[img:Mountainfest2015.jpg]

KEENE VALLEY, NY.  The Mountaineer and Adirondack Rock and River have teamed up to host the 19th annual Adirondack International Mountaineering Festival on Martin Luther King weekend, January 16th through January 18th, 2015.

Mountainfest will kick off on Friday night with a private “sneak peek” screening of American climbing pioneer Jeff Lowe’s Metanoia at 8 p.m. at Keene Central School. Jeff’s ground-breaking climbing accomplishments here in the Adirondacks make this a very special event for us. Don’t miss the chance to see this long-anticipated film here in the Adirondacks BEFORE it premiers in Colorado in March. Friday’s screening is a fundraiser for Jeff’s Mountain Foundation and will help offset the costs of making this film. Tickets for this special screening are $15 at the door, with all proceeds directly benefiting the foundation. More details to come, but be ready for some awesome auction items signed by Jeff and other surprises along the way!

On Saturday, renowned guide and mountaineer Fabrizio Zangrilli will present “Fast and Light on Mt. Kenya’s South Face.” Mt. Kenya’s 1,000+ meter South Face holds some of the rarest ice climbs on the planet. Come see Fabrizio’s presentation of a 20-year goal to climb the 1,100 meter Ice Window route in a day. There will be a big raffle of gear donated by the event sponsors and plenty of tomfoolery.  Saturday’s slideshow will also be held at the Keene Central School, and will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the slideshow are $10. Before the slideshow, the Keene Valley Fire Department and the Lake Placid Pub and Brewery will be hosting an All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti dinner at the nearby fire hall starting at 5:00 p.m. Tickets for the spaghetti dinner are $15, with all proceeds benefiting the Keene Valley Fire Department. Get there early for this incredibly popular feast and join us after for the slideshow!

Sunday’s entertainment will be accomplished alpinist Kitty Calhoun’s Presentation – “Last Ascents” – at Keene Arts at 7:30 p.m. Come see Kitty speak about routes that she has done in the mountains that may not get a repeat due to climate change. Whether or not you believe we can affect climate change, Kitty thinks we ought to at least try. Kitty will share how her lifestyle of voluntary simplicity has served her well in the mountains and how minimalism is a valid approach to affecting climate change. Both Fabrizio and Kitty will be leading instructional clinics throughout the weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, demo gear will be available for testing at Adirondack Rock and River, located on Alstead Hill Road, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  There will be instructional clinics on ice climbing, mountaineering, snowshoeing and avalanche awareness on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. There are very limited openings still available. More detailed registration information is available at www.mountaineer.com/mountainfest.

Mountainfest is a charity event that supports local and regional non-profits every year. Last year, the event made a significant contribution to the Keene Kids Outdoors Club. We encourage all attendees to bring a non-perishable donation to the Keene Food Pantry to the weekend’s evening activities.

For more information, contact Vinny McClelland (vinny@mountaineer.com) or Holly Blanchard (holly@mountaineer.com).