In the late sixties and into the early seventies, climbing, on any medium was a far different game than it is today. Ascending difficult rock routes, for example, meant you wore a nappy old head band tied around an even nappier head of hair and the harness around your waist was simply that. Rock climbing shoes had at least moderately sticky rubber and there was a tool kit of plausibly effective protection to wiggle into existing cracks in the cliff. If a fall was to occur and the old tow rope you were tied into didn’t break, said protection would hopefully stop you from hitting the ground. Despite the seemingly “primitive” nature of rock climbing equipment back then, the warm weather rock arsenal was leagues above that of its cold weather counterpart. Ice climbing was still an ephemeral sport for only the bravest and most hardened of climbers.

In Joe Josephson’s guide book Winter Dance, Select Climbs in Southern Montana and Northern Wyoming there is a classic photo showing one of Montana’s great climbing pioneers, Pat Callis, gearing up to do battle in 1972 with one of Hyalite Canyon’s most classic frozen waterfalls, Mummy Cooler. At the ready, Pat sports gloves suited for use on a crab boat in the Bearing Sea, a couple of axes that today would be more appropriate for mining coal and his gigantic all leather boots which could be used effectively as a boat anchor. It took an incredibly daring and skilled knight to do battle with these weapons. Yet the ice climbing movement pushed forward and Hyalite Canyon, despite its tricky access and leg numbing approaches played a major role in that progression.

Fast forward two and half decades. It is 1996 and what was once a true testing ground for the real “hard men” of climbing has become a Mecca for the weekend warrior. So popular was the odd sport of ice climbing, and so revered the abundance of ice climbs in Hyalite, two festivals honoring the extraordinary activity were being held annually. By the year 2006, Barrel Mountaineering and Northern Lights Trading Company merged their respective festivals and the sport once seen as doable by only the toughest and insane of climbers had gone main stream.

One might ask themselves, “Why the booming interest in freezing one’s hands and feet, dodging basketball sized chunks of ice falling toward your face, and enduring the overall discomfort of standing around for hours at a time in the middle of winter?” Well, for one it allows people to feel tough. Coming home from a day of ice climbing a person may liken themselves to a warrior returning from a well fought battle. It induces a feeling of gratification not found from riding ski lifts or skating around a rink and may involve blood and swelling of soft tissue. Secondly, no other sport provides such a pure release of aggression accompanied by a true endorphin rush. In addition, ice climbing extends past the realm of what most people can understand as possible. Rock climbing is a tangible idea people can wrap their mind around, but climbing frozen waterfalls is something different, something ethereal. It is this otherworldly feeling of empowerment, physical toughness and camaraderie with other climbers that has defined the success of the Bozeman Ice Festival for so many years. Climbers come from as far south as Los Angeles and as far east as New England to participate in what many believe to be the finest Ice Climbing celebration in the country.
This remarkable event is seasonably the earliest of its kind and entails much more than just getting out in the cold and swinging some tools for a few days. You will be introduced to the latest and greatest, most bad-ass equipment on the market exhibited by gear companies who arrive in mass, and ready to demo. You will be instructed by professional climbers from around the country for three to four days of challenging and rewarding climbing. One other unique aspect specific to the Bozeman Ice Festival is an all women’s climbing clinic taught by the best lady climbers in the business. Ladies, this clinic held all day Friday, is your time to shine without all those not so sensitive words of testosterone driven advice! Beginning Thursday evening, December 9th at the Emerson Theater, there will be slide shows and/or films depicting the climbing adventures of some of the festivals most notable climbers.

Evening events start at 7 pm at the Emerson Theater (111 South Grand), Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and are open to the public. Climbers of all types, armchair mountaineers and adventure enthusiasts are welcome at a lineup of exciting and unique slide shows, films and legendary gear raffles. Come mingle, tell stories or search for climbing partners with drinks and appetizers served in the lobby by the Emerson Grill starting at 5:30pm each night.

Emily Stifler will be launching the festival Thursday December 9, with the premier of her new film “Women at Work.” This past summer, her all women’s team nearly pulled off the first complete free ascent of one of the world’s great rock walls–Proboscis in Canada’s Cirque of the Unclimbables. With humor, respect and a kick-ass soundtrack, Emily’s 30-minute film is about the wild and remote adventure, about the fun and challenge of expedition climbing, and about the climbers that visited Proboscis before them. Admission is $5 at the door or free for clinic participants.

Friday night December 10 will be a special evening at the Emerson with a tribute to dear friend and mentor Guy Lacelle who was killed in an avalanche in Hyalite last year on the eve of the 2009 Festival. Doug Chabot, Director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, will give a brief discussion of ice climbing and avalanches. A moving 17-minute tribute film “La Vie de Guy Lacelle” by Alstrin Films and the Oracle Film Group will follow. Producers Chris Alstrin and Ari Novak will introduce this poignant reflection. Friday will close with Bozeman’s Adam Knoff presenting his slide show: “K2 – From the Frying Pan to Fire.” Adam will share his recent alpine-style attempt on K2 in Pakistan, one of the Himalayas’ last great challenges. Adam was there in 2010, during a season that made news for ravaging floods and killer weather. All Friday shows are free to the public in tribute to Guy Lacelle.

Saturday, December 11 will be one of the most exciting nights in our 14-year history. Bozeman is proud to welcome for the very first time, legendary East Coast climber and guide, Jim Shimberg. Known as the “Custodian of Cannon” (an 1000’ granite cliff in New Hampshire), Shim has countless first ascents to his credit, including the first WI 6 in New England. He made groundbreaking enchainment climbs before the phrase “light and fast” was even invented. After his brief and fun show showing the “Six Degrees of Jim Shimberg,” we will present the coveted third annual Hyalite Service Award to an outstanding contributor to the local ice climbing community. Past recipients are Jim Earl and Joe Josephson.

The peripatetic Canadian superstar Will Gadd, returns to Bozeman to top off Saturday night and share his “20 Trips in 60 Minutes.” Referred to as a “Canadian Phenom” by pioneering British climber Ian Parnell, Will is a unique climber and brilliant communicator of his adventures. His enthusiasm is infectious. Admission is $5 at the door or free for clinic participants.

For more specific information, the entertainment schedule and event calendar can be found at bozemanicefest.com or on Facebook under Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival. All in all this is a whole burrito of fun wrapped into one crazy weekend.