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Mountaineering festival gets people to opt outdoors

Hollis Tyndall, right, and Mike Primeau emerge from the trees onto the open shoulder of Round Mountain during The Mountaineer’s annual Adirondack International Mountaineering Festival in Keene Valley. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

KEENE VALLEY — Popping out of the dense evergreens, almost a dozen people scrambled up a steep, snowy slope to the open summit, where stunning views of the High Peaks stretched out for miles. And the fun part hadn’t even started yet.

Eleven people, including the two guides, earned this view from the shoulder of Round Mountain outside of Keene Valley on Saturday during the Adventure Snowshoeing with Carl Heilman class that was offered as part of the The Mountaineer gear store’s annual Mountainfest.

The class started out at the store, where renowned landscape photographer Carl Heilman II and his son Carl talked to the assembled class about the history and differences of snowshoe designs, how to properly layer clothes for winter and how to keep an eye on the weather in the mountains.

The class then geared up and set out in a caravan of cars to the parking area on state Route 73. Skipping the trailhead to the summit of Round Mountain, the class bushwhacked through the woods and started following a drainage. The recent weather ensured there was plenty of running water, and as we made our way up and over boulders and downed trees, a cliff band began to reveal itself on the right side of the valley.

The class steadily climbed, passing under walls of rock and ice, learning just how important good crampons on the bottom of the snowshoes are.

Hollis Tyndall of Ottawa takes in the view of the Dix Mountain range during the Adventure Snowshoeing class at the annual Mountainfest in Keene Valley. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

About halfway up, we stopped for a break at the same place two ice climbers from Vermont were starting to scale a 60-foot wall of frozen water. As the slopes got steeper, the elder Heilman helped students up and over a few obstacles with the aid of his ice axe.

The class got an extended view of the King Wall, a popular rock climbing area, but kept on going uphill until we entered a narrow ravine of pure ice. The slope was steep, and we were pinched between angular boulders on the left and a sheer wall of ice on the right. The chute was successfully navigated on the way up, but several of the class participants were already nervous that they would have to descend the same way.

About two hours after starting out, the class cleared the last of the trees and came out onto the bare rock of the summit. Some explored, some ate lunch, but everyone was thrilled with the reward of the hike.

When it was time to head down the mountain, the Heilmans gave a quick demonstration on how to control yourself while sliding down a slope with snowshoes on, then the class began the descent on their butts, sliding about 15 feet to the tree line.

On the way down, the younger Heilman led the class around the most treacherous parts, including the icy chute that was giving people the fits. We found slopes that could be slid down, despite the relative lack of snow, and everyone at one point or another had a big smile and most likely a back full of snow.

Tom Updegrove, from Philadelphia, slides down a bit of snow during Mountainfest Saturday afternoon. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

There were a couple of close calls on the way out, but as the woods darkened, the class was back on the side of the road, smiling and shaking hands.

The Mountaineer has hosted the Adirondack International Mountaineering Festival in and around Keene Valley for the past 21 years. The festival includes guest climbers, slide shows and clinics on ice climbing for all levels, snowshoeing and avalanche safety.

A couple of students make their way up an icy chute during Adventure Snowshoeing in Keene Valley Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

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