At Michigan Ice Fest we know that the climate and landscape we play in is the major factor in what makes ice climbing so amazing.  We also know that we, as individuals and as an event, are having an impact on one of the things we cherish most.  We are striving to lessen and mitigate that impact through several environmental initiatives  including waste reduction, recycling programs, and a move toward carbon neutrality.

As part of our effort to be a be a carbon neutral event, we are purchasing carbon offsets to help cover the what is produced by the hosting nearly 1,500 people in Munising, as well as their travel to and from the event.

It’s estimated that each person coming to the event is responsible for the addition of about 500lbs of CO2 to our atmosphere.  Coupled with the CO2 produced by hosting the event, it all adds up to a lot of carbon, and we’d like to lesson that impact as much as we can.

And we’re not the only ones.  During registration, our participants were given to option to donate to help offset the carbon they produced attending the event and you came through.  With your support, we were able offset over 110 tons of CO2 related to the Michigan Ice Fest.

We purchased carbon offsets through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which supports verified carbon offset solutions that thoughtfully balance project types, impact, location, and cost.  This non-profit supports carbon offset projects focusing on forest conservation and restoration, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and waste reduction.  They have projects ranging from Minnesota to Chile.

We are incredibly excited for our move toward being a carbon neutral event, and the amazing support we’ve gotten from our Ice Fest family.  Thank you all so much.  We plan on continuing this initiative into the future do our part to make the world a little better every year.

Over the past 30 years we’ve sent thousands of pieces of Michigan Ice Fest gear out into the world. Hats, t-shirts, pint glasses, and of course stickers. Some of our friends have sent us photos of their gear in amazing places. From mountain tops in Asia to the frozen lands of Antartica, we’re always impressed with how far from Munising that Michigan Ice Fest has made it.

Well, after a day of climbing and a few, or a bunch, of post climb beers, we got to talking about how amazing our Michigan Ice Fest Family is. We decided we wanted to hear more stories from our friends, and that we wanted to reward people for being so awesome. So we decided to have a little giveaway.

Here’s what you have to do:

1. Find a photo you’ve taken with a piece of official Michigan Ice Fest gear.  It can be a picture of you wearing an Ice Fest hat or t-shirt, an ice fest sticker on your water bottle, helmet or car, or any other way you’ve displayed your Ice Fest pride.
2. Post that picture to Instagram, tag us @MichiganIceFest and use the hashtag #30yearsofMichiganIce. Please don’t post them to your stories, they are much harder for us to see.
3. This one’s optional, but if you’d write a short description of the photo and maybe tell us the story that piece of gear, that trip, or how Michigan Ice has impacted you over the years, we’d love to read them.
4. At the end of the giveaway we’ll take the name of everyone who entered and randomly pick two winners to receive a free registration to our 30th anniversary event this year. It’s not a contest to see who took the best photo or has the best story. It’s a way for us bring our Ice Fest family a little closer and see how far out into the world we’ve all gone.
5. We’ll probably do a live drawing on Facebook during the week after the contest ends, because that’s kind of fun.  But if the winner misses the drawing we’ll contact them anyway.

That’s it.  Pretty simple.  We’ve got a few rules for you to follow:

1. Photos must have visible official Ice Fest gear.
2. You will receive one entry per post (posts with multiple photos will only receive one entry) with a maximum of three entries per person. You can make as many posts as you’d like and we’d love to see your photos.
3. Photos Must be posted before Sept. 11th.
4. Photos must be your original work.
5. Try to keep it PG 13.  Instagram will probably take it down if you don’t.
6. Your privacy settings must be set so that we can see your posts. If we can’t see it, you can’t win.

So dig deep into your archives and find your favorite images.  Bill is really excited to see who can come up with the oldest piece of Ice Fest gear.

We are STOKED for Michigan Ice Fest!  Our goal is to make this as much fun as we can.  On this page you’ll find a ton of information and tips about the event and how to make the most of it.  Please read this information carefully.

Festival Sign In

When you arrive in Munising you will need to sign in at the event.  You can come to our headquarters and our friendly staff will get you all set for the weekend. You will get your official lanyard, which is your ticket into all things Ice Fest, as well as any updates to the schedule and any important information.

Our Headquarters

Our headquarters is located at the Central Community Center inside the old elementary school. This will be the center of the Ice Fest Universe.    You’ll get your demo gear here, meet athletes and reps, shop, and see some of the presentations.

You can see a map of the building here.

Schedule

There is a lot going on during the weekend, both on and off the ice, and you don’t want to miss any of it.  There are schedules in the festival guide and at the headquarters.

The schedule is also available here

Demo Gear

If you paid for the demo you have access to our gear for the weekend.  If you did not pay the demo fee, the gear is not included in the $65 registration fee.  If you need gear and didn’t pay for the demo you can add it to your registration at the check in when you arrive.

Every morning after the classes get gear (See event schedule) we start checking out demo gear for the day.  You’ll go to our demo room where our staff will get you fit with the equipment you need.  The line can get quite long on Saturday and Sunday morning so showing up early and being patient goes a long way. You’ll be required to leave a credit card or drivers license in exchange for the gear.  We have a limited number of helmets and harnesses so if you have your own we encourage you to bring it as we will certainly run out of these.  If you don’t have these two critical pieces of gear, it may be a good idea to purchase one.  They are discounted at our headquarters to make it more affordable.

To speed up the demo process and get you more time on the ice we’ve made a few videos to ensure you get everything set before you head out into the cold. Please watch our videos on how to fit your boots and how to fit your crampons.

All demo gear must be returned by 6PM every evening. No exceptions.

Other Gear to Bring

There are some other basics that we don’t provide that will make your class much more enjoyable.  We recommend bringing:

• Good Attitude – It goes a long way, in both climbing and life
• Warm Clothes – Dress in layers and how you would usually dress for all day outside.
• Extra gloves – Thin gloves to climb in and thicker gloves to not climb in. You can never have enough gloves
• Snacks and Hot Drinks – Keep your energy up and your belly full
• Camera – This will be an experience you’ll never forget and you’ll want pictures.
• Backpack  – It’s always nice to have something to carry your gear
• Skis or snowshoes are really helpful when accessing backcountry climbs

Discount

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the gear you want, or if you fall in love with the gear you demo.  Down Wind Sports will have a store setup at Headquarters where they will have all the gear you need and even more that you want, and best of all, everything will be on sale!

Transportation

We will have a shuttle that runs continuous loops from the headquarters to Sand Point. This is the best way to get around as there is NO PARKING AT SAND POINT. If you are planning on going somewhere other than Sand Point driving is your best option.

Backcountry shuttles may be available to the Miner’s Castle area. Please inquire at headquarters.

Parking

Our headquarters is attached to an active school, so please do not park in any school parking lots during the school week.  You may be towed. Please don’t block driveways or hinder the school operations in any way.  Munising is a very walkable town.  If possible, please walk to the headquarters from where ever you are staying and use our free shuttles to get to the climbs.

 Where to climb

Ice fest is a busy time at Pictured Rocks.  Really busy. But that doesn’t mean that there is no ice to climb.  The popular and easily accessed climbs see huge crowds,  but climbers are friendly and this is Ice Fest so we get the best people in the world attending, share your ropes, share your climbs, share your festival.  We’re a family, let’s make everyones experience a great one.

If you’re looking for a little more solitude and are willing to work for it, grab an Ice Fest staff member.  We can point you in the direction of climbs that receive only a handful of ascents a year.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or call us.  Your experience is our highest priority.