Some of the best climbers from around the world have descended in town for the Squamish Mountain Festival. The event opened Wednesday (July 16) with a night of photography and film at the Eagle Eye Theatre headed by local great Matt Maddaloni and the renowned Sonnie Trotter.From Trevor Renney's exploration of the invigorating but deadly sport of cliff jumping in North Vancouver's Lynn Valley to Maddaloni's free soloing spirit and Trotter's technical trad climbing, the Oh Canada Climbing Night kicked off the festival in true eclectic form incorporating all things mountainous. In Squamish for the first time since September, Trotter is excited to be back sharing stories and inspirations with fellow climbers."I think it's good energy all around," he said after presenting two short films entitled The Path and Hampi."It's bringing good people together and like-minded people - I think that's what it's all about. It's about an inspired community and watching that grow."The Path, produced and directed by Corey Richards, documents the first free ascent of an abandoned 5.14 bolted seam at the Back of the Lake area of Lake Louise, Alberta. Trotter climbed the rock entirely with natural gear and chopped every bolt off.Trotter is a big proponent of trad, or traditional, climbing. Whereas sport climbers depend on bolts attached to the rock face to prevent falls, trad climbers depend on jamming their own pieces of gear into cracks. "What I find with trad climbing in general is that you can put your gear in and you're free to move - you can go left, you can go right," he said. "It's your interpretation and that's what's cool about trad climbing [] not everyone has to do the same thing. If you try to put too many definitions on things you kind of lose the magic of what climbing is all about."The following night, Trotter received the Jim Baldwin Memorial Award in the Present Day category for accomplishing the first traditional free climb of Squamish's 5.14 Cobra Crack in 2006 - the world's hardest trad climb. Trotter has mixed feelings about the award."Of course I'm flattered but I always think it's a bit weird when you try to put an award on climbing, which is more of an experience opposed to an achievement."So, it takes a little getting used to although I am honoured and in a weird way sure it's nice to be recognized. But it's certainly not a motivation behind it," he said.Meanwhile, Maddaloni wowed guests with tales of soloing five distinct peaks in the Bugaboos just four days after leading 37 pitches to tag three summits of the Stawamus Chief. He completed most of the Bugaboos by free soloing, a method where the climber foregoes ropes, harnesses and other protective gear. It's not surprising that he left other climbing parties in awe along his travels."At first people don't realize I'm free soloing, they just assume I have a rope," said Maddaloni. "But when they do they freeze because they don't want to do anything that might make me fall."There's still lots of festival action coming up. Friday (July 18) is Alpine and Big Walls Night 7:30 p.m. at the Eagle Eye Theatre. Climbing pioneer Ed Cooper and Cedar Wright are speaking and international mountain films will be shown. 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. He was awarded the Jim Baldwin Memorial in the Past category on Thursday (July 17).Saturday and Sunday (July 19 to 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 festival producer Ivan 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.Majka Burnhardt and Micah Dash will speak at Saturday's Dash and Burn Night at the Eagle Eye Theatre at 7:30 p.m. before partiers flood the Adventure Centre dressed in 1980's 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.
