The Mountaineering Track at the Michigan Ice Fest is designed for climbers looking to expand their skills beyond the ice and prepare for bigger adventures in the mountains. Through hands-on instruction and guidance from our athletes and guides, participants can build a stronger foundation in essential mountaineering techniques, snow and ice travel, navigation, and moving safely through challenging alpine terrain. Whether you’re taking your first steps toward mountaineering or looking to sharpen existing skills, the track offers a welcoming environment to learn, practice, and build confidence.
From preparing for your first alpine objective to getting ready for more technical high-altitude climbs, the Michigan Ice Fest’s Mountaineering Track is an opportunity to challenge yourself, grow as a climber, and take the next step toward your mountain goals.
Introduction to Mountaineering Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue Skills
This introductory course provides basic instruction on climbing techniques and safety systems necessary to travel safely on a glacier. You will learn and discuss must-know skills and topics for all mountaineers. Our end goal will be able to perform effective and efficient crevasse rescue in the mountains. Experienced and talented guides facilitate your learning of the key skills needed for team- and self-rescue. Each participant will take home a Petzl Crevasse Rescue Kit.
Snow Shelters for Mountaineers
Being able to build a snow shelter is a valuable tool when venturing into the mountains. When it comes to emergencies or long-term mountain habitation, nothing beats the snow shelter. This clinic will be a hands on course on how to build snow shelters for your next mountaineering adventure. Each participant in the course will receive a Black Diamond Shovel!
NEW! Mount Rainier Prep Clinic
Ever wondered what it takes to prepare for a Rainer expedition? This will be a primer on packing, pace setting, site finding, site building, tent pitching, shovel probe beacon education, and tea brewing for your next expedition to Rainer!
New! Back Country Navigation
In this clinic, you will learn how to use map, compass, GPS, smart phone, and GPS enabled watch to navigate in the backcountry. All these tools can work together giving a backed up paper and digital route plan for any of your backcountry adventures. Learn how to plot your route on a digital map back it up to your phone and or watch and use that data to create a time plan for each leg of your route. Participants must come with Caltopo on their phone or computer. MIF will provide the maps. This clinic includes a free Suunto compass.
Alpine Climbing Skills Clinic
This clinic is designed to introduce techniques that will help you break into the mountaineering world. Steep Snow is a great next step for any individual looking to build a solid foundation of technical mountaineering skills. During this alpine climbing skills course, we will cover movement for climbing steeper and more challenging routes. We will also build and evaluate several types of alpine anchors.
Introduction to Avalanche Safety
Presented by Black Diamond
More and more Midwest climbers are traveling into the bigger mountain ranges and whether they are tackling big mountains or remote waterfall ice, it is prudent to wear avalanche beacons. Avalanche transceivers, or beacons, are the best tools we have to find someone buried in an avalanche. Join us and learn how to use one and effectively carry a beacon on your next mountain adventure. The MIF Guides encourage you to learn as much as you can about snow, weather, and avalanches prior to venturing out into the backcountry and this clinic will be a great start!
SPACE IS LIMITED IN ALL OF THESE CLINICS- REGISTER TODAY!