New Year's Eve Bash - Explore Big Sky
New Year's Eve Bash - Explore Big Sky
New Year's Eve Bash - Explore Big Sky
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outdoorS<br />
view of hylaite Canyon<br />
Photo By Brian niLeS<br />
the 15th annual<br />
bozeman ice<br />
climbing festival<br />
46 december 16, 2011<br />
explorebigsky.com<br />
By emiLy StifLer<br />
big sky weekly managing editor<br />
The 15th annual Bozeman Ice Festival<br />
was the biggest one yet. <strong>Big</strong> sponsors<br />
like Arc’teryx showed up; on-ice<br />
clinics filled right away; and almost<br />
600 people packed the Emerson theatre<br />
for Friday and Saturday night’s<br />
evening presentations.<br />
“I think this is one of the best grassroots<br />
community-based consumer ice<br />
Festivals that’s ever been put together,”<br />
said Jack Tackle, a Montana<br />
native and world-renowned alpinist.<br />
From beginners to experts in the<br />
sport, and everything in between, it<br />
addressed everyone’s needs, Tackle<br />
said, especially the community and<br />
the social aspects of climbing.<br />
This year’s event featured a historical<br />
retrospective of waterfall ice climb-<br />
A 7-year-old excels his first day ice climbing Photo By Brian niLeS Photo By Brian niLeS<br />
explorebigsky.com<br />
<strong>Big</strong> <strong>Sky</strong> Weekly<br />
ing over 40 years, and drew a host<br />
of climbing’s greatest characters, including<br />
climbing pioneer Jeff Lowe.<br />
Known for making more than 1,000<br />
cutting edge first ascents in North<br />
America, the Alps and the Himalaya,<br />
“Lowe was the most influential ice<br />
climber of all time,” said festival<br />
organizer and accomplished climber<br />
Joe Josephson.<br />
In a powerful moment on Saturday<br />
night, Lowe, now in a wheelchair<br />
with Multiple Sclerosis, came on<br />
stage and talked about his experiences<br />
climbing, and about what he<br />
remembered most: the places he<br />
visited, and the people he spent time<br />
with.<br />
Lowe struck upon the theme of the<br />
fest overall. Old friends and new, all<br />
tied by the bonds of adventure.
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