Building Community Through the Adirondack Queer Ice Fest with Melissa Orzechowski

Today on Ice Ice Beta, we’re chatting with Melissa Orzechowski of The Adirondack Queer Ice Fest 🌈 a no-cost ice climbing festival solely dedicated to the LGBTQ+ outdoor community. When the idea first came about, the organizers, Melissa, Robbi, and Nol, thought they might be the only attendees — something  for just the three of them. They didn’t know how big the community was in the Adirondacks, or beyond. When 40 people showed up in the middle of a blizzard — many of whom hadn’t ice climbed before — they knew there was a need.Now in their third year, they keep being surprised: Registration filled up within 45 minutes. In this episode, we talk about why identity-based affinity spaces are important, the power of starting (however small), and being the change you want to see. Timestamps:01:32 - Melissa's (sandbagged) journey into ice climbing06:31 - Organizing in college and beyond11:20 - Moving to the Adirondacks and building community18:56 - The start of the Adirondack Queer Ice Fest25:55 - The importance of affinity spaces in climbing37:26 - Overcoming gear challenges 45:37 - Future plans and aspirations Resources and links:While registration is full, you can support the festival by donating on gofundme.And if you’d like to follow along with this year’s event, and stay up to date for future happenings, their Instagram is @adirondack_queer_ice_fest. Melissa's IG is @melissaormo.Find the rest of the notes, timestamps, resources, and more on the episode page. Credits:Episode cover photo provided by the Adirondack Queer Ice FestIntro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!). Sponsors:A big thanks to our sponsor, Blue Ice, for supporting this show!Blue Ice is the best kind of ice, and also my choice when it comes to fast and light ice climbing gear. Their Aero Lites go in like a hot knife through butter and their climbing packs hit the sweet spot between function and lightweight. Designed to get to the point in the alpine, their gear is tested by mountain professionals between the Alps and the Wasatch. If you’re looking to get to the point too — and with a little less weight on your kit, check out Blue Ice’s gear at blueice.com or your favorite local retailer. Patreon:For the price of a beer per month, you can help us produce episodes like this and much, much more. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast this season, consider supporting us on Patreon.  Credits:Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!).This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.And of course, a big thanks to our sponsors, Aniiu  Gloves and Furnace Industries! Become a member:Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the conversation and want to help us do many more episodes like this, please consider becoming a member.   (For less than the price of a bougie beer per month!). 🗣️ Leave us a review!:You can also help us out by subscribing to the podcast and leaving us a review on your podcast platform of choice. Reviews are helpful for new listeners that come across the show, and a good rating means Spotify, Apple, and other platforms are more likely to recommend it to others.