When we heard Escala — a community of Spanish-speaking climbers — was planning their first ice climbing weekend, we knew it was something special. The trip was organized in partnership with the American Alpine Club and supported by local sponsors, bringing together experienced mentors and first-time ice climbers for a long weekend in the Adirondacks.
One participant, for example, had grown up in Miami and was living in D.C. — she had seen snow, but never this much, and certainly never climbed in it. That contrast between experience and environment made this project about more than just ice climbing; it was about joyfully breaking new ground, together.
Like many community-based outdoor projects, the story was unfolding in real time. We didn’t know in advance who our main subject would be — and neither did the organizers. On the first day, we focused on observing: listening for voices that resonated, watching for moments that felt grounded, open, and real.
We interviewed several participants and ultimately followed one climber whose perspective brought both vulnerability and warmth to the experience. Her voice became the heart of the piece — someone discovering something new, supported by a shared language, shared culture, and shared courage.
Filming in an alpine environment demands a specific set of skills. From rigging lines to moving safely on steep, frozen terrain, it’s critical to be both technically proficient and invisible — capturing action without interfering with it. As a climber myself, I was able to anticipate movement, read the ice, and stay agile to get the shots without slowing anyone down.
We shot everything over the course of the weekend, blending vérité-style footage with wide scenic coverage and textured portraits of the group’s camaraderie. It was important to us — and to Escala — that the final product reflect the vibe of the weekend: warm, funny, energetic, and proud.
Because we knew the final film would be longer, we wanted a separate teaser designed specifically for Instagram. Instead of just cropping a cutdown, we created something entirely new: a standalone scene of the group salsa dancing on the frozen surface of Chapel Pond — the same body of water they crossed each day to get to the climbing routes.
It was a striking, joyous image: a cultural gesture in an unexpected environment. That short vertical piece performed incredibly well and helped introduce the project to a wider audience with humor and heart.
The final short film was distributed nationally by the American Alpine Club and embraced widely by the climbing community. It resonated with viewers who saw themselves in it — and with those who hadn’t realized how underrepresented Latinx voices often are in outdoor media.
By combining dynamic climbing footage with human-first storytelling, we created a portrait of a weekend that was more than just an intro to ice — it was a celebration of presence, possibility, and community.
The video continues to be shared across climbing organizations and advocacy groups, and it remains one of the most joyful and unexpected stories we’ve had the chance to help tell.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
