It all started out with a comment from The North Face Team Athlete Conrad Anker. Conrad was in Munising filming the new National Parks IMAX Film celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park System. Conrad Anker’s specialty, simply put, is climbing the most technically challenging terrain in the world. This quest has taken him from the mountains of Alaska and Antarctica to the big walls of Patagonia and Baffin Island and the massive peaks of the Himalaya. Blown away by the climbing at Pictured Rocks, he was surprised that there is virtually no local youth that have taken up ice climbing.
Pictured Rocks Climbing Academy
Last year The North Face came up with a plan to sell Yeti Colsters and TNF Beanies and donate the funds to a local non profit. It is with these funds that the Pictured Rocks Climbing Academy was established and 3 local youth have been “learning the ropes” and getting stoked for the 2017 fest! Pictured Rocks Climbing Academy is a free program available to Alger/Marquette County youths ages 12-17 where mentors guide a small group of four participants through a four step program designed to advance the participants rock and ice climbing skills. Our goal is to develop, advise and foster a youth climbing community in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Based on an application system, each year the PRCA Board selects and awards 4 full ride scholarships that include 6-10 instructional sessions. The instructional sessions will involve indoor training sessions, outdoor rock climbing, ice climbing, as well as participants receiving full ride scholarships to the Michigan Ice Fest which will include clinics, courses, and slide shows. Participants will be able to hone their skills that were developed throughout the year. It is our goal to plant the seed and produce the next generation of high level ice climbers. For more information on the PRCA please contact Bill at downwindsports@gmail.com
Once again this year we are receiving big help from our friends at The North Face! At this years Ice Fest, The North Face has a limited amount of Custom beanies made by TNF that will be sold for $20.00 with 100% of the proceeds going back to the Pictured Rocks Climbing Academy. You will want to run right over to the TNF booth at Michigan Ice Fest Headquarters as quantities are limited!
The staff at PRCA would personally like to thank Alex Brown from The North Face, and all of the Ice Fest friends who purchased beanies last year to help get this program off the ground! The kids are very excited to show their skills off at this years event- THANK YOU!
Check out more on Conrad’s visit to Munising here!
