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Don’t forget that this year’s Ice Fest is THIS WEEKEND. There is a ton of stuff scheduled, the ice is in great shape and honestly this is something you DO NOT want to miss. I’ve been to every Ice Fest for the past 20 years and I assure you that it’s a very spacial event. Being able to see the guest guides up close and in person is a very rewarding tuning to do. I still use the tips that I got from clinics I took from Alex Lowe and Mark Twight many years ago. Clinics are filling up fast, but there are a few slots still available in some groups so check it out NOW.
A couple of quick notes about Ice Fest - All of the guides will be working hard to get you folks out there and climbing as quickly as possible so you get your money’s worth. That means that you will be best served by getting to IME promptly and have all your stuff ready to go. This is especially true for those of you involved in group clinics. There are always a couple of folks who show up late and everyone is sitting around waiting on them. Don’t be that person. And lastly, at the risk of sounding self-serving, if you feel as if your guide has done a good job, tip them. These women and men work very hard and often put their well-being at risk, giving you the experience that signed up for. While of course they get paid, anything extra is highly appreciated.
This has been a crazy week work, music, fun and weather wise. While I love the winter, this one has been darn-near unrelenting with the temps rarely getting above the mid-teens. And when they do, like yesterday afternoon and this morning, it feels positively balmy. I’ve gone out a couple of times and I think that the two things I want to mention are be sure to make sure you have that warm belay-jacket and your ice screws and picks are sharp ‘cause the ice is hard right now and it’s brutally cold.
Ice Conditions Report:
Selected Ice Conditions effective February 19, 2026
Just as you would expect following Ice Fest AND a week of truly balmy temps, going to be upper 30's today, the ice can be a mixed bag. I saw someone post about how things are terrible. But digging into it, I realized they were talking about places like the North End that are very well used. It probably gets the most use of all. There are only a few places that have really easy access to moderate climbing and where you can set up a bunch of top-ropes. So that's not unexpected. And of course the climbs that are getting a lot of full sun are getting somewhat punked-out. On my way back from Wolfeboro mid-afternoon a few days ago I took a look at Rainbow Slabs which look as if they are getting pretty funky. And I watched a hunk of the bottom of Way In The Wilderness fall down! IMO it's really the time to start paying attention to what you're walking underneath, any time of the day. Enjoy this weather, but keep paying attention...
Huntington Ravine
numerous options
Repentance
iffy
Standard Route
GREAT conditions
Dracula
IN & very fat
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
Mobile Version Of NEClimbs:
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
Remember - climb hard, ride the steep stuff, stay safe and above all BE NICE,
Al Hospers
The White Mountain Report
North Conway, New Hampshire
Personally, I would rather climb in the high mountains. I have always abhorred the tremendous heat, the dirt-filled cracks, the ant-covered foul-smelling trees and bushes which cover the cliffs, the filth and noise of Camp 4 (the climbers' campground), and worst of all, the multitudes of tourists which abound during the weekends and summer months.
Climbing is a very dangerous sport. You can get hurt or even kill yourself. When you go climbing, you do so of your own free will. Everything on this site is to be taken with a grain of salt. Don't blame us if you get up some totally heinous route, in over your head and fall and hurt yourself.
