mountaineer.com

The Mountaineer and Adirondack Rock and River have teamed up to host the 17th annual Adirondack International Mountaineering Festival which is fast approaching on Martin Luther King weekend, January 18th through January 20th.

Mountainfest kicks off on Friday night with a slideshow by Majka Burhardt, one of the finest alpinists in the world, at the Keene Central School in Keene Valley at 8 p.m. Majka, who hails from New Hampshire, will take you on a journey through her most recent climbing expeditions. On Saturday, renowned guide and mountaineer Freddie Wilkinson will present “Alpine Dispatches: Mountaineering and Storytelling in the Twenty-First Century.”

There will be a big raffle of gear donated by the event sponsors and plenty of tomfoolery. Saturdays slideshow will also be held at the Keene Central School, and will begin at 7:30 p.m. 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 5:30 p.m. Sundays entertainment will be the Adirondacks own Ian Osteyee who will present at the Keene Arts Playhouse (located in the Old Methodist Church, Route 73 in Keene between Stewarts and Town Hall). 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. Registration is limited and classes are filling quickly.

The Mountainfest is charity event that supports local and regional non-profits every year. Last year, the event made a significant contribution to the Flood Relief funds in the towns of Keene and Jay.

ESSENTIALS

What:  17th Annual Adirondack International Mountainfest

Where:  Keene, NY and other Adirondack venues

Phone:  1-518-576-2281

When: Various times (check website)

Website:  www.mountaineer.com