember!

Welcome Back Janet Bergman!

2012-01-23T09:13:00.001-05:00

Welcome back Janet! Photo by Sarah Garlick

Howdy Folks! We're super psyched to announce that Mountain Hardware athlete Janet Bergman is going to be joining us again this year as a guest guide at Ice Fest! She'll be hanging with us all weekend and definitely guiding the Newbie Ice Climbing clinic on Friday. This clinic is for those of you who're brand new to the climbing scene! There is no better person than Janet to be teaching this clinic too. Her passion for climbing comes through in her ability to confidently introduce new people to climbing. She'll break it down for you and impart the skills and knowledge you'll need to take your own climbing to the next level!

Janet also climbs for Sterling Rope and La Sportiva! She spent the majority of this past summer in India in the Karakorum Mountains with Guest Guide Emilie Drinkwater and Kirsten Kramer. While there they did some pretty rad climbing and got to experience all that the Indian culture had to offer! Janet excels at all different types of climbing. She loves those long alpine rock climbs but also plays around on boulders and enjoys putting up new routes. She's been all over the world and has more years experience than we have fingers (at least one of us anyway). We're excited she'll be with us again this year!

Don't wait! Sign up for her clinics today! Call IMCS at 603-356-7064

Get your AVI On With Guest Guide, Silas Rossi

2012-01-20T10:45:00.001-05:00

Guest guide Silas Rossi: Internationally Certified AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide & is an AIARE Level I avalanche educator.

We just got a ton of snow last night, and if you're thinking you need to hone in on your avi skills you should come do it doing the Ice Fest! It is a 3 day course that will be taught by one of our amazing guest guides, Silas Rossi.

Silas is originally from Maine, and has a strong passion for the White Mountains here in New Hampshire. He recently became an Internationally Certified AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide and is an AIARE Level I avalanche educator. He, in our humble opinion, is one the best at teaching the AIARE Level I course. Silas has skied and climbed all over the mountains here in New England, but also in Wyoming, British Columbia, and Europe! If your going to be spending some time in the mountains this year, and in the years to come it is essential to educate yourself properly on avalanche hazard management. We strongly recommend this course, and with this guest guide. You won't regret it!

Now the AIARE Level I avalanche course is a 3 day course that will:

Provide a basic understanding of avalanches.
Describe a framework for decision making and risk management in avalanche terrain.
Focus on identifying the right questions, rather than on providing “answers.”
Give lessons and exercises that are practically oriented, useful, and applicable in the field.

At the end of the Level One course the student should be able to:

Plan and prepare for travel in avalanche terrain.
Recognize avalanche terrain.
Describe a basic framework for making decisions in avalanche terrain.
Learn and apply effective companion rescue.

To read more about this course visit: http://ime-usa.com/imcs/avalanche_aiare.html
To sign up call: 603-356-7064
Hurry space is limited! Be safe out there, and have FUN!

Helloooooo LOWA!

2012-01-19T09:26:00.000-05:00

Check it out! LOWA boots in the house!

LOWA boots will be returning to the 2012 Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest! Man, you all are going to be able to try out a ton of gear to really hone in on what you're looking for. We definitely recommend that you try out LOWA's boots. They've got an incredible variety from warm plastic double lined boots, high performance leather alpine boots, and their specific mixed climbing boot- the Ice Comp! Taking a mixed clinic? Swing by the LOWA booth to see if they have some Ice Comps in for you to try! Also feel free to stop by the LOWA table at the Ice Fest to talk up the reps and learn all about their boots, and some of their newest additions to their line! Welcome back LOWA! Killer to have LOWA and their fleet of demos on board!

Welcoming Back Jim Shimberg!

2012-01-18T11:16:00.000-05:00

Jim on a trip to Red Rocks!

We sent Jim Shimberg an e-mail asking him to send us some pictures of him ice climbing, and when he replied he sent us about 10 pictures that were all photos of him with his family, friends, or clients. This really sums up Jim in a nutshell, and made us all smile real big. We love this guy!

So as you can imagine we are really excited to welcome back Jim Shimberg to the Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest! We can't lie, Jim is one of our favorites, and we couldn't be happier that he'll be with us again this year! He is by far one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. This makes him even better as a guide. Shim (as his friends call him) has been at it for the past 22 years! He's been all over the world and has his name all over guidebooks for both rock and ice across New England. He's a legend in these parts for both his rock and ice skills, but also for just being one of the most wonderful people in the universe. Did you know Shim made the first free ascent of the grade 6 ice climb 'Call of the Wild' at Lake Willoughby Vermont in 1995? This was the first grade 6 ice climb in New England!

Jim is specifically connected to three Ice Fest sponsors which are Black Diamond, La Sportiva, and Sterling Rope. When Jim isn't out climbing for fun or guiding he is spending time with his wonderful daughter Rose, and wife Dawn! We're so psyched to have you back Jim!

Wife Dawn, awesome daughter Rose, & Shim!

Headlining Sponsor Outdoor Research; Top Picks

2012-01-17T11:56:00.000-05:00

Howdy Ice Festers! With the temps getting colder and the ice getting fatter we figured it would be a good idea to give you some of our top picks coming out of Outdoor Research this year! They make top of the line clothing, gloves and gaiters for all of your outdoor pursuits! All of their clothing is simple, functional and stylish. You don't have to worry about anything being over designed either, everything has just what it needs, no more, no less.

Guest Guide Matt McCormick Sending Pump and Dump in the Ferrosi Hoody

One of our favorite jackets to get after it in is the Ferrosi Hoody. It is light and stretchy but allows you to layer well and stay dry during strenuous activity. It is a good crossover piece which will take up you and down the hill on skis, but also allow you the flexibility needed to climb steep or mixed ice. The Ferrosi is a must have for any outdoor activity!

The Chaos Jacket

Since we just had the coldest weekend of the winter so far, we've also got an excellent belay jacket for you! The Chaos Jacket is insulated with Primaloft inside and housed with Windstopper material outside. This jacket with keep you dry and warm through the coldest and wettest belays. It is generously sized to fit over all of your layers and has an enormous hood to cover your helmeted head. It is definitely one of our top picks to stay warm, dry and psyched!

Guest Guide Kevin Mahoney is Back!

2012-01-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

Welcome back Kevin!

We're totally excited to be welcoming Mountain Hardware athlete Kevin Mahoney back to the Guest Guide pool this year! Kevin is one of the most prolific climbers in the Mount Washington Valley, an awesome guy and a great guide! Kevin grew up in the area and has since taken his climbing all over the world. Kevin has authored many first ascents including climbs all over New Hampshire, Alaska, Ecuador and France! Not only is he a great climber, but he's an amazing educator. Kevin taught as a NOLS instructor for six years. His experience as a teacher combined with that of being a guide allows him the opportunity to help his clients actually learn how to be competent in the mountains while having exciting adventures at the same time!

Kevin climbing Repentance at Cathedral Ledge, New Hampshire

This year Kevin will be guiding both Friday and Saturday. He's definitely guy you want to be out there will. Both of his clinics are for the folks who are ready to get on that steeper stuff out there. He'll help you take your steep ice climbing skills to the next level. In his clinics you'll get the chance to climb the many different forms of ice, including mushrooms, bulges, candlesticks, pillars and flows. Kevin will teach you to move smooth and confident through all the different obstacles, all without getting pumped! By the end of the day with him you'll be able to move efficiently through many different types of terrain and even incorporate some of the same moves from rock climbing into your time on ice.

Kevin is specifically guiding the following clinics:

Friday: Sterling Rope's Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Kevin Mahoney

Saturday: Outdoor Research's Steep Waterfall Ice Climbing Skills with Kevin Mahoney

Don't wait to sign up because these clinics are sure to fill up fast! Call IMCS at (603) 356- 7064.

Hot Soup! The NEice Soup Kitchen is BACK!

2012-01-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Great news, Folks! The NEice Soup Kitchen will be back at Ice Fest on Saturday afternoon! These guys are super awesome and they make real good soup. There will be soup upstairs at IME in the afternoon and in year's past they've even gone around to our clinics to serve you soup when you're coldest!

5 cents not required!

NEice was the brainchild of Doug Millen who started the organization back in 1999. He felt frustrated by the lack of information on ice climbing in New England and decided to do something about it. It has since grown to be the #1 resource for climbers in the Northeast. There is a great community on the site and a wealth of information, including descriptions and photos about conditions and beta on new and classic lines.

The folks over there are super supportive of Ice Fest and anything that has to do with climbing in the North East! We're really happy to have them back again this year! Be sure to head over to their website for the latest conditions, sign up for the community and start contributing! Also, look out for them on Saturday; you don't want to miss that yummy soup!