Ice Climbing Ecrins 2016 festival report

The international Ice Climbing Ecrins festival took place from the 14th to the 17th January 2016 at L’Argentière-La Bessée and proved to be a great success once again! Located in the south of the Alps, this 26th edition attracted more than 500 participants during these 3 days of intense activities and celebrations. The strength of this festival lies in its accessibility. Everyone can come and safely try snowshoeing, ski touring, freeriding and ice climbing. Furthermore, the Ice Climbing Ecrins gave the participants the opportunity to improve their practical knowledge thanks to the 37 mountain guides.

Specific workshops were been held by companies and partners during these three days of ICE festival: La Sportiva demonstrated crampon progression, CAMP offered individual training with Stéphanie Maureau (multiple Saas Fee Ice World Cup winner), the special ICE by night evening was organised by Beal, while Black Diamond was in charge of the workshop, reserved for ladies, guided by women guides and with the athlete Rahel Schelb! Petzl demonstrated ice resistance at Cervières. And in order to diversify the activities on offer, participants could also test and take part in ski touring, snowshoeing & freeriding.

This year in particular the Ice Climbing Ecrins workshops focused on safe behaviour in high mountain, avalanche victim search, snow knowledge, alpine climbing preparation… In brief, there was no chance the participants could be bored during this 26th edition!

Young alpinists from the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins de Montagne (FFCAM) took part in Ice Climbing Ecrins via its annual french gathering. More than 60 youngsters were coached by Christophe Moulin, alpinist and co-founder of this youth group called “Excellence”. At Freissinières some of them climbed the ice falls Impatience, Les larmes de Nicodème, or Happy Together at Gramusat, while a special evening was dedicated to them at the movie theater of l’Argentière-la-Bessée.

The Ice Climbing Ecrins is also about the dry-tooling International Open competition with lots of prizes and bonuses for the three winners. Qualifications were held at l’Horloge, above l’Argentière-la-Bessée, specially equipped for the festival. Max Bonniot from GMHM, Jeff Mercier and Klemen Premrl from Slovenia provided an incredible show in a very white ambiance. The ICE competition came to a close with two indoor finals: speed and difficulty. The women's speed event was won by Coralie Jary followed by Stéphanie Maureau, while in the men's event Xavier Gaillard outdistanced Pierre Alexandre Keller, aka Pak. Stéphanie Maureau, very much on form, won the difficulty, ahead of by Camille Marot and Coralie Jary. Octave Garbolino won the men’s competition, followed closely by Symon Welfringer and Xavier Cailhol.

The Ice Climbing Ecrins festival is such a special event because it brings together the world's best ice climbers as well as beginners, mountain lovers, but also local people who just want to party! Celbrations continued every evening with films screening, shows and concerts: more than 2000 people danced to Nuru Kan and the band Bayefall Gnawa until early in the morning!

Once more, the Club CAF l’Argentière-les-Ecrins, the FFCAM and the organiser of the Ice Climbing Ecrins, Cathy Jolibert, can be proud of having set up a meeting of such high standards, that helped gather together mountain professionals, climbers, famous ice climbers, writers, photographers and artists from the world over.



22/12/2007 - Freissinieres - ice climbing in the Ecrins, France
A selection of 10 fantastic icefalls in the world famous Ecrins National Park, France by Mountain Guide Mario Sertori.

Info:  www.ice-climbing-ecrins.com