Climb Yukon revives Ibex Valley Climbing Festival
A popular climbing event made a comeback last weekend.
By Marissa Tiel on August 10, 2017
A popular climbing event made a comeback last weekend.
The Ibex Valley Climbing Festival returned to the bouldering spot off north of Whitehorse off the Alaska Highway.
Patricia Duchesneau, one of the event’s organizers, said that the festival’s revival went well.
“It was a really fun, friendly event,” she said.
Climb Yukon took on hosting the festival this year. It first began in 2001, organized by the Allen family, before going on hiatus. It returned for a number of years around 2008, but it hasn’t had much of a presence since.
More than 30 people took part this year. Festival events included bouldering, a fun dyno competition and a barbecue.
“It’s just a way to gather with climbers once in a while,” she said.
The bouldering site in the Ibex Valley, which is up Scout Lake Road, offers areas for climbers of different abilities to cut their teeth.
“You’re in nature, but there’s quite a few people you don’t see,” she said of the site.
The fun dyno competition ran on a homemade wall. Climbers had to end on a hold by jumping for it from the wall without falling or touching the ground.
With every successful round, the final hold was shifted farther away. Jonathan
Lowey was the last climber standing and took home a harness for his efforts.
Climb Yukon is still pushing forward with their proposal for an indoor climbing facility.
But Duchesneau said more community events like the Ibex Valley Climbing Festival are in the works.
More information can be found on their website at: yukonclimbingwall.com.
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