Mountaineer Bob

Our friend Bob will be back at it again this year displaying his wares at the festival headquarters.  Bob’s brings to the fest interesting and sometimes signed, climbing memorabilia which makes for great reading back home or at the hotel room.  He sells, trades, or buys mountaineering books, older climbing magazines and climbing catalogs, signed mountaineering expedition postcards and covers, and mountain related postage stamps.  If you don’t see it ask!  He may have it or know of someone who does.  These make great gifts for climbers so during the fest stop by Bob’s table and see what treasures you may find!

 

Weigh My Rack

If you are having difficulty deciding which climbing gear to purchase, Weigh My Rack is there to help! They obsessively collect every detail about every piece of climbing gear, so you can be confident in every gear choice. If you have never visited their website, do yourself a favor and check it out.  It has everything a techy gear nerd would ever dream of!  Alison and Andreas will be attending so stop by and say hi!

 

The Superior High Angle Rope Professionals

The Superior High Angle Rope Professionals (SHARP) are a specialized team formed to serve agencies in the Upper Peninsula with high angle rescues.  SHARP is available to agencies to assist/conduct rescue and recovery operations in high angle terrain.  When it comes to difficult rescues where cliffs are an issue, our high angle rescue team is designed to safely, quickly and efficiently transport accident victims to safer ground so they can get the medical attention they require.

 

Climbing Magazine

Climbing is a major US-based rock climbing magazine first published in 1970. Now the Media Sponsor of the Michigan Ice Fest, stop by and talk with the folks who deliver exclusive content, training plans, nutrition tips, gear reviews, and your first stop for climbing news, photos,  destinations and training for all types of Climbing.

 

The Upper Peninsula Climbers Coailtion

The Upper Peninsula Climbers Coalition is a nonprofit  advocacy group dedicated to creating and preserving sustainable and responsible climbing in Marquette County ??and the surrounding areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

 

Skillzboard

Skillzboard was born in the attic of our home, where we taught new members of the Outdoor Adventure Club at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville, how to clean anchors. Working with new students every year, we noticed a pattern of excited climbers who would get an anchor-cleaning lesson on the ground, only to panic once it eventually came time to clean anchors on real rock. The last thing anyone wants when you’re high and dry is “calmly shouted” instructions that you aren’t sure you’re hearing clearly or understanding correctly.

We realized that most climbers learn through practice and repetition, building muscle memory for activities involving a sequence of steps. Learning a set of skills in a class or by watching a video rarely translates into the ability to implement it in real life unless the skills can be practiced and honed. We developed the first version of the Skillzboard for a prototyping competition at UW – Platteville where it won second place prize.

We then focused our attention on developing versatile mounting systems that allow users to quickly and easily set up the Skillzboard at home or at the crag, off the rock, a tree, or the side of a car or van. No drilling necessary!

 

Pictured Rocks Climbing Academy

The PRCA is registered 501(c)(3) that provides rock and ice climbing opportunities to youth in the Upper Peninsula of MI – and we’re loving it! Our goals are to continue providing youth with free or low cost climbing opportunities regardless of experience or gear. We strongly believe climbing provides more than just a work out – it builds confidence, independence, community, collaboration, & much, much more.

 

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Unlike any other place on Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks offers the opportunity to explore miles of pristine beaches, hike nearly 100 miles of trails, view towering sandstone cliffs, and experience the serenity of northern woodlands. Come say hi to a ranger and get any questions about the park answered!

 

Danger Buddies