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film by K o r e n Segal Climbing to the Top I m a g i n e t h i s : A beautiful cliff c o v e r e d w i t h a w i n t e r ' s ice, g l i m m e r i n g against t h e s u n . T h e ice is uneven and craggy, r u n n i n g the full v e r t i c a l length o f t h e f o r m a t i o n . It appears t h i c k a n d unyielding, layer u p o n layer o f f r o z e n water. Perhaps y o u can imagine p h o t o g r a p h i n g this as y o u stand in t h e farmer's field b e l o w o r even just l o o k i n g at it f o r a w h i l e , e n t h r a l l e d w i t h o n e o f nature's w o n d e r s . N o w imagine t r y i n g t o c l i m b it. C l i m b i n g it is exactly w h a t W i l l G a d d and K i m Czizmazia d i d . W h e n G a d d and Czizmazia spott e d s u c h a find this year in Iceland, they d e c i d e d they had t o c l i m b it. A n d D a n M a n n i x was invited t o film t h e i r ascent. " N o o n e had d i s c o v e r e d it," says Mannix, speaking of the cirque cut i n t o a plateau above a farmer's field. " T h e challenge w a s t o be the first t o c l i m b it." G a d d a n d C z i z m a z i a , t w o o f t h e t o p ice c l i m b e r s in the w o r l d , w a n t e d that challenge. So they left t h e relative w a r m t h o f t h e U n i t e d States t o c o n q u e r this s h e e r i c e . M a n n i x , a V a n c o u v e r i t e a n d long-time r o c k c l i m b e r a n d filmmaker, leapt at t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o r e c o r d t h e event. " T o be o u t w i t h t w o o f t h e w o r l d ' s best, d o i n g o n e o f the h a r d e s t c l i m b s was amazing," M a n n i x says. Even after filming t h e c l i m b a n d w a t c h i n g it n u m e r o u s t i m e s , he still appears e x c i t e d by w h a t he's c a p t u r e d . F o r s o m e o n e , like this w r i t e r , w h o has never seen this t y p e o f c l i m b i n g b e f o r e , it is like w a t c h i n g people do the impossible. G a d d and C z i z m a z i a c l i m b , w e a r ing 12-point c r a m p o n s o n t h e i r feet and a r o p e t o keep t h e m f r o m w h a t w o u l d be an instant death if they fell. T h e y m a n o e u v r e straight up w i t h n o t h i n g t o grab o n t o but the ice aids that they p o u n d i n t o the ice e v e r y f e w feet. W h e n they d o slip, they fall back o n t o the r o p e they use only f o r safety ( r a t h e r than as a help t o t h e i r c l i m b ) . It's p a r t of the challenge, says M a n n i x , t o c l i m b w i t h o u t help f r o m a r o p e o r a n o t h e r h u m a n being. Photo by Don Seri Mannix's film Ice in Iceland is up c o n s i d e r a t i o n f o r this year's V a n c o u v e r International M o u n t a i n Film Festival, F e b r u a r y 25 t o 2 8 at the Centennial Theatre. A selection c o m m i t t e e m a d e up o f local f i l m m a k ers, journalists, a n d c l i m b e r s pick 25 o u t o f the 50 o r s o films that are s u b m i t t e d as e n t r i e s in the c o m p e t i t i o n . T h i s is t h e festival's s e c o n d year a n d festival d i r e c t o r A l a n F o r m a n e k p r o m i s e s a fascinating f o u r days. T h e idea g r e w f r o m F o r m a n e k ' s o w n i n t e r e s t in all things m o u n t a i n and his o w n past i n v o l v e m e n t in s i m i lar festivals in his native E u r o p e . H e k n e w o f N o r t h A m e r i c a ' s biggest m o u n t a i n film festivals in Banff a n d T e l l u r i d e . C o l o r a d o , and c o u l d s e e n o reason why a smaller version w o u l d n o t d o w e l l in V a n c o u v e r . " A f t e r a l l , V a n c o u v e r is t h e H o l l y w o o d o f t h e n o r t h . " says F o r m a n e k f r o m his N o r t h V a n c o u v e r h o m e , " a n d N o r t h V a n c o u v e r is a perfect l o c a t i o n b e t w e e n downtown and W h i s t l e r . " T h e r e are lots o f including E u r o p e , N o r t h A m e r i c a , a n d A u s t r a l i a . F i l m m a k e r s are eager t o have t h e i r w o r k s h o w n . T o s w e e t e n t h e p o t even m o r e , the festival is j u r i e d a n d prizes are a w a r d e d . T h e films range o n subjects f r o m m o u n t a i n c l i m b i n g a n d ice c l i m b i n g t o m o u n t a i n biking. A n y s p o r t that gets Dan Cadd Mannix Will (from shooting the film Ice in Iceland) Photo courtesy of Mannix collection