Trip Report: 2017 Portland Alpine Fest Ice Comp

When: 11/17/2017 Location: Planet Granite Usefull links: www.portlandalpinefest.org The Full Report: This year, the 5th Annual Portland Alpine Fest, hosted by Grivel and presented by The Mazamas, had 6 days of clinics, raffles, and events including a speaker’s series, the Summit and the premiere of Mixtress a new film about female mixed climbers. Since Portland doesn’t have any ice of its own, this climbing festival kicks off the winter ice-climbing season in its own special Portland style: indoors and with a ton of heart. The community here is strong and it’s been noted many times, that what we lack in ice, we make-up for in enthusiasm The faces of the crowd were lifted as they raised their glasses, cheered their friends, and watched with wonder as ice-comp participants hooked plastic holds with a single blade of steel in each hand. It was a sight to behold--watching climbers in a familiar space wielding their ice tools in lieu of chalkbags. The crowd’s enthusiasm supports every climber- new, experienced, cautious, or ambitious. This is an event where anything is possible. It’s been won by a climber that had never held ice tools before and by those with great familiarity dry-tooling outdoors. This year the ice competition happened at the Planet Granite; 32 people participated and over a hundred spectators attended. The past 9 years have been at the Portland Rock Gym. Overall, the best part of the evening is gathering the community to support the plowing if Hyalite Canyon (our “local” ice-climbing locale), or it’s the raffle prizes! Or celebrating the colder days and the training that’s prepared us to take-on the ice and rock this winter. It can be hard to feel the stoke of ice season without the thrill of ice on our horizon, but PAF fills the void with friends, education, inspiration, and a sense of our Portland community. I hope you come out and enjoy a clinic or event like the ice-comp next year!