A climber is seen in this photo from the 2025 Michigan Ice Fest. (Photo courtesy of Ron Mattson)

MUNISING — Beginning today and running through Sunday, Munising will be hosting its annual Ice Fest, a celebration of ice climbing and ice climbers held at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Ice Fest offers opportunities for experts and beginners alike to try their hand at ice climbing, a sport where athletes climb up frozen waterfalls and ice walls with specialized equipment. Munising is an especially good location for ice climbing due to the many waterfalls which empty out over sheer cliff faces along its shoreline.

“Ice Fest highlights all of the ice climbing that’s available here, and how good it really is,” said Trevor Lassila of Downwind Sports in Munising. “It gets people out on the ice.”

The week-long event features both competitions for seasoned climbers and beginner’s climbing classes, along with presentations from experts, a photography contest, and several other events such as climber’s speed dating and a brat dinner.

“We add clinics every year,” said Lassila.

Clinics include everything from a beginner’s course to backcountry courses, night climbing and specialized courses focusing on specific techniques like top rope soloing and multi-pitch climbing. There are also specific courses geared towards climbers of color and women climbers.

“You don’t have to have any experience at all for the intro to ice climbing classes,” says Lassila. “Most of the people in these classes have not climbed any ice. They’ve climbed in gyms, or rock climbed, but never on ice. The beginner courses are designed for getting people on the ice for the first time.”

Ice Fest features a rotating collection of speakers from the climbing community each year, showcasing expert climbers from all over the world.

“Conrad Anker will be back this year,” said Lassila. “He’s been coming every three or four years. He’s one of the best alpinists in the world, he’s accomplished a lot.”

Anker will be presenting at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Mather Auditorium.

“Conrad’s career has included several breakthrough moments that reached a global audience,” says the Ice Fest website. “Conrad has climbed Everest three times, including a 2012 trip with National Geographic to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of the mountain. On his most famous Everest climb in 1999, he discovered the remains of George Mallory, one of the two British climbers who died attempting Everest in 1924, helping to shed more light on one of mountaineering’s most famous mysteries.”

The speaking lineup also includes Scott Lehmann and Shayna Unger at 7 p.m. in the Mather Auditorium, two deaf climbers who have “launched a project called Seeing Beyond: Seven Summits with the goal of becoming the first Deaf individuals to complete the Seven Summits and have made it their mission to bridge the gap between the outdoor world and the Deaf and hard of hearing community,” according to the Ice Fest website.

Several competitions will also be underway, including the remote route challenge, the goal of which is “to see who can get deepest into the depths of the ice climbing in the Upper Peninsula,” according to the Ice Fest website. “There is a lot of ice out there, but so much of it doesn’t see much traffic, the challenge is here!”

Participants can also compete in a treasure hunt around Munising, with clues released each day on social media, and a photography competition.

Online registration for courses and guided climbs is closed, but registration at the door will be available. More information can be found at michiganicefest.com.

Annie Lippert can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is alippert@miningjournal.net.