December 21, 2018
Welcome back guest guides Ryan Stefiuk and Max Lurie!
Ryan Stefiuk ducked out of professional guiding a few years ago and became an RN. He works on a cardiac care floor in western MA. He’s certainly kept busy developing ice/mixed routes in the Catskills, scrubbing obscure rock climbs in western Massachusetts and climbing big remote ice climbs in Quebec and Newfoundland. Some highlights from last season:
New lines in the Catskills:
Danse Macabre (probably M10-) with Chris Beauchamp and Lucho Romero
Bacchanalia (M9-) with Christopher Beauchamp
Free winter ascents near Sept Iles, Quebec:
Speedy Trap – WI6+/M8-
Route des Baleines WI7-M9
Route des Baleines Pitch 2
Danse Macabre (probably M10-) with Chris Beauchamp and Lucho Romero
Last time Max Lurie was at Ice Fest he was an IMCS guide, now we’re totally pleased to welcome him home as a guest guide for 2019! Max is originally from Bath, Maine and called the MWV home for many years before going west to guide in the PNW and Colorado. He started guiding in 2008 here in the northeast, and before that studied glacial science in Iceland, Peru and Alaska. Currently he resides in Bouder, CO where he works for Colorado Mountain School. Max is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Assistant Alpine Guide.
Drytooling in the Vail Amphitheater, CO
Teaching vertical ice climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park for Colorado Mountain School
