As of last summer, Jennilyn and I decided to move forward with a dream of mine...to organize a climbing festival at the City of Rocks.
My first trip to the City of Rocks was April of 2007. We were able to put together a large group of friends from college and high school and spent three enjoyable days there climbing, camping, and mountain biking. There were 11 adults and three kids sharing two campsites. Half were climbers and the other half were not. But everyone had fun. I believe that this was the first trip for almost everyone in that group. We felt like pioneers.
Since then we've gone multiple times, and have always succeeded in getting a large group to go at least once a year. The location is beautiful and plentiful when it comes to landscape and climbing. So why not enlarge our annual group climbing trip to be a national climbing festival?
What's a climbing festival? In my mind a climbing festival is a reason for climbers from all over to gather and celebrate the sport. Climbers come in groups, they all throw their tents up in an open field (the tent city), they participate in odd activities for free climbing gear, and they just climb everyday. During this time you get to form new friendships and strengthen old ones.
So here it is. Jennilyn and I are the founders of the newest climbing festival in the U.S.A. and the only one in Idaho. And it is called...
Idaho Mountain Festival.
Official Press Release of the Idaho Mountain Festival
SAVE THE DATE: NEW CLIMBING FESTIVAL COMES TO IDAHO
It may be 7 months until the Idaho Mountain Festival - Powered by Asana, but it isn’t too early to save the date for the newest climbing festival to hit Idaho on September 27-30, 2012 at Castle Rock State Park and City of Rocks National Reserve.
The Idaho Mountain Festival will be joining similar festivals, such as the International Climbers Festival, Red Rock Rendezvous, and New River Rendezvous, to offer a four-day event where climbers, as well as trail-runners, can gather to enjoy endless climbing, trail races, activities, giveaways, music, meals, and workshops. Visit
www.IdahoMountainFest.com for complete details.
The festival will be held near Almo, ID in Castle Rocks State Park and City of Rocks National Reserve, home of the grand collection of granite domes for multi and single-pitch climbing, trad-climbing, sport-climbing, and bouldering. With the location being no more than a 3.5 hour drive from Boise, ID and Salt Lake City, UT, The Idaho Mountain Festival is the perfect convenient climbing event for friends and families to gather as a closing social for the 2012 climbing season.
On September 27-30, 2012, festival attendees will enjoy a slew of free amenities including tent-camping, dinners and breakfasts, and entertainment. Festival tickets will go on sale starting in March. Ticket options include an all-inclusive ticket for $45 that includes almost everything and a daily-pass ticket for $25 that excludes the free tent-camping.
The Idaho Mountain Festival has teamed up with Asana (
www.asanaclimbing.com) to make this event possible. Asana is an Idaho based company that specializes in bouldering specific climbing gear. With much excitement, Jamey Sproull (the founder of Asana) said, “Asana Climbing is proud to present the 1st Idaho Mountain Festival. What a great opportunity to lure climbers from all over to see the beauty and grandeur of the granite in Castle Rocks and the famed City of Rocks! With Asana being based in Boise, we feel like we are welcoming the community into our backyard for a 4-day party of climbing, clinics, music, and fun. We look forward to this being the first in a long tradition of a yearly event that highlights what Idaho has to offer our ever-growing climbing family.”
As of now, the
Access Fund and
Solid Rock – Climbers for Christ have also jumped on the bandwagon as sponsors for the festival. The Access Fund will be sending their new Conservation Team to manage an Adopt-a-Crag day that will allow the climbers to give back to the parks and nature by cleaning up climbing areas and trails. Solid Rock – Climbers for Christ will be providing a Sunday Morning Breakfast as well as sending one of their athletes to host a bouldering clinic.
The
Idaho Parks and Rec has been great supporters of the Idaho Mountain Festival. They have welcomed the event with open arms and are anxiously waiting to welcome and assist all the gathering climbers.
Park Superintendent, Wallace Keck, made the following statement when asked to share his excitement about the festival, “As one of the country's premier granite face-climbing destinations Castle Rocks State Park and City of Rocks create the ideal location to host the Idaho Mountain Festival. Park staff is excited to showcase the facilities, exceptional climbing resources, and grand scenery to this year's attendees. We strive to offer exceptional recreational opportunities and experiences, and providing a home here for the Idaho Mountain Festival is sure to accomplish this and more.”
Start making plans to attend the Idaho Mountain Festival with your family and friends. More announcements and information will be provided in the future.
Please direct all questions and inquires to Ben Eaton at
off.grid.productions@gmail.com. Follow the news and happenings of the festival by becoming a fan of the Idaho Mountain Festival
Facebook Page and
Google+ Page.
