Hunter Creek Womans Clinic

I had mixed feelings about co-teaching the womens ice clinic with Tanya for the Hunter Creek Ice Festival. Once Tanya and I got out there though, and we met the women in the clinic, I quickly became excited to be there. I absolutely love ice climbing and I really like to share my excitement with other women. I think womens groups are more supportive and less competitive than coed. We giggled, talked about hormones and PMS with climbing, I taught about the freshette or PLAM (pee like a man) and the energy in the air was positive and playful.

Hunter Creek
Photo By: Heather Hansen

 

Tanya and I got relegated to the bottom pitch of split finish for our clinic, I think every ice climb before the split had a clinic on it. It was so touching when Tanya and I were soloing the pitch and she told me that I had inspired her 9 years ago when I had been a co-instructor for her first ever ice climbing outing and she saw me soloing the bottom of ripple, now we were doing it together.

Tanya and I
Photo by: Heather Hansen

 

There were easily 50 people in the canyon, all seemed to be having a good time.

The Ice Fest Head Quarters

 

I've been very un-involved in the climbing community this season. I guess I'm still kind of holding a grudge from all the smack talking on the Alaska Ice climbing website last year where I felt attacked and then highly irritated. Sometimes a couple of asses can make all climbers seem a little too pretentious to want to be involved with, I really shy away from people with big egos and mouths to match. It was nice to get out and remember that there are way more awesome people in the climbing community than lame ones.