Adirondack queer ice climbing fest opens sport to more LGBTQ climbers
February 24, 2023 —
Ice climbing is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine a waterfall. Now imagine it’s frozen. Now imagine you had to climb it.
About 50 people gathered in the Keene Valley last Saturday to do just that as part of Queer Ice Fest, a free LGBTQ ice climbing event.
Winter sports like ice climbing have high barriers to entry and have historically been dominated by white males. But more and more outdoor enthusiasts are pushing diversity, and some are turning to their own communities to share the activities they love.
Melissa Orzechowski began ice climbing in college in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. One of her friends took her climbing during her freshman year and she loved it. After that first experience, she was determined to continue, but her friend graduated the next year. Suddenly she had no one to climb with.
“All the experienced ice climbers in the area were brothers. And I didn’t really want to climb with them, so I didn’t really have that mentorship,” Orzechowski said.
Orzechowski began inviting her friends to go ice climbing with her, teaching them what little she knew about the sport at the time. She would invite people whose feet were about her size so they could share a pair of climbing shoes.
Now based in the Adirondacks, she still draws members of her own queer community into the sport. Together with Nol Huther and New York State Forest Ranger Robbi Mecus, she organized the first Queer Ice Fest last winter.
Some of the queer climbers at the event said they’ve experienced harassment and rudeness in the wild — people intentionally using the wrong pronouns, throwing odd looks, or simply giving increased, unwanted attention.
Some said they have been reluctant to try ice climbing in the past due to a lack of mentors and community.
Jay Luppino, from Troy, said he was sometimes reluctant to try new sports because he wasn’t sure he would be welcomed.
“It felt kind of difficult for me to get in just because a lot of dudebros are into outdoor stuff, and as a person who’s seen as a wimpy gay guy, it was hard for me to hang out with groups of people who go hiking.” ’cause a lot of guys wouldn’t talk to me ’cause they were like, ‘Ew, gay, you know?” Luppino said.
Last year’s Queer Ice Fest was Luppino’s first attempt at the sport. His partner Matt Bernstein says he was pretty nervous climbing last year.
“The belayer was like, ‘Okay, time to come down! And he was like, ‘Uh huh,’ and he didn’t want to go back,” Bernstein said.
But this time Luppino faced the ice without hesitation.
Orzechowski said the whole point of the event is to make rock climbing more inclusive by providing a comfortable space for queer people to try it out. She said this type of activity can be especially rewarding for queer people.
“Something you should know is that rock climbing, top rope climbing, using the rope set, is a safe place to conquer fear. It’s natural when you’re feeling this way. If you’re feeling a little nervous, if you’re feeling a little uncomfortable, that means you’re an intelligent person! That’s our instinct, that’s what we should do. But this is a cool place to get over it and work through it,” Orzechowski told a assembled group of about 20 novice climbers.
“As a queer person, I face more fear in situations. For example, not knowing if I’ll be accepted, not knowing if I’ll be respected, and I think I can practice being brave and doing things even if they’re scary is valuable,” Orzechowski said.
With only a few social media posts to publicize it, the event drew a lot of interest, but Orzechowski said she and Mecus also received a lot of opposition for creating an event just for queer people.
“It’s not that we don’t want to include people, it’s just that we want to have a space that we know will be a safe space,” she said.
And there was an atmosphere of safety and security among the climbers at the event, most of whom had just met. People shared thermoses of tea and offered their jackets off their shoulders if someone else looked a little too cold. They snuggled warmly with their partners, chatted casually about their relationships, and shouted encouragement to ascending climbers.
To actually scale an ice wall, you need special gear: ice axes, special boots, and crampons, long, broad metal spikes that attach to the bottom of the boots.
And on Saturday there was an additional piece of equipment. This came as a surprise.
“Who the hell brought glitter!?” someone shouted.
Orzechowski had packed pink, deep blue and gold glitter. She said it was the only thing she put in her backpack the previous night so she wouldn’t forget.
People took off their gloves to gently smear glitter on each other’s cheeks. Orzechowski gave Rose Dumas, who had come from Burlington to try rock climbing for the first time.
“I loved that because there’s a whole group of us who were complete beginners. We’ve never been ice climbers. And then watching everyone climb the wall was very inspiring,” said Dumas.
Dumas said she faced harassment outdoors for being queer, like when she worked at a Colorado ski resort. But at this event, she said she felt she could be bold and try something new.
“It’s super easy to get intimidated, at least for me, and feel like an idiot and be like, ‘Oh, I can’t do this. But you can do it!” said Dumas.