Michigan Ice Fest Recap

Ever wonder what it's like to attend an ice climbing festival? Liberty Mountain Sales Rep, Thad VanDenBerghe walks us through his week in a frozen little wonderland known as Munising, Michigan. Thad attended the event representing Grivel.

We sent out a very large demo fleet of crampons, ice tools and helmets to help support the event.
Total numbers of demos sent

• Ice tools: 42 total sets (Tech Machine Carbon, Tech Machine, North Machine, Lil Monsters)
• Crampons: 38 pairs (G-20+, G-22, G14)
• Helmets: 6 helmets (new Stealth HS)

A comparison of the front point on the traditional G-20 crampon vs the new G-20 Plus that Grivel had available for demos at this year's ice festivals.

The Grivel booth ready to go in Michigan

2/14/18 - Valentines Day

Wednesday I taught an intro to Ice Climbing clinic at the Curtains area.

There were 8 participants in the clinic and I got them all to do a lap on a pair of Grivel tools

During the clinic, one of the participants was climbing in a pair of crampons from a competitor. Halfway up his first lap, HE BROKE THE FRONT POINTS RIGHT OFF THE CRAMPON! This happened in front of the entire clinic. Luckily, I had a both the G-22 and G-20 plus with me. I lent him my pair of G-20 plus and got him back on the ice. This time he cruised the line all the way to the top and came down exclaiming the crampons worked fantastically! After that, everyone wanted to try them.

Grivel athlete and Michigan native Angela VanWiemeersch teaching a women's clinic during the fest

2/15/18

Thursday I spent most of the day in the Grivel booth educating both the public and many of the Down Wind Sports employees about the merits of Grivel and also the broad offerings of Liberty Mountain. I was able to get a lot of facetime with the locals, over all there is a lot of love for Grivel in the area, with people rocking tools and crampons from up to ten years ago!

Also went out in the afternoon and dropped in on Angelas Vanwiemeersch and Anna Pfaff’s womens clinic to bring a big insulated vessel of latte coffee (with almond milk)

2/16/18

My one free day of the festival. Teamed up with Lowa athlete Carlos Buhler and we set out at the crack of dawn for an area classic HMR. https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107482822/hmr

This lakeshore testpiece is guarded by a 7 mile skin in (and out), but once you get out there you are rewarded with a very unique climb that requires you to rappel off of the 200’ cliff edge to a hanging belay right above the crashing waves.

The view from the top of HMR

The money shot of Thad making his way to the top

2/17/18

Saturday was the biggest day of the festival. The lineup for demo gear was at least 100 people long for well over 3 hours. I think in the end Bill Thompson (director of the festival) said that they outfitted close to 500 people! Again myself and Frank and Paulie Abissi manned the Grivel booth and helped move product into the hands of end users.

I also conducted a community education clinic, “gear maintenance and selection.” This class had about 15 participants and we talked about the differences in crampon styles (binding, and front points) and the differences and merits of straight shafted and also recessed grip ice tools. 

Angela leading a pillar while filming for a Redbull video project. Photo: Andy Mann

See more from the shoot here

Later that night was Grivel athlete Angela VanWiemeersch and Sasha DiGiulian's Red Bull movie premiered. Grivel athlete Aaron Mulkey also presentated on his first accents climbing around Cody, WY and out in Norway!

2/18/18

Taught another intro to Ice clinic, this time it was an AM teaser class that was only four hours long and ended at 12:30. Because of this, I was able to sneak away and join up with a couple of fellow festival goers and get a snowmobile ride over to the fabled Grand Island ice climbing areas. 

Map of the island and all the known ice climbs

This was the first time in my 3 years of attending that the ice was frozen enough to allow people and snowmobiles to safely travel across the channel of frozen ice to the island. The Island is covered in incredible blue ice.

Final Thoughts

Michigan Ice Fest is one of the fastest growing ice festivals in the nation while at the same time still capturing the wild and remote feeling many ice climbers seek out. 

With a fantastic Midwest local crowd and an all-star cast of presenters and instructors, this festival continues to guide the stoke of the sport, while also making it accessible to any one interested in giving ice climbing a try! 


Grivel and Liberty Mountain should be very proud to be a part of this special event.

Final Registered climbers count for MIF 2018: 991!

Thad VanDenBerghe is a climber, breakfast food connoisseur, and sales rep at Liberty Mountain.

Liberty Mountain Presents A Free Avalanche Clinic For Ice Climbers

Liberty Mountain and the Utah Avalanche Center are hosting an free avalanche awareness clinic for ice climbers: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.

Featured in Climbing Magazine: Grivel 360 Receives High Praises

The Grivel 360 ice screws were featured in the Climbing Magazine’s 2014 Gear Guide where they were praised for their improved hanger that allows them to rack tighter on the harness and the longer teeth that makes them quicker to place.

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Grivel 360 Ice Screw--Better Than Ever

The Grivel 360 ice screws were featured in the Climbing Magazine’s 2014 Gear Guide where they were praised for their improved hanger that allows them to rack tighter on the harness and the longer teeth that makes them quicker to place.

"Compared with the older [Grivel 360 screws], I was a lot more likely to get first-time, stab-and-go placements." –Climbing Magazine

Thanks to its rotating handle, the 360 excels in situations where screw placements are awkward and tight. The rotating characteristic also allows the handle to be long and ergonomic so that even placing a screw with bulky gloves is possible.

Grivel athlete, Scott Adamson has been using the Grivel 360 ice screws for a long time now and considers them as his go-to-screw. Here’s what he had to say about them:

“I always rack with a handful of 360s. They're rad for that dark, old, dense ice you get in the alpine world. They are perfect for when your calves are burning and you want to keep moving but you know you should slam in a piece. The leverage on the screw is great, it bites right through the ice.

"It’s also the go-to-screw on steep, weird ice. When the ice is chandlered and crazy the 360 screws are able to get into spots other screws can't. When the barometer drops to 30 below and you have your big bumbly gloves on, the handle on the 360 is awesome. You actually have something to hold on to. Also the new design allows for better racking, they now sit great on the ice holster.”

Another unique feature that all Grivel ice screws have is the reverse threading that helps displace all of the force created during a fall. By angling the threads in the opposite direction from that of other branded screws, the forces of a fall are directed in a more diagonal/outward direction, rather than having all the force directed along the sides of the screw.

In this video, Peter McConkie, Liberty Mountain’s Director of Sales, demonstrates the Grivel 360 while pointing out their great features:




Grivel is one of the many brands exclusively distributed by Liberty Mountain in the U.S. Visit LibertyMountain.com or contact the Liberty Mountain Sales Team to become a Grivel dealer today.

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An Ice Climber’s Christmas Wishlist

Are you tasked with the mind-boggling duty of finding Christmas presents for an Ice Climber? Have no fear. We’ve got you covered.

We asked Sarah McConkie, a Liberty Mountain Sales Rep and an ice climber, to spill the beans and tell us what she and all the other ice-geeks are hoping they find under the Christmas tree.

Grivel 360 Ice Screws – Give them the gift that keeps on giving…protection. That special someone will love you forever after you hand them their very own bouquet of screws.

Retail Site | Dealer Site

Olicamp Stainless Steel Flask – Keep your belay partner warm. They say that a swig will raise your body temperature. Get them a 5, 8, or 9 oz flask…and don’t forget the funnel.

Retail Site | Dealer Site

Singing Rock Midi Harness – End the madness by throwing their tattered old harness in the trash and surprise them with one that isn’t missing any stitches and will fit them properly, no matter what they are wearing.

Retail Site | Dealer Site

Valandre Olan Down Bootie – The last thing you want is a friend that is missing some toes. Keep their toes warm by getting them a pair of booties that they can wear at the bivy.

Retail Site | Dealer Site

Grivel Crampons – Got someone that is climbing technical ice in an old pair of pons? Open their eyes by getting them a pair of the G20 or G22. Or is your buddy slipping all over the glacier? Lift them up with a stable pair of the G12.

Retail Site | Dealer Site






Don’t forget the stocking stuffers:

• Handwarmers…lots of handwarmers  -Retail Site | Dealer Site
• Grivel Axe Leash  -Retail Site | Dealer Site
• Grivel Gear Safe  -Retail Site | Dealer Site
• Singing Rock Porter Racking Biner  -Retail Site | Dealer Site
• Grivel Candela  -Retail Site | Dealer Site

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A Day in the Office/Mountains

Liberty Mountain’s Marketing Director, Nathan Smith illustrates what it’s like to work a day in "the office” when employed in the outdoor industry. Photos by Liberty Mountain's Photo Editor, Aaron Schwendiman. Click on the photos to view them larger in the Lightbox Photo Gallery.

It's catalog season here at Liberty Mountain and we have deadlines looming over us for lots of projects. One of those projects has been the recent addition of Outdoor Designs to our collection of in-house brands.

With our recent acquisition of Outdoor Designs and the November deadline for good winter images, we had to scramble to get some shots and quickly. Luckily the 2013 winter has already begun in Utah and we knew of just the spot to go to get some ice climbing photos for the workbook.

The only hitch is that it would be a four-mile hike up Mt. Timpanogos to reach the ice. Meeting at 5:00am at Liberty's Salt Lake headquarters was a small group, two climbers and our newest in-house photographer and photo editor, Aaron.

We drove the 45 min to the Aspen Grove trailhead in sleepy darkness, psyched to be going out on work time but still somewhat wishing we were still in bed. After gearing up at the trailhead, we set off on the trail by headlamp. The cold concentrated into a small circle of blue light in front of us.

Gradually the sky lightened, replacing our lamps as we passed the 1st and 2nd waterfalls and numerous switchbacks. Finally the sun's early morning rays broke through, painting the hillside orange in beautiful light.

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Introducing the Grivel Lightest Series

Now that winter season is rapidly approaching, I think its time to talk about some backpacks that were made for snow and ice. Grivel came out with a slick new line of alpine rucksacks this year, the Lightest Series. Not only do these packs contrast perfectly with the white snow and blue ice, they are also lighter than their sister packs and made with a light eco fabric from 100% recycled PET bottles and fiber products.

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Grivel Lightest Series

Now that winter season is rapidly approaching, I think its time to talk about some backpacks that were made for snow and ice. Grivel came out with a slick new line of alpine rucksacks this year, the Lightest Series. Not only do these packs contrast perfectly with the white snow and blue ice, they are also lighter than their sister packs and made with a light eco fabric from 100% recycled PET bottles and fiber products.

Already this year, we’ve seen a ton of people using these packs on their adventures. In fact, Alpine Mentors uses these packs for everything, like the climbs they did in Canada and Switzerland.

The Grivel Lightest Series consists of four backpacks that differ in volume and some features: Tofane (45 liter), Lavaredo (35 liter), Brenta (30 liter), and Marmolada (28 liter).

I got to personally do a side-by-side comparison of these packs to see how they are similar and different. The first thing you’ll notice when looking at all four of these packs is that the Tofane and Lavaredo have front crampon pockets. The cool thing about the crampon pocket on the Tofane is that it can be stashed away when not in use. The Marmolada is the only one that has a zippered panel opening instead of being a top loader equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid.

The Brenta uses zig-zag compression straps that minimalizes the bulk on the sides of the pack while also making it quicker to compress or decompress the pack. All four packs do a wonderful job at securely holding ice axes and poles, however the Tofane, Lavaredo, and Marmolada are the only ones that have the straps needed to carry skis. The Tofane, Lavaredo, and Brenta feature Grivel’s Air Tech suspension system and the Marmolada uses a flexible padded back panel.

These packs are a great compliment to Grivel’s trusted line of ice climbing and mountaineering hardware. Let’s stop trying to strap our ice axes and crampons onto our old trekking packs and let’s start using a specialized backpack that will efficiently hold the gear it was made to carry.

More about each pack:

Grivel Tofane 45
The Grivel Tofane 45 appeals to both the professional mountaineers and weekend warriors. This pack is ideal for climbing pursuits that entail rock, snow, and ice. Carrying ice axes, crampons, a hydration bladder, water bottles, and even skis with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The Tofane’s crampon pouch was appropriately designed so that it can be stashed away when not in use. The sturdy Air Tech back panel makes this pack not only light but also highly breathable as it creates a tunnel for air to pass between the back and pack. In colder temps or for more flexibility, the back panel’s support rod can be removed to collapse the air tunnel and provide additional range of motion. The packs breathability continues with the padded and extremely vented shoulder straps and hip-belt. The Tofane is a top loading pack equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid. The Grivel Tofane is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.

• Weight: 1340 grams/47.3 oz
• Volume: 45 Liters/2750 cu in
• Material: Light ECOFABRIC 
• Suspension System: Ventilated Air Tech
• Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket 
• Shoulder Straps: Soft edge straps with sternum strap 
• Accessories: Stretch side pockets, front crampon pocket, 2x ice axe loops, ski protection in hypalon underneath the side compression straps with stops for the skis, retractable elastic pole carrier, side compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
• Area of Use: Summer and winter alpine 
• MSPR: $199.95  Dealer Site | Retail Site

Grivel Lavaredo 35
The Grivel Lavaredo 35 was built to provide comfort and convenience in the mountains. This pack is ideal for climbing pursuits that entail rock, snow, and ice. Not only is the Lavaredo a top loading pack equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid, but it also has a U shaped zipper on the front that provides instant access to the contents at the bottom of the pack. Carrying ice axes, crampons, a hydration bladder, water bottles, and skis with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The sturdy Air Tech back panel makes this pack not only light but also highly breathable as it creates a tunnel for air to pass between the back and pack. In colder temps or for moreflexibility, the back panel’s support rod can be removed to collapse the air tunnel and provide additional range of motion. The packs breathability continues with the padded and extremely vented shoulder straps and hip-belt. The Grivel Lavaredo is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.

• Weight: 1260 grams 44.4 oz
• Volume: 35 Liters 2135 cu in
• Material: Light ECOFABRIC 
• Suspension System: Ventilated Air Tech
• Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket 
• Accessories: Stretch side pockets, Front crampon pocket, 2x ice axe loops, ski protection in hypalon underneath the side compression straps with stops for the skis, retractable elastic pole carrier, top compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
• Area of use: Summer and winter alpine 
• MSRP: $169.95  Dealer Site | Retail Site

Grivel Brenta 30
The Grivel Brenta 30 does all the work when it comes to managing all the gear so that the climber can focus solely on summiting the peak. The sturdy Air Tech back panel makes this pack not only light but also highly breathable as it creates a tunnel for air to pass between the back and pack. In colder temps or for more flexibility, the back panel’s support rod can be removed to collapse the air tunnel and provide additional range of motion. The packs breathability continues with the padded and extremely vented shoulder straps and hip-belt. The Brenta is a top loading pack equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid. The unique zig-zag compression straps along the sides of the pack truly shrinks the entire bag down to nothing. Carrying a hydration bladder, water bottles, and ice axes with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The Grivel Brenta is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.

• Weight: 1130 grams/39.9 oz
• Volume: 30 Liters/1830 cu in
• Material: Light ECOFABRIC
• Suspension System: Ventilated Air Tech
• Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket 
• Accessories: Stretch side pockets, 2x ice axe loops, retractable elastic pole carrier, top compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
• Area of use: Summer and winter alpine 
• MSRP: $169.95  Dealer Site | Retail Site

Grivel Mormolada 28
The Grivel Marmolada 28 gives climbers of all types the needed features to climb light while carrying gear on the wall. The Marmolada is constructed with a flexible padded back panel and a pack shape that tapers at the bottom that promotes unobstructed range of motion and keeps the bulk away from the waist. Carrying a hydration bladder, water bottles, and ice axes with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The main zippered compartment is accompanied by two other zippered pockets at the front and on the top of the pack to keep things within reach without taking off the pack. Front and side compression straps not only keep the gear from sloshing around inside, but they help to externally secure ropes and other gear to the pack. The Marmolada’s hip-belt features a zippered pouch and gear loop. The Grivel Marmolada is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.

• Weight: 890 grams/31 oz
• Volume: 28 Liters/1708 cu in
• Material: Light ECOFABRIC 
• Suspension System: Formed cushion
• Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket 
• Accessories: stretch side pockets, front mesh pocket for the helmet, carrier for ice axes, ski protection in hypalon underneath the side compression straps with stops for the skis, retractable elastic pole carrier, top compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system 
• Area of use: Rock climbing and summer and winter alpine
• MSRP: $109.95  Dealer Site | Retail Site

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Gear Review: Grivel Force Carbon

Alpinist Magazine published a gear review for the Grivel Force Carbon, one of Grivel's new ice tools made specifically for competitive mixed climbing and drytooling.

Frozen Assets

This trip report comes from Nate Walsh, a Buyer at Liberty Mountain. Photos by Nathan Smith.

It takes a bit of work to locate the exposure and solitude needed for a true alpine experience in the Wasatch Range. Luckily there is no shortage of adventurous climber at Liberty Mountain. On a recent excursion to try out some remote ice routes in the Wasatch, I teamed up with our Marketing Director, Nathan Smith, to tackle the project of climbing the somewhat unreliable alpine ice route, Frozen Assets near Mount Nebo. When fully formed this route offers 10 pitches and 1,000 vertical feet of moderate ice and mountain climbing in an environment far removed from the comforts of home that destination climbing like Ouray, Bozeman or even Maple Canyon can offer. Frozen Assets is one of the many classic ice lines in the Wasatch.

Continued...

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Beal Unicore Climbing Ropes

Beal, a leading manufacturer of climbing ropes added some additional ropes to their extensive line of UNICORE ropes. The technology and benefits behind UNICORE are phenomenal. We've been doing a lot of testing and research to thoroughly appreciate this method of making climbing ropes safer. We've been sharing our discoveries on our LM Climbing blog:

Cutting a Beal Unicore Rope

Video Description From Vimeo.
In this video, a demonstration is given to show what happens to a weighted rope when the sheath is cut. The first rope is standard climbing rope and the second rope is a Beal Diablo 10.2 Unicore rope. See what happens to each rope when the sheath is cut. Notice that the Diablo rope, with Unicore technology, doesn't experience any sheath slippage when cut.

Learn more about UNICORE on the LMC Blog: http://libertymountainclimbing.blogspot.com/2012/07/unicore-beals-special-ing...

UNICORE is the industry leading method of securing the core and sheath of a rope together without changing the rope's performance and durability properties. UNICORE is much like the biological tissue/membrane that keeps the skin attached to the rest of the body.

With a UNICORE rope, climbers won't experience their sheath bunching at the ends and the core will not be overexposed from sheath slippage if the sheath gets cut. That alone will allow any climber to retreat on a rope whose sheath is cut and still be able to pass it through the chains, carabiners, and belay/rappel devices.

UNICORE is stretchy, supple, and compatible with Beal's special water and abrasion treatments. This means that the UNICORE technology can be used on both dynamic and static ropes as well as ropes intended for dry and wet condition.

You can find the Beal Diablo 10.2 and 9.8 ropes at almost any climbing gear shop, or you can buy it directly from http://www.libertymountainclimbing.com

Grivel G20 Crampons

The Grivel G20 crampons were featured in the December 2012 issue of Elevation Outdoors. In their series of gear guides filled with game changing gear, they praised the G20 crampons for being the top performing crampon to up anyone's game on ice and mixed routes.

The Grivel G20 crampons are 100% technical, reliable, and efficient; the perfect tool for advanced ice and mixed climbing. Weighing in at less than 800 grams per pair, the G20 crampons are the LIGHTEST IN THE WORLD. The G20 is a highly adjustable crampon that provides a precise fit at the toe and heel areas, as well as in two locations along the middle of the foot. With a total of 13 points, the G20 has four vertical spikes on the heal, three vertical spikes along the middle of the foot, four opposing spikes at the balls of the feet, and a  mono-spike backed up with a mini spike at the toe.

Main Features
MONO-RAIL: The patented MONO-RAIL provides ice penetration power and increases climbing efficiency. The MONO-RAIL is a hot drop forged toe spike that runs from the toes to the middle of the foot where it connects with the Twin Regulator Bar. The Mono-Rail toe spike delivers a solid kick by reducing any bounce against the ice.

Cramp-o-matic Binding System: A well-known system that relies on a nylon speed lever in the rear and a stainless steel front bale to hold the boot. Quick to put on, these bindings are perfect for plastic mountaineering boots that have a rigid sole and substantial heel and toe welts. The front and rear bales respectively have three and two adjustable positions that provide a customized fit.

Twin Regulation Bar: The G20 utilizes the Twin Regulation Bar that reduces the empty pocket of space between the crampon and the boot’s instep. It also allows the crampon to be folded for storage and provides an additional adjustment point along the middle of the foot.

The Molletta: The Molletta is Grivel’s new rear spring that makes it easier and more ergonomic to regulate the length of the crampon.

Anitbott: Grivel’s patented Antibott is a flexible sheet that prevents snow build-up beneath the crampon. This pro-active dynamic system simply ejects the snow that builds up while walking on the snow; works every time in all situations.