Boulderfest
A Dover Island Gathering
Working White Trash V8
Halifax has rock climbing, but most people are unaware of it, even the people who live there. The volume and quality are world-class and offer a style of climbing that has evolved around the native stone. It has something to offer everybody, whether you want to challenge yourself or take it easy. Those who have visited return home with stor ies of desperately sloping features that require incredible compression-strength. The fr iction dependant climbing makes moving with confidence tr icky at times, many locals opt to climb at night or during the coldest months, to capitalize on better fr iction. While there are hundreds of developed routes, untouched stone awaits.
A tight-knit community with a few climbing gyms, both public and private. It is a weekly boulder ing night for new and experienced climbers to come together and to visit the areas around Halifax. It’s an opportunity to learn about the sometimes confusing approaches and to watch local strong-men and women take down some of the harder problems. The main facilitator of the climbing community is the local access coalition, Climb Nova Scotia ( cns). cns is a nonprofit, volunteer based group dedicated to promoting and facilitating climbing in Nova Scotia. Its goal is to support all climbing interests including trad climbing, sport climbing, ice climbing, indoor climbing, boulder ing and to serve beginners and experienced climbers.
Boulderfest has happened every summer since 2001, and grown from a local event to a highlyanticipated weekend for climbers everywhere
This year cns celebrates its 22nd birthday. It works with schools, climbing gyms and other provincial recreation organizations to bring climbing to a wider audience that better represents the diverse population. cns hosts an annual ice climbing festival on the shores of the Bay of Fundy where ice-tools, crampons, helmets and boots are available to members. They also host a Monday Night Bouldering series, movie nights and the Reel Rock Tour, sponsor the Tour De Bloc competition circuit and local athletes who travel to attend comps elsewhere. They organize seasonal trail maintenance, and conduct Clean N’ Climb days to rejuvenate overgrown routes and restore.
They receive annual funding from the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness and rely on a volunteer executive and the climbing community. By keeping administrative costs to a minimum, cns supports route development by loaning out dr ills and static lines, buying brushes, bolts, batter ies and bits, and reimbursing developers. Last year a new sport crag was outfitted with hardware provided free-of-charge by cns.
It is thanks to the volunteers that Boulderfest goes on.The necessary prep work and planning begins immediately after the weekend for the following year. Sponsorships need to be secured, promotional shirts need to be made, and grab-bags need to be organized. Food needs to be bought, transported and cooked. All of the event tents, tables and
equipment need to be transported to the island. Washrooms are built and maintained throughout the day.
The or igins of Boulderfest are unclear, but there are some consistencies in the back story. Climbers wanted to create a legacy project which would be perpetuated by future generations of climbers. They had spent time on Dover Island and realized how unique it was and that once climbers were involved they would keep the event alive. The original idea was based on the Phoenix Bouldering Contest and took place in Prospect Bay. The space was good for a smaller group of climbers. At the time, the community was much smaller than it is today and the climbing on Dover Island had not yet been developed. In 2001 the Boulderfest moved to Dover Island and became an overnight event. Climbers were fed dinner and breakfast and a keg was supplied by the Propeller Brewing Company of Halifax. Recently larger sponsors got involved with the event and supplied pr izes. Today, the sponsors have grown to a relatively extensive list including The Trail Shop, The North Face Maritime Summit Shop, Evolv Climbing, Ground Zero Climbing Gym, Propeller Brewing, Canadian Ski Patrol, Lifesaving Society of Nova Scotia, and of course, the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.