Vertical Ice Climbing Enthusiasts

02/16/2024

Brad Gobright passed away in 2019, in a rappelling accident in Mexico, was one of the most accomplished free-soloists of his generation.

11/23/2018

Due to complications with our Tufts venue, VICE Fest is being cancelled for 2019. We appreciate all the support we've received over the past 10 years from partners, sponsors, and participants and we're incredibly thankful for all the professionals and volunteers who helped us take more than 1,500 people ice climbing for the first time. We enjoyed every minute of VICE Fest and look forward to getting outside with you again someday!

If you're a college student that's excited to attend an awesome ice climbing festival, you should check out the Collegiate Ice Carnival! Registration opens on Jan 25th and the event takes place Feb 22-24. Go to https://www.collegeoutside.com/events/ for details and follow College Outside for updates!

You can also talk with Cathedral Mountain Guides about private ice climbing trips and you can look at other ice fests like Smuggs Ice Bash and MWV Ice Fest if you want an event scheduled for the same timeframe as VICE.

Thanks for a wonderful decade of VICE Fest!

College Outside sponsors and runs outdoor events across the country for college students to learn about leadership and opportunities in the great outdoors.

11/14/2018

We're getting psyched to open registration on Nov 25th and we're not alone. Last year we sold out in just a few hours. This time, we're getting an extra boost from long time partners who are ready to celebrate our 10th year. Huge thanks to Tufts Mountain Club, Cathedral Mountain Guides, and Lahout's Summit Shop for coming together as a lasting team that has taken over a thousand people ice climbing for the first time. Here's a sweet retro video from 5 years ago, VICE was awesome then, and better than ever now!

The annual ice climbing festival of Franconia Notch, NH. Dedicated to getting first time climbers introduced to the sport in a friendly, supportive environme...

10/30/2018

We're excited to announce that VICE Fest #10 is happening on January 25th-27th 2019. Registration opens November 25th 2018 at 8pm EST on www.viceaxe.com. Mark your calendars and come celebrate 10 epic years of ice climbing!

02/08/2018

We're so psyched on all the great photos from VICE Fest this year! Here are some amazing shots from Champney by Jordan Luciano (Anne Skidmore Photography) who also took our 2018 official group photo. Thanks everyone for another great year!

02/01/2018

What an awesome event! Thanks to all our partners and sponsors for making it possible! Partners: Cathedral Mountain Guides, Lahout's North Face Summit Shop, Tufts Mountain Club. Headline Sponsors: The American Alpine Club, Furnace Industries. Major Sponsors: Outdoor Research, La Sportiva, Petzl, Black Diamond, White Mtn. Bagel, Woodstock Inn Brewery, Mahoney Alpine Adventures, SlingFin, Protect Mount Washington, Deuter, Maxim Ropes. Raffle Sponsors: Colonial Knife Corp, Darn Tough Vermont Socks, Osprey Packs, NEMO Equipment, Inc., Minus33 Merino Wool Clothing

02/01/2018

Photo Credit: Ericka Ruowen Lu

01/31/2018

VICE Fest 2018 was truly epic! Stay tuned for pro photos and a full recap later this week. Special thanks to Maxim Ropes for donating grand prizes for the Furnace Industries pull-up competition and to Colonial Knife Corp and Osprey Packs for making sure our participants went home with awesome gear.

01/25/2018

With VICE Fest only a day away, we wanted to tell you about more sponsors who are bringing gear for you to try out. We'll have sweet backpacks from Deuter and sleek tents from SlingFin to help you enjoy every minute of this crazy weekend adventure!

01/24/2018

VICE Fest is only 2 days away! We can't wait to see everyone at the Loj and we're excited to serve you delicious food and beverages from local businesses. Huge thanks to White Mtn. Bagel and Woodstock Inn Brewery for taking care of us!

01/15/2018

VICE Fest is less than 2 weeks away! Registered participants will receive a welcome email in the next few days with all the details. Given recent swings in weather and temperature, we're glad to have awesome boot sponsors to keep everyone's feet warm and dry. Huge thanks to La Sportiva, Lahout's North Face Summit Shop, and Mahoney Alpine Adventures for making VICE Fest awesome!

12/18/2017

The conditions are getting better and better! As our excitement builds with each icy drip, we wanted to quickly thank the amazing sponsors who lend us sharp pointy gear for VICE Fest! Without Petzl, Black Diamond, and Furnace Industries it'd be physically impossible to climb frozen waterfalls!