Smuggs Ice Bash

Free gear demos from the industry’s leading brands, clinics for beginner to advanced climbers, multimedia slideshows by sponsored athletes, dry tooling competition and kick-off party, huge raffles and immense camaraderie in Vermont’s premier ice climbing destination, Smuggler’s Notch!

The goal of the Smuggs Ice Bash is to promote the sport of ice climbing, to educate climbers, to exhibit and demo new gear, and to share a weekend of fun, challenge, and inspiration with other winter enthusiasts in one of Vermont’s most amazing places, Smuggler’s Notch.

The Smuggs Ice Bash is managed by  Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School.

Demo gear including boots, crampons, ice axes, harnesses, helmets, gloves and outerwear will be available to Clinic Participants starting at 8am (and 9am for the general public).

Demo pickup will end around 10 am. Drop-Off will be available starting around 3pm and all gear must be back no later than 5pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.

Registration and Cancellation Policy

• Clinic registrations can be made online or by calling Petra Cliffs Climbing Center. Clinic space is confirmed upon receipt of payment.

• Cancellations require 10 days notice to receive a full refund of the total clinic cost. Due to the complexity of this event, cancellations with less than 10 days notice or no-shows will result in forfeit of full payment.

• If you must cancel, please email outdoor@petracliffs.com as soon as possible so that space in the clinic can be offered to other interested people.

• If you are unsure if a clinic would be a good fit for you, please do not hesitate to reach out to outdoor@petracliffs.com.

Payment Policy

• 100% of payment is required at time of reservation.

Reach us at:

Petra Cliffs Climbing Center and Mountaineering School
105 Briggs Street, Burlington, VT 05401

phone: (802) 657-3872
email: outdoor@petracliffs.com

Festivities will take place at the Cambridge Community Center, 22 Old main Street, Jeffersonville, VT 05464

The festival and clinics take place on the Jeffersonville, VT side of Smugglers Notch and there are several lodging opportunities withing a 20 minute drive.

Resources for local places to stay can be found below:

• Smuggler’s Notch Resort Lodging

• The Smugglers Notch Inn in downtown Jeffersonville

• Rentals near Jeffersonville, VT

• Burlington, Essex, Williston also offer more of the traditional hotels but are a 30-45 minute drive from Saturday and Sunday’s clinics and events.

We DO NOT recommend staying in the Stowe/Waterbury area as this is a hour + drive in winter from the festival happenings on Saturday and Sunday!

• Q: Is prior experience necessary?

• A: Nope. Our Intro to Ice clinic is designed for those with no Ice or Rock climbing experience. If you have prior rock climbing experience, some of those basic skills can go a long way and are transferable to Ice Climbing. Our lower ratio 1:2 multi-pitch clinics do require certain pre-req’s. These are outlined in the description or when you go to book.

• Q: What should I wear and pack for my clinic?

• A: A packing list, including additional information about different clothing materials, can be found in the welcome packet HERE. If you have questions about the gear you have feel free to email outdoor@petracliffs.com.

• Q: What if I don’t have any of my own climbing gear?

• A: Perfect! That’s why we bring in a host of brands and vendors, to outfit you in the best equipment available from the industries leaders in outdoor clothing and equipment. Look here: Vendors/Demo’s for a list of brands you can expect to see at this years Ice Bash.

• Q: Where does everything take place?

• A: Friday night kicks off at Petra Cliffs in Burlington, VT. Saturday and Sunday clinics/demo’s/presentations take place at the Cambridge Community Center in Jeffersonville, VT.

• Q: What if I book myself into a clinic but then realize I can’t attend?

• A: Cancellations require 10 days notice to receive a full refund of the total clinic cost. Due to the complexity of this event, cancellations with less than 10 days notice or no-shows will result in forfeit of full payment. If you must cancel, please email outdoor@petracliffs.com as soon as possible so that space in the clinic can be offered to other interested people.

• Q: Should I tip my guide?

• A: Gratuity for the guides is not included in the clinic price. Tipping is an individual decision and you will receive top-notch service regardless, however our guides do accept and appreciate tips (most commonly via cash or venmo). It is customary to tip the guides at the end of the day, and we recommend tipping 10-20% of the trip price which is common in the climbing and skiing industry. Please note that you are under no obligation to tip, but it is highly recommended.

The Smuggs Ice Bash was born in 2005 thanks to local climber Alden Pellett, who collaborated with Doug Millen of Northeast Ice to try and rally a festival in Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont– an area rich with rock and ice climbing history. As Pellett writes, “The Notch has been climbed heavily since the 70’s with many unrecorded routes having been done… Bouchard…Zajchowski… It is also good to note that Fritz Weissner resided in Stowe during the later years of his life. Many unrecorded aid lines exist. Climbers exploring “new” ground should not find it surprising to come across an old soft ring piton or moss-filled pin scars. Despite the hardmen that have explored the area, however, Smuggler’s Notch remains an untapped resource for futuristic climbing that will yield numerous first ascents over the next few years as tools and styles evolve further.”

Over the first few years of the Ice Bash, Bert Severin of Sunrise Adventure Sports became more involved, and eventually supervised the management of the Ice Bash. With the number of attendees, vendors, and clinic offerings multiplying, the Ice Bash outgrew its original venue. In the spirit of friendly and fun competition, the festival added an indoor drytooling competition at the local climbing gym, Petra Cliffs, drawing a crowd of 200+ people from the Burlington area that otherwise may not have been part of the ice climbing festival. A busy personal life led Bert to seek out new management of the Ice Bash, and he approached Steve and Andrea Charest, owners of Petra Cliffs, in October 2012. Petra Cliffs and Tim Farr excitedly took over management of the Ice Bash, with help from many of the regulars who have made the Ice Bash successful over the past number of years. Since 2012 the festival has rapidly grown to offering more clinics, bigger raffles, harder drytool comps, big name presenters and much much more every year.