Michigan Ice Fest

Quietly nestled on the south shore of Lake Superior we have some of the country’s most outstanding ice climbing and for years it was a secret treasure no one had ever heard of! Then the secret got out. With the release of two major films featuring the area, climbers are beginning to discover what many of us have known for decades: Michigan climbing is great and the Michigan Ice Fest is at the center of it all. The festival makes ice climbing accessible to the first timer, teaches advanced skills to those looking to improve and connects participants with the greater climbing community through slideshows and socials.

We started almost thirty years ago as a way for a handful of the hearty souls who enjoyed climbing in the area to meet up, share stories and do a little climbing. We bonded over the areas beauty and the adventurous nature of the sport and became something of a family. Stories spread by word of mouth, social media and now film. Over the years our family has grown, a lot, and it hasn’t been without some growing pains. We are no longer 7 people watching a slideshow in a bar, we’re now 700 people watching slideshows in a historic theater!