Winter in Lillooet

Every February, the small town of Lillooet east of Whistler in BC turns into something special.

This year, winter has been unseasonable warm in this part of the world. Ice has been lean across much of western North America, and Lillooet was no exception. Lines that normally come in solid were thinner, more selective and more technical. It's been a low ice year.

But still, the stoke was high

The Lillooet Ice Fest is not polished or glamorous. Its outgrown its old venue of the Lillooet Brewery and is now fills the gymnasium at the local rec center. It's all about early mornings, and early evenings, and people who genuinely enjoy being outside in temperatures well below zero. The festival draws climbers from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond, and they all have the same thing in common. 

The organizers and groups made the best of the conditions, adjusting clinics and picking routes for additional dry-tooling sessions. Spirits stayed high as people shuffled back into the venue after long days in the field to engage with vendors, try product samples, and listen to informative presentations on avalanche safety and expedition debriefings.

The community was incredibly welcoming, and low ice or not, the spirit of the festival did not dip. Thanks for having us.