Chicks & Picks
Remarkables Ice and Mixed Festival 2023
RIMF is the annual climbing meet of the Expedition Climbers Club, or essentially a big get together for the keenest alpine climbers across New Zealand. The NZ Alpine Team runs courses for alpinists of all levels to learn more skills, meet potential climbing partners, and gain more confidence across different styles of climbing. Clinics vary from learning to lead, climbing mixed and ice, basic snow craft, intro to ski touring, and general climbing for those who want to meet a belay buddy but not attend an instructed course.
Hosted in Queenstown, the climbing takes place up above The Remarkables Ski field where there is a huge array of accessible ice and mixed climbs, as well as varied terrain for those just getting into snow craft.
Enroute to touchdown…
This year I was part of the Chicks & Picks clinic, which is focused on ice and mixed climbing but in an all girls group! This was a super special experience getting to spend time in the alpine and climbing with just other girls. Mountaineering still tends to be male dominated, as with many extreme sports, so to be able to meet so many other girls who climb and build up those belaytionships was awesome. Despite being male dominated, the NZ mountaineering scene is full of inspiring women who send hard and push the limits of NZ alpine. Being instructed by these incredible women was so inspiring and I gained so much more confidence and knowledge in my climbing!
On Friday we headed out to touchdown on the south face of single cone (over the back of wye saddle from The Remarkables Ski field), and got to get more WI 2-3 ice mileage in. It was so neat to see how much confidence and technique everyone gained over the course of the day, having constant feedback from skilled climbers makes such a difference.
After free beer, expedition talks, and a climbing pub quiz it was time to get some sleep before mixed climbing on Saturday. The west face of remarks has some of the best and most accessible mixed routes in the country, just a short walk up the ski field (even shorter if you have a lift pass) there is a huge array of climbing of all grades. Getting to practice different styles of mixed climbing - from steep and tool focused to delicate foot placements - was so valuable. It’s not often that you get to just spend time in the mountains trying new climbs all day with constant feedback and instruction!
For anyone looking for an opportunity to brush up on their alpine skills, improve their climbing, learn from New Zealand’s best climbers, and meet other people stoked to be in the mountains RIMF is a must do!
The event occurs annually and the link for sign up details can be found here: https://iceandmixedfestival.co.nz
