For Years the Michigan Ice Fest has been known for bringing to the stage some of the best in the world to share their adventures. 2027 will be no exception as this will be our 36th Annual Ice Fest and we plan to go all out! Thursday-Saturday evening presentations will take place at the historic Mather Auditorium.
Graham Zimmerman – Untapped parts of the Alaska Range
Over the past decade and a half Graham Zimmerman has had the chance to explore some of the Alaska Range’s overlooked corners, ranges with world-class terrain that rarely make it onto climbers’ radar. This talk takes a tour through three of them: the Kichatnas, the Lacuna, and the Revelations. For each, her’ll share stories of the first ascents he has made there, the character of the climbing, and the potential still waiting to be tapped. This is a talk for anyone who wants to get off the usual circuit and start looking at the map differently.
Anna Pfaff
The Devils Thumb Traverse is a remote alpine line in southeast Alaska linking five summits along a dramatic granite ridgeline. In July 2026, Anna completed the traverse with Clint Helander and Ethan Berkeland. A rare weather window allowed them to move across the Witches Tits, both Cat’s Ears, and finally Devils Thumb. They completed the third-ever ascent of the traverse through one of the wildest and most spectacular mountain landscapes they had experienced.
BARRY BLANCHARD
Patagonia Ambassador and legendary Canadian alpinist Barry Blanchard is on tour for his new book The Echo: Stories from the Edge of Survival. Picking up where The Calling left off, this book takes readers back to the thin places where weather, determination, skill, and luck decide everything—and the consequences can echo for years.
To Blanchard, a mountain is a living force, and a rope is a covenant. The Echo tracks the making and remaking of a life in climbing: the punk rock years of pure alpinism, the strange theater of Hollywood rigging on Cliffhanger, the space left behind by lost partners, and the realities of aging. Amid the adventure, there’s reckoning and repair: Métis identity and family, the bonds that hold under pressure, and the question of how long we can live close to the edge and still return home. Finally, after a catastrophic fall and arduous recovery, what remains is partnership, craft, and love.
The Echo shows a different side of the legendary alpinist: one whose edges have been softened by age, parenthood, mentorship, loss and a life-changing accident that reset everything. Barry’s well of wisdom is deep and his storytelling is captivating; hearing him share his life in person is an experience you won’t want to miss.
Allie Oaks
Last year as one of my clinic attendees at an ice festival witnessed me beginning to drive away with gloves on the roof of my car, he said to me with an element of surprise “Wow, you’re like really human!”
Since then, I’ve found it helpful – and perhaps entertaining – to highlight the rarely shared aspects of humility and humanness in a world framed to only have room for fearlessness, discipline, prowess, and perfection. As a very average and self proclaimed “athlador” (athlete/ambassador), I offer to share my experiences that have led me here today, and feel I am here to remind you that the mountains will always accept you – just as you are
John Roskelley
Join us in marking the 50th anniversary of one of the great achievements in Himalayan climbing, the first ascent of the Northwest Face of Nanda Devi. At the Michigan Ice Fest, this story will come to life through a special film screening and live conversation with original expedition member John Roskelley. Join us for an unforgettable evening of adventure, history, and firsthand storytelling.
Presentations sponsored by: