A mountainous celebration of all that climbs and is climbable will be grabbing a strong hold on our rocky mecca from July 16-20.The Squamish Mountain Festival presented by Arc'Teryx is set to pump guests up for clinics and competitions with stories of great adventures through film and photography.The event is in its third year as a combination of the Squamish Climbers Festival and the Squamish Mountain Film Festival and attracts people from all over Canada and the world.Scheduled smack-dab in the middle of the climbing season, the festival draws world class climbers to present experiences and enjoy the landscape, said festival producer Ivan Hughes."We get a mix of international filmmakers and top-notch climbers so it's a grassroots arena for these people to get together, exchange ideas and hopefully get out there and start some incredible projects and make some amazing films," he said.Film viewing starts Wednesday, July 16 with the Oh Canada Climbing Night held at the Eagle Eye Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Local climber Matt Maddaloni is featured in one of the four films entitled Young Blood, which captures his attempt to solo the 5.13a route with bizarre safety precautions. He and fellow climber Sonnie Trotter will also guest speak.The following evening features the incredible Steep Shoot Photography Competition where five top Canadian and American photographers go head-to-head having collected their best images from around Squamish the week before."They're really being put to the test," said Hughes. "Climbing is the theme but it doesn't have to be specifically climbing photographs. It can be climbing culture, climbing landscapes, climbing sport, so that's going to be a lot of fun."Local photographer Jia Condon will challenge Vancouver's Jordan Wright, Canmore's Andrew Querner and Americans Boone Speed and Keith Ladzinski for $3,000 in prize money at the Howe Sound Brew Pub at 9 p.m. Thursday, July 17.The Squamish Access Society (SAS) and the Climbers Access Society of British Columbia (CASBC) are heading Crag Day on Friday, July 18, where members and volunteers will do their part for trail maintenance. All the proceeds from the Squamish Mountain Festival are going to the two groups along with the Aidan Oloman Memorial Fund, which supports Squamish Girls Rock!Alpine and Big Walls Night follows in the evening with the showing of films from Germany, France, U.S. and England. Cedar Wright and Ed Cooper will guest speak at the 7:30 p.m. Eagle Eye Theatre event. Cooper, a member of the first team to climb the Stawamus Chief's Grand Wall in 1961, will also display previously unreleased photographs from the past.Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20 are filled with clinics, competitions and more films including the Canadian Wadi Rum Expedition, which features climbers journeying to Jordan to establish a new free climb on one of the largest walls in the valley. There are a number of clinics available for all skill levels, said Hughes."We get everybody coming out. Some people just want to try it out for the first time, other people want to get their game up to the next level, and other people want to try out a new aspect of climbing."The DYNO competition, where climbers leap from one set of holds to a handhold higher up, is sure to be another favourite this year following last year's two Guinness World Record-breaking leaps.The records have since been beaten so competitors will be looking to bring the title back to Squamish, said Hughes."We're looking to beat those records again this year and set some new records, too," he said. "It was so exciting to watch it last year and we had a great crowd out at the Adventure Centre. I'm sure we'll have a really enthusiastic crowd out again this year."Majka Burnhardt and Micah Dash will speak at Saturday's Dash and Burn Night at the Eagle Eye Theatre before partiers flood the Adventure Centre dressed in 1980s climbing wear at the Tight and Bright Festival Party.The trade fair, clinics and competitions continue on Sunday and finishes with Hard Grit Climbing Night. Scottish climber Dave MacLeod guest speaks and international films are presented at the Eagle Eye Theatre at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information and full schedule visit www.squamishmountainfestival.com.
