New Mexico Climbing Guide is a blog that follows Marc Beverly, a UIAGM/IFMGA Licensed Mountain Guide, Physician Assistant - Certified, Technical Rope Strike Rescue Instructor, Mountaineer, and Adventurer.
On Sunday 15 Jan, 2012, another friend of mine died “doing what he loved most”, ice climbing on the incredible Bridalveil Falls in Telluride, Colorado. He suffered a fractured hip and went into cardiac arrest sometime thereafter while he was being evacuated from one of the most ethereal locations on earth. Perhaps he bled out internally from his pelvic fracture. No matter the cause, he had time to suffer and contemplate life. I wonder what Jack, the author of Colorado’s best ice climbing guidebook was feeling at the time of his would-be rescue.
It’s been said that when people die in the mountains, “at least they died doing something they loved.” Other grow bitter with those words, I think simply out of grief and the loss of a loved one. The mountains are dangerous, no doubt. So is driving your car, but I’ll bet unless you own a Ferrari, it’s not the most rewarding time spent. Steve Jobs died doing what he loved, nobody says, “don’t venture into the treacherous field of making awesome computers.”
Yesterday while I was leaving South Korea, a close friend sent me some of the most inspiring prose:
So many people don’t get “it,” regardless of what “it” is.
“why don’t you retire from that”
“there was nothing I could say…because anything I said would not be understood. I would have been speaking a language he could, or would, not comprehend. While many don’t understand why you (me) travel around the world to compete in a sport they are even further from understanding; know that I, and a few others like me, get it and support you with everything we have. Keep pushing hard ! Enjoy the camaraderie that comes from pushing hard, and suffering, with others. Once it is formed, it is an unbreakable bond that is only understood by those who share “it”.”
What defines us are the actions we take, the people we touch, and what we give and receive. I hope that Jack loved every step up the splendid falls, savored the smell of the incandescent blue frozen waterfall ice, and realized that he leaves a legacy of ice climbers who share all the things that make climbing special. Your family and your friends will miss you. I hope you know that with every swing my ice axe that you are part of that energy, as are others who have inspired and helped me become who I am: Craig Leubben, Guy Lacalle, and many more. Thanks for helping me get "it". God speed.
(Post-dated blog for respect for family notification)
UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup, Cheongsong, South Korea
REPRESENTING THE USA AT THE COMMENCEMENT - imagine that.
This year was exceptional in South Korea with the second ever UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Cheongsong (Nature Song).The culture is rich, the people so friendly and the organization of the competition and event being second to none. There were more than 127 athletes representing 24 countries at this competition. Only the top 40 are ever listed in the results, I was good enough to get listed and beat my previous rating of 36th in 2009-10 and am presently ranked 34th for 2012.
MEN'S QUARTER FINAL
This as my third year of competing in the World Cup and I have been lucky to meet some of the most interesting people along with all the travels. This year, Kendra Stritch makes her debut and is from Minnesota. Although most people think she's from Canada, she's actually from Minnesota. Ian Holmes is joining up with Gordon to form the Canadian consortium. The Russians pretty much crushed the entire field of all comers, hold a couple of Korean slots. Somehow, Bendler fell off. Someone must have greased his picks because that hardly ever happens. I would buy a lottery ticket before betting Bendler would fall in the first round.
THE IMPRESSIVE CANADIAN, IAN HOLMES GIVING ONE OF THE RUSSIANS A LIFT.
I am happy with my meek performance this year since although I did not make it to the half final, I climbed well and had recognition from the athletes and judges and route setters congratulating me on making good progress with making no stupid mental mistakes, climbing strong, and with consistency. Actually, I was just afraid that the belayer wouldn’t be prepared for how heavy I would be if I fell, so I just didn’t fall – ha ha. Markus didn't think it was funny, he really did think I would get dropped - didn't happen. However, one athlete fell a long distance and got harpooned in the abdomen by one of his axes. I checked him out and he had to be sent to the hospital for a perforated bowel.
I don’t feel like much has changed with my climbing in the past couple of years, but perhaps I can’t see the grass growing. Funny though, I’ve put on 10 pounds and only have about half a dozen training days total this year. Time in the pilot seat is what’s keeping me where I am, but I know I am not as efficient as I could be.
Although some of the best climbers fell early and some surprises by underdogs were seen I’m still a long way from being where I want to be. Sometimes there are doors that are before us that we have a choice to open and walk through. Simply cracking the door open isn’t good enough. I have some personal goal choices to make. I’ve taken a hiatus this past year in training and am ready to get back at it. I’m happy with my performance here this year and am looking forward to doing even better next year. Even though it is distant, it is likely my favorite world cup venue now that Val Daone is no more.
The ice competition season isn’t over yet, far from it in fact. Next on the hit list is the first ever TEVA Winter Games. I’m fortunate to have been invited to compete at this competition in Vail, CO. It is a different climbing format. The routes will not be as difficult and there will be two climbers facing off on identical side by side routes as this format is generally much more exciting for spectators. It will be similar to the 2007 Asian X-Games in Shanghai, China when I went there with Timy Fairfield to set the competition routes. I feel more compelled to attend this event on USA soil since I want there to be a World Cup in North America and there needs to be a good showing of competitors at “home games” to assure that it happens.
There is a movement for Competition Ice climbing to go to the Olympics and there needs to be a more organized International event and venue in the USA. However, there needs to be financial support for this to happen. I’m sure that there is someone or some entity that would be willing and able to help this cause, I just don’t know how to connect with them. I have lots of ideas though and can see it happening. Perhaps there will be some glimmer of hope when I visit Vail.
FULL MOON SET AND GETTING READY TO CHASE THE SUN ... TO SOUTH KOREA
Sitting in my seat and looking down on northern Russia and towards the pole, the temps are -50C. Unfortunately, the temperatures in Kirov, Russia were -38C with moderate winds and snowing during my first Ice World Cup. I knew that it was going to be tough going for the next 2 months and that I had a long way to go and a lot to learn about the mixed climbing scene in Europe.
ANTICIPATION.
Over the next three years, and logging many trips across all the ponds to Korea, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Russia, etc., I found that the American scene had somehow lost its way in the evolution of mixed climbing. The standard that I thought was so high was, in fact, not. Perhaps it was the climbing media’s portrayal that mixed climbing was a “dead-end sport,” or perhaps it was those who were leading the scene got their asses handed to them, they ran out of vision, or simply “got their cups filled,” but there was a sudden ceiling effect.
Going to the French National competition, I met up with Jeff Mercier. I had helped set the competition route at Ouray on the “diving board” that he made famous with his go-for-broke dyno to the finishing hold, barely making the magic happen. Jeff and crew has never slowed down with his “no figure 4 rule” in the competition left all the World Cup competitors launching for holds so far away that it just inspired everyone to throw harder. Jeff’s style isn’t for everyone, but it is fun to climb his routes in his style.
Stephanie Mereau took us to Le Usine, France last year for a proper schooling. This monstrous cave is home to dry tooling at it’s most refined extreme touting grade of D15 (like M15 without the ice). Later, I climbed together with Markus Bendler. I’m not sure what the grade difference is between North America and Europe, but I couldn’t knock off one of Bendler’s “M9s” when I can on-sight M11 back home. You should see one of his “M12s,” a completely blind horizontal dead point to a hold about 3mm deep. Marcus has won over 40 World Cups and can nab that hold 1/20 attempts on a good day. Needless to say, I’m still in my infancy of the learning curve in this game.
KOREAN ALPINE FEDERATION'S INDOOR 5 STORY ICE CLIMBING TRAINING CENTER.
Many countries have proper teams, supported financially, and have coaches. I’ve never had a coach for ice climbing, but I have coached. Intimidating as it is, being an athlete from the USA to compete at World Competitions still inspires me. It’s a big challenge, not only to participate, but to take on droves of Russians, South Koreans, and many other countries with formal teams.
I love the sport of this type of climbing, but it can be so taxing in so many ways. It’s the time machine that kills me: planes chasing the sun over the pole and around the earth, long bus rides, train transfers, and many nights in a foreign bed, on a floor, or on a couch. It’s all worth it though. That’s part of the cost of the ticket to live this life and have it be a memorable one without regrets. Keep on following that dream !
After getting back from Europe, I went to see Jason and Lisa Nelson up in Ouray, Colorado. Jason and I headed out to get more mixed climbing in before the season draws to a close. As fate would have it, Jason and I got in one day of climbing together before we decided that there needed to be some more new mixed lines in the Poser's Lounge on the way to Camp Bird.
We established a couple of new lines. The first is a major extension to Troglodyte. It now goes all the way to the top where the Goldline anchors are. The next is a traversing linkup that starts on Troglodyte, then crosses through the crux of Goldline and then past Fist Full of Steel, then finishes on Cinnamon and Cider. Although I'm not sure how hard these lines are since ratings to me are now in a contrived state, then climbing is fun.
Thanks to Clint Cook for letting us borrow his drill (I left mine at home) and to Bill Leo from Ouray Mountain Sports (OMS) for letting us spend some cash to get bolts and hangers on-demand!
I hope everyone gets a chance to get on these routes.
SKIING is the paradoxical universe that I live in. I"ll post something here as soon as I can get the photos up and modified.
So all of the preparation, planning, logistics, and thrill of competing in the World Cups in all the venues that we’ve been to over the last month and a half have been…extraordinary. The Euros like that the underdog Americans have made an appearance. Justin and I have been interviewed by media at every event. It’s intimidating since none of the Americans have ever made much of a presence in Europe. I’ve learned so much in such a short period of time. New friends have been made, new connections with climbers from all over Europe and Asia have been established, and I had the opportunity to see many places and cultures that I have wanted to see since I was a kid. I have been encouraged and inspired by some of the world’s best mixed rock and ice climbers. The blood lines of experience from many of the original competitors have been passed down to the next generations of climbers that we are competing with. Markus Bendler learned to climb hard mixed lines and was trained by Harry Berger who I have also climbed with in Ouray, Colorado in past years. There’s less than 3 degrees of separation many times as this is a small community.
There is a lot of energy to get a World Competition in the United States. All of the competitors and UIAA Organizers have been very positive about the USA presence on this entire circuit. They feel that it makes for a more international competition. Furthermore, it validates their Olympic movement. There is a lot of energy being put into mixed climbing becoming a venue at the Winter Games. This may not happen in my lifetime of being a competitor, but perhaps I am contributing in some way to make this happen. Both Justin and I are interested in putting together a circuit of sorts in the USA. I have been told that I have two months to tell Urs (the Swiss coach representing the Ice Climbing Federation) if it might be possible to position a mock World Competition in the USA for next year. Although I am excited about the prospect to put an event on, I also realize the implications of taking on such a task from my experience with the Ouray Competitions in the past.
Therefore, I think it is prudent to call on anyone who thinks they have a possible venue, organizational structure in place, and the interest to consider hosting this type of event. I would be more than happy to have a lengthy discussion with those who would like to contribute. Justin and I have some great ideas, but we would need a lot of help to accomplish something of this magnitude.
An event like this in the USA means something different for every individual person. I can’t see anything bad about an event like this on a personal note and I have a laundry list of how it can be a good and positive thing not only for the general ice climbing community and those in the industry, but also for the USA.
We didn’t attend the competition for the finals. Rather, Malcolm drove Urs, Leight, Justin, and me 40km to the north on a mountainous, winding, and snow packed icy road to the north to visit the castle of Dracula. Yes, we learned all about the history and creation of Dracula on a cold, dark, blizzarding day in the Transylvanian Alps. The drab mid-century décor of the castle, along with the foreign feeling was good enough to have some Halloween-style fun. I couldn’t help but think about how many people had been killed with sharp tools in and around the Braun Castle, and now here we are to compete in an athletic event, having a different way to use our sharp tools, and nobody dies. What a concept!
I do know that when we got back and saw the finals, this is what Markus Bendler looked like as the 2010 overall Ice World Champion !!! This guy is a MACHINE I say...maybe he's a Terminator.
Back to Skiing!
Well, we’re in Romania and its puking snow. We competed in the UIAA Open European Championship – Romania. It was laden with Russians and they really wanted us to compete to “make it more interesting.” Ya, it was interesting all right. I missed my first round of climbing out of 5 chances and also got no practice or warm-up before having to climb. I pulled the picks right out of the ice with my Russian-made fifi ice axes on the first round. The second round went better since I made it to the top. I just wanted to get up the thing for a change without the ice breaking. Then, a Bulgarian put a ice tool through his thigh. He was bleeding and limping. There’s really nowhere for someone to get medical care here, but a family doctor was present at the ski are base and came over to take a look. She said to just leave it alone. I told the competitor that I would suture him up for free if he would like, and he agreed. I left the competition and took him into the Red Cross aid room where I was able to break out my medical kit, do a proper job stitching his leg back together, and returning him to the event.
Fortunately, I didn’t miss my turn, so I got a chance to climb again and this time I reached the top. Sweet! Only more than half as fast as the Russians, but I made it. It’s all I can do to get up the climbs without gacking myself in the legs or piffing myself with a crampon tip. I blame my weight pulling the ice apart, but I’m sure it’s my technique that holds me back. I just don’t have a lot of interest in speed climbing because it’s just a side show to the main circus event for me, the difficulty competition, and a way to have some fun. I don’t take it seriously enough to be a real competitor, yet I’ve scored higher in speed climbing than I have in difficulty. What’s up with that?
After today we’re hitting the slopes on our way back to Bucharest. With all the snow that is falling over the last two days it might be possible that there could be some good skiing available. There’s some quite steep terrain around, up to 60°, or so we’ve heard. There’s not much in the way of rentals here. They have no telemark equipment anywhere, so Leigh will have to learn how to turn with her heels locked down. There’s no touring equipment available for rent either so I guess we’re not heading out to the back country.
I'm ready for some green chili chicken enchiladas!
So it finally happens. One of the Russians that I was trying to talk to in Saas-Fee opened up and started talking to me more in Rabenstein. He clammed up in Switzerland after I wasted him in a foosball game during an athlete meeting, called me "professional", and walked away. But he came around again in Rabenstein and has been working on communications again. In fact, Alexi is a very nice guy and is quite fluent in English, although not so much after a long day and in the evening. That’s when he starts teaching me Russian. He’s also kind of a Patrick Swazey knock-off, especially at first glance.
Beyond that, he’s also helping Justin and me with our climbing techniques. The World Cup "Ice Competition" is definitely more about circus tricks than actual ice climbing. He’s been standing on the podium periodically in the World Competition circuit over the years and was taught how to climb by his father at the age of 4. He started to compete at about the age of 16 and has been in the circuit ever since. Luda, his girlfriend is also as impressive as a climber and her English is the best of all 16 Russians. She is also very nice and helpful and has opened up to us as well by using her fluency in English. We climbed with them for two days after the competition.
In Rabenstein the Americans and the Russians stayed in the same hotel. Most of the Russians that have talked to us to this point have only used communication for a means of obtaining information. These two have made a concerted effort on their part and we wound up spending a lot of time with them climbing as well as hanging around the hotel and sharing stories, music, and jokes.
Climbing in Rabenstein after everyone had left was a boon for Justin and I. We were able to get more time on the climbing structure there than anywhere else, getting us precious contact time with the climbing medium as well as a good workout, things we have not been able to do since we are on the road all the time and are without a home base. 45 degree over hanging terrain on sparse holds that demand good body mechanics, technique, and power is exactly what the Physician Assistant ordered. The men’s and women’s finals routes were still up and so that what a mix of Slovenians, Russians, and Americans climbed together. I brought Justin’s speakers and iPod to make things a bit more exciting. The Tomalov brothers and Luda definitely produced by skipping holds on the routes haphazardly and seeing what they could do and how far they could go between holds.
Leigh got to do some ice climbing on the sometimes more than vertical ice on two of the towers. One of the routes was out speed competition route. Justin ran a few laps on the ice as well. I did the men’s semi finals route, the women’s finals route (with one cold hang to rewarm my hands) and got it on the second try on the first day (and straight away on the second day), and then tried to roll up the men’s final route, only to break the fourth hold. So, we called it a day, packed up our stuff and hiked the 2km and 300m elevation back up to our awesome accommodations.
This is the Tyrol region and there are many cables crossing the valley that transport milk, hay, and supplies to and from the ranch houses high above. The cows are free to roam in the summer, but are kept inside large barns that look like houses in the cold months. A small dairy next door to us has workers busy in the wee hours to have the milk out to Merano by 06:30 every day, snow or shine.
I’ll be sad that we have to leave this beautiful place. Although we do not have much contact with the outside world from our location of lodging, I could see how I could become entranced with this place and not ever leave. It’s a mini utopia. Having looked at the map and know that the vast mountains to the north would be a lifetime of exploring, skiing, and climbing, it's a tempting thought to just keep going. We are also very close to larger towns and accommodations, so it’s not that far out there, but it’s far enough. The Dolomites are nearby, but we aren't alpinists this trip.
Meanwhile, Justin, Leigh, and myself continue to have the conversation of “are we going to Romania or not.” Options abound for us in other known locations and we have to be cautious once there of pick-pockets, thieves, rip-off artists, etc., so we aren’t thrilled at the prospect of going. However, this is a climbing trip first and a ski trip second, then whatever after that. I know that I want to finish what I started, a tour of the World Mixed Ice Climbing Competition circuit. I would like to do my best this year at getting experience and then making a game plan to come back and do better. This is the ultimate personal goal in my life, so it’s time to make it happen. Being able to share this experience with Justin since we were training last fall has amplified the experience for me as well. Having a good committed climbing partner who is capable and easy to get along with is difficult to find. Being on the road with someone day in and day out and being as good a team as we have been is rare.
I’m really excited that he shares the same fervor for the sport. He will certainly have a different experience than I have had, but he is the next generation in the sport and has a ton of potential. Imagine, I trained him to climb mixed rock and ice at our local crag and then in less than 4 months went to Bozeman, Montana with me for his first ice competition. We took third as a team in our division. Now, he’s got the huevos to train hard and become a world competitor. Awesome.
1/23/2010 26 y/o male c/o finger laceration secondary to a speed ice climbing competition event: The patient was able to rip the protective leather finger off the third digit of the glove and still create a full thickness laceration. The finger of the glove was still on the ice pick what the subject was lowered to the ground. Mild hemorrhage was immediately controlled by the patient and then myself since I was present and witnessed the event (have it on video). The patient was prepped and draped in a non-sterile fashion in a Swiss climbing bar with a dirt floor in Saas-Fee only 20 paces from the ice climbing event. No local anesthesia was used, but the patient enjoyed general anesthesia effect from the multiple alcoholic beverages that were given him by the locals who insisted he partake in the festivities at the time of being provided acute medical care. The patient was taken to a Red Bull table in the bar where the best light was. Hemostatis was achieved by using a finger tourniquet. Irrigation of the would using the tap water out of my Camelback in my Avalung backpack was the only water available. Power irrigation was achieved using a 10cc spring loaded syringe and 18ga angiocather from my trauma kit in my backpack. My First Assist, Malcolm Kent (another athlete) was able to maintain control of the water supply. The 1cm x 0.5 cm 90 degree angular full thickness laceration to the 3rd digit on the medial side of the right hand is located between the DID and PIP. Exploration showed no deeper structure involvement and the patient had good motor and sensory distally. No tendinous involvement.
Multiple photographs from by-standers were being taken but the flashes did not interrupt or hinder care. Red Bull and Vodka and Rum and Coke drinks had to be removed from the table several times throughout the procedure. No gloves were able to be used and no drapes were available. So, I used sterile 4x4 gauze as a drape and sprayed my fingers down with the water irrigation solution. 5.0 Prolene was used to place three interrupted sutures and close the wound. The tourniquet was released and a sterile bandage was placed over the wound site. The last suture was difficult to place since the bar lowered the lights and the band started to play rock and roll with the speakers being right next to the table. No splint was available besides bar straws, so I just advised the patient to try and keep the finger straight and refrain from flexing. The crowd cheered when we were finished and the Americans stayed at the party. I will be following the patient since he is my roommate and I’ll be skiing with him for the next 3 days and ice climbing with him for the next two weeks at the World Competition circuit throughout Europe. I will make sure that the stitches stay in longer if he is placing more force on them than necessary while ice climbing/skiing.
1/26/2010 Day three after the incident, the patient shows me his wound and it appears to be weeping with subsequent sticking to the bandage. I placed a small amount of Neosporin ointment near the wound and re-bandaged with an American Flex-fabric Band-Aid. The wound looks good and there’s no sign of infection. Will consider taking out the stitches after the Rabenstien Ice Fight competition in northern Italy.
World Mixed Ice Climbing Competition number THREE !
The Saas-Fee Ice climbing competition is a stupendous even that I was glad to be a part of. The difficulty competition was a great event and well organized while being in one of the most high-energy areas I’ve ever seen. I felt really good in the isolation booth and got a good warm-up. There’s a lot of anxiety in there with all the athletes trying to get good head space. Some stayed out of the heated booth, some had headphones, some slept, and others sat or paced around, pretty much par for the course. A doctor doing some research by polling the athletes was the only other point of note. The only issue I had was that the media, wherever they were from, were so intrusive that they were pushing me out of the way to get video coverage of either Markus Bendler or some other well known local athlete. The cameraman was pushing me out of the way when we went to the preview the qualification route. I was still pretty nervous before going to compete, but I knew that I would feel better once I tied into the rope and got going. It’s good to get some competition experience in a short period of time, and that’s what I was after on this trip. Ya, I’m and “old guy” at 39, but it’s been something on my tick list for years, finally making the dream come true. Putting on my boots was painful as I had blisters on my heels from the ski tour to Zermatt with the rental boots. I waddled out into the Ice Dome and took a look at the route. I couldn’t wait to get onto the ice so that I could relieve the pressure from my heels. There were two qualification routes and half the men athletes were assigned to mine. I also knew that for me to make the Semi-Finals round would be a tall order since I had a stacked field of heavy hitters. It was going to be a push, but the climbing looked fun and doable. The whole thing was son live video internet stream, so lots of friends and family were able to watch if they were up early or cared. The first steps up the ice were easy and then the transition to an overhanging ice feature. I was able to cruise the figure 4’s and 9’s to gain a hold. I heel-hooked and did a mantle move to a no-hands rest. Later, Yevgenny Kryvosheytsev, a champion ice climber, told me that he was impressed with that move since I have a different climbing style, more like an alpinist, not a sport climber. The next holds were rock holds bolted onto a slightly overhanging wood structure that I was able to cruise through to gain another ice feature. The pump start coming to my arms but I knew I had to keep moving. I wasted some time at the no-hands rest taking a break and knew that I would need to move faster later. It was later and now was the time to just keep going. I made two more clips and then went into a series of futile fig 4’s and 9’s while trying to shake the pump out, but to no avail. I needed someone to chop off one of my legs so I wouldn’t weigh 92 kg anymore. My hands greased off from my tool that I left hanging in the ice. I turned around to face the crowd and had a monster smile plastered on my face. Blank stares from the people watching told me that they definitely weren’t experiencing what I was. To them it was just another disappointment that another athlete didn’t reach to top or do something spectacular. Moving fast is a requisite, not an option. Although I felt like this was my best performance thus far, I know that I have a long way to go before I can be a true contender, and I’m a pretty good climber back State-side, on-sighting M10, but Europe grows climbers on trees. They expose the youth to climbing and there’s full-on ice climbing camps and competitions available from the time the kids are 8 years of age, and they come out in groves. Climbing in any form is part of the fabric of the society, and is not considered outlandish or extreme like it is back home. The Russians train at a facility for mixed climbing as well as train for speed climbing. But they also have a coach and funding available, whereas, Americans (as well as some of the Europeans) are self sufficient. Sponsors help, but the amount of funding is limited, especially in the present economic environment. My vision is only that, my vision. It is something that I would love to see happen. Anyway, I didn’t make the Semi-Finals, nor did any of the North Americans, and close doesn’t count. The speed competition was a horrific experience in trying to shove my blistered feet back into my fruit boots. I’m so tired of getting blistered feet. Each step up the ice made back of my heels rub more against the raw skin that was already peeled down to the dermal layer, weeping and bleeding through the socks. Getting ready at the starting gate I tried to focus on the climbing and forget about the pulsing pains shooting up the back of my feet with each step. No complaining, I told myself…time to harden up! My axes continually caught or pulled through the ice and my first time was very slow. I was glad I stayed on the ice and didn’t fall off. Staying on the ice and not getting hurt is half the battle. The other half is to move fast and efficiently. For my third time speed climbing ever I wasn’t expecting too much, but I wasn’t expecting to be like that. The second round went better since I was able to suck it up, but I nearly had to roll over to where my pack was to change my shoes when I got finished climbing. Even had I made the finals, I wouldn’t have been able to climb again, it was over. Justin Spain had a way different experience, both good and bad. The lad has a set of lungs and likely has a good VO2max and was able to make descent enough time to get him into the final round. We cheered him on with American vocality. Unfortunately, he fell off the shit pile of ice and gacked himself in the finger with a sharp speed climbing tool that took off the finger of the glove and was still sticking on the pick even after they lowered him to the ground. Seeing the piece of cloth on the pick I pretty much thought there was going to be blood, even if Justin didn’t know it yet since he would be pretty adrenalized. Sure enough, he had a good full thickness laceration that was going to need some prompt care. Fortunately, I brought a wound and suture kit along for just the occasion. We went to the bar that was an easy 20 steps away through the plastic door. This is the famous bar that boasts a climbing traverse across the ceiling. If you and get hurt it’s your own fault. The blood poured out his finger until I placed a tourniquet on it and I was able to inspect, irrigate, and suture the wound while Justin enjoyed some free drinks from the crowd that gathered and took photos of the procedure. The lights dimmed and the band got to playing as I finished up the final stitch. Then we gathered up the Brits and got on with the party after the finals finished. One thing I was sure to do was to tell all and any of the locals who were working the Ice Competition event was to say thanks for hosting the event. I know all too well from having worked for years at the Ouray, Colorado Ice Festival how much slave labor goes into putting something of this magnitude on. I think they appreciated the praise.
1/16/2010-1/17/2010 Competition day in Valle di Daone I went through the usual labors of getting up, but added clearing my respiratory tract from my recently acquired illness, a production to be sure. Breakfast was good and the skies were clear. My pack was light since I didn’t have to take much more than the essentials, harness, helmet, fruit boots (crampons), iPod, and a thermos. 77 men squeezed into the isolation room where there was two warm-up structures. The one inside was well fitted to doing regular climbing, but was also set up to do upside down stein pulls and long side pulls. It was spray painted with “WELCOME” in English! It was nice to know that we were putting the US flag firmly on all the UIAA competition venues this year, and we have been quite welcomed here in Valle di Daone in general. There is a lot of talk about this sport going Olympic. In fact, the opening ceremonies even had an Olympic-style fire, symbol and all. With the amount of international participation, it’s hard to believe that it would not be a good fit for the winter games. In fact, it would be one of the few excellent spectator sports. Perhaps someday it will make its way to the big time, but for now it’s big enough for me. It’s interesting to inside of a room full of enough nervous energy that one might be able to run a small town’s electrical needs from it. I was one of the last people to climb since that’s how the draw came down this time. It was the first time I had to wait until the end to climb and I was, in a way, happy to have the time to warm up properly and get focused. From previewing the route I could tell that the moves on my given line were long and powerful. So went through some of these moves on the isolation work board and felt pretty good about them. The passing hours and eventual decline in athletes in isolation left a bored few of us playing hacky sack with an empty Red Bull can. So although none of the six of us could speak a common language, we could all play the game together. Finally, I was called and I walked to the transition isolation shack behind the climbing structure. I went inside the small wooden storage shed and was locked in with two other athletes. I could not stand up inside but was able to sit down on a bench seat next to a small ceramic heater. Once I was called for the last time I was led through a tunnel and out to the climb. I took one last look at the climb. I was hesitant to even start. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t going to break some rule that I wasn’t used to, like a false start. It would be easy to be disqualified if you had one foot on the ground, both axes on the starting hold, and then moved and axe from the hold. I also was pretty damn nervous, but felt in control. I was also a bit worried since the belay was asking me how much I weighed. “90 kg” I told him. He was a bit unnerved as I guess I am the heaviest competitor in history. There’s not a lot of 200 pound competition ice climbers running around, most are below 80kg and usually closer to 70kg. “Ya, I have to haul it all up there” I told him, and I tied into the rope. I climbed very slowly and very tentatively, so much so as to a fault. I also realize now that I should be more aggressive kicking into the wood. This is something that I have never done before Kirov, and that experience was futile in -30°C. I reverted to tracking, a style of climbing using only the holds for my feet that I used for my hands, a very common American style of climbing. I got up past the third clip and my foot slipped off a hold while I was in a full bicep lock off upside down stein pull, leaving me lowering myself with a one arm decline. I immediately grabbed harder as the anxiety sky rocketed, a wicked cycle that makes for a brutal pump in the forearms. I was 1/3 the way through the route and I just want to get higher and didn’t really care about my time. I was able to shake out my arms for a brief moment but had trouble with my gloves stacking up and essentially entrapping my hands on each other while trying to grab the tools. I could hear friends cheering for me and I pulled hard to the next hold. I placed the tool on the right side and could not see a hole to put the pick into, so I fished around for a second and then popped off as I lost power and hooked my tools together. There’s nothing like a good ass beating to realize how different the climbing style is here in Europe. The techniques and demanding mix of dynamic and static climbing are far beyond anything that we train for in the states. My only regret in not making it further in the competition is that I will not be able to climb more on these climbs to gain more experience. I know that it is up to me to come up with a better training regimen if I am going to come back and be a serious competitor in this venue. The speed climbing competition was held on a large snow mound that they had trickled water down on to try to make an ice surface for climbing. It seemed like a good idea, but many of the ice hold pulled out during competition, breaking off large faces of the frozen façade. One of the guys from the Netherlands ripped through the ice with a tool and lacerated the medial aspect of his forearm. Some thought that he might have actually broken his arm at first, but it was just a small laceration that the local medical authorities decided that he needed to go by ambulance to a hospital far away to get stitched up. I offered to stitch him up back at the hotel room, but he was already involved in the drama, so they took him away. Justin Spain and I both had a great time and made it to the Semi-finals in the speed climbing competition. We beat some Russians, some of which are the fastest speed climbers on the planet, but we didn’t make it to the finals. Speed climbing is quite fun, but perhaps one of the most dangerous things we’ve done, besides taking a car up and down the Valle di Daone road. I am inclined to come back to Valle di Daone to compete again. I would be great to see more of the area climbing and skiing. Many UIAGM mountain guides run this event and are helpful with information. The competition routes are well set and a lot of work goes into them. I told the route setters “thank you.” I’m hoping to actually feel good for the next competition is Saas-Fee, Switzerland. In Kirov, I was sleep deprived, and in Daone I was sick with a respiratory infection. We’ll see. I’m still enjoying the journey and am learning a ton!
1/8/2010 A blank stare In Moscow we had to find our way to a train station. Since neither Justin nor I read or understand Russian, we were limited to form recognition of parts of works. So we would look at a Russian name and say it in English as best as we could. Even though we could kind of communicate with each other, all bets were off when we had to talk to someone else. The Russian language looks like the English and Greek alphabets were speeding in a car together down the autobahn and then were involved in a major trauma scene. We finally made it to our train station after working our way through the impressive metro system. We had no cell phones or any other means of communication, but we had a time and a place to meet our contact. Luckily, we looked like out of place American ice climbers and we were snatched up by Michelle, our guide to Kirov. All the athletes lined up to get on board once we were all assembled, and we were assigned a cabin. There were four of us to one cabin and we took all of our baggage in the room with us. Needless to say, there was no room to move. Our beds were small and cramped and we settled in for the 14 our train ride on the Train. The crew of about 15 athletes fell asleep fairly quickly as there was nowhere else to go, no commons area and no amenities otherwise. I have not slept well since arriving in Russia and the train trip didn’t help. I was up 4 times as it was intriguing to see the train stations at the stops we made as well as looking at the bleak countryside light by moonlight. Once I’m awake, I have a hard time going to sleep. My mind wanders and with all the excitement going to the World Competition, my nerves are a bit fried. I wake up in the morning more tired than when I went to sleep. The jet lag has taken a severe toll. We hopped on a bus that took us to the hotel. Some athletes look as bad as I feel and some are asleep in their seat as soon as they sit down. Arriving at the hotel, we are given rooms and have to report back within the hour to register for the climbing competition. All the foreign athletes are in a small room upstairs in the hotel when 20-30 Russian athletes arrive and register. Most of them are teenagers. The rules are explained in several languages and there is some confusion with interpretation. A short walk from the hotel brings us to a large tower, a ski jump tower to be exact. Underneath is our climbing venue. We are ushered to the isolation building that is an old building with no heat. The temperature outside is minus 29°C. Ice becomes brittle at minus five. The “warm-up area” is a timber post and lintel system inside the hallway. Competitors swing wildly past each other on the monkey bar structure in hopes of getting some kind of warm-up. I’m leaning up against the wall and as I look down, the whole room shakes, as if a bomb went off outside. I looked at Justin to see if he felt it, but his face tells me that I am the only one feeling it. I realize that I am in trouble. The jet lag, travel, and excitement have taken their toll. I now know that I am punch-drunk tired and I am not ready to compete. My heart drops into the pit of my stomach. I get more nervous since I know that I am in a weakened state and am not strong enough to even get a good warm-up session in before heading out to take my turn at on-sighting a climbing route in this competition. It’s over before it’s begun and the room continues to shake intermittently. I almost can’t stand up without losing my balance. Trying to get a warm-up on the flexing timbers, my muscles are at about 60-70% capacity. My name is called out in Russian and I am taken to the venue. They tied my knot and I am looking at the route. I laugh out loud and look around and know that I only want to lay down right there and go to sleep. It’s crazy to think that, after all the training and effort to be afforded a chance to be where I am, that I cannot even climb. I am trying not to internalize the shameful feeling that somehow I screwed up to be in this poor of shape. They prod me to climb, so I get on the wall and start. Both axes on the starting hold and I begin to move across the traversing opening moves. The third move goes to overhanging terrain and the weight of my body feels like a ton of bricks. The cold penetrates past the skin and my arms feel like lead. I try to kick into the boards, but my crampons bounce off. I let go and drop to the ground. We are allowed a second try, so I get back on thinking that somehow I might get a better flow to the climb and that by some miracle that I will be able to get moving upwards. The second round I get a twinkle of power, but only briefly. I do some figure 4’s and figure 9’s and get through the same moves and one more. Then, the high feet come in pulling the overhang to a very long stretch to the next hold. This is my main weakness in climbing since short people have an easier time crunching up and bringing their legs up to move past the overhang and I am not a short build. I’m too cold, too tired, and I can’t think. I look at the hold and I now see two of them. Double vision isn’t what I needed. I simply let go and I’m done with my first World Competition climbing event. I’m completely embarrassed. I feel I’ve disgraced everyone, including the route setter, friends, family, and sponsors. I just want to puke. As cold and miserable as it was, I stayed around to watch Justin climb. Justin, unfortunately, did as poorly, but was also the victim of either the language barrier or unfair judging since they called him “outside the boundaries” on his second attempt at the second hold. They counted his highest point however, so we tied for 33rd place out of 38. The route was too hard right off the deck since we weren’t the only ones who suffered as bad. Nearly 1/3 of the climbers has fallen there and never even made it past the first clip. In fact, nobody even finished the climb, not even the world’s best climbers could not finish it. As a result, there is a complaint to be filed by the judges to the overseeing body of route setters. I’m not sure how any of that will work out in the future, but it was a rough start for the newcomers from the USA. I wasn’t really phased by the ordeal since I couldn’t expect that I knew that I was pretty much doing well just to make the appearance and to expect much more would be unfair. Justin was upset for a while but he got over it quickly after I told him how I did and reassured him that this was only the first of a long series of competitions this month. We weren’t in Ouray where we only had one shot for the whole year. We were on the World Competition circuit and would have at least three more opportunities to tie in. The rest of the evening was spent socializing and meeting some of the people involved in organizing the competition as well as some of the other English speaking athletes. The following day we were able to go to the Kirov indoor rock climbing gym where all of the local people climb and train. I was shocked to find out that this was the only place that many of the Russians have ever climbed using their ice tools. So, they are familiar with all of the climbing holds used in this competition in Kirov, whereas we were learning on-sight, meaning that we had never seen the holds or were able to hang off of them. This is a clear hometown advantage. I would have liked to of climbed in this gym at least once before getting on the route. The locals make all their own holds out of 1 part polyester and 3 parts sand, but wouldn’t share an exact recipe, all interesting and good information for me or anyone else who might compete here in the future. Anyway, we all got a good session of climbing in under more hospitable conditions. It felt good to move and I got into bett humor quickly. We dressed up for the speed climbing competition in the early evening. The sun had set hours ago and the ice climbing wall was lit up with bright lights and a disco ball with music trying to pump a good vibe through high winds and blowing snow. I had never competed in a speed climbing competition before, although I had set a few of the lines in Ouray several years ago when they used to have speed climbing competitions. Dennis Van Hoak lent my his speed climbing tools and I gave it a go with a couple of warm-up tries. I as moving well enough and thought I might have some fun. Indeed, I had a load of fun in the competition round. I climbed well all the way up and nearly hit the buzzer at the top when I pulled out a chunk of ice that sent my flying, leading to my disqualification. I would have made the next round had I stayed on, but it was not to me. Dennis was really upset since he fell off only three moves up the ice. Having taken 2nd in a World Cup speed climbing competition, he was a bit disturbed. I gave him some good words that it wasn’t his fault and that he still has more competitions. It seems like a nice way of coping with failure when we look ahead at the next round. It sooths our emotions somehow and is like a little sugar after having swallowed a heap of bitter. More socializing and hanging out watching others climb in the semi-finals and finals competitions for the remainder of the stay in Kirov. There’s really no nightlife for foreigners that we knew about, especially with the language barrier. The finals route ended as expected. The girls all failed at the ice since they have never thrown their ice axes into virgin ice. The men finished as expected with Markus Bendler finishing first. Harold Klammer from Italy might have been closer to the podium, but he dropped an ice tool and was not allowed to continue. Russians finished out the top remaining slots. We were still on the clock since we still had to pack, eat dinner, and catch a bus to the train station all within an hour. We got on a train the took us about half way back to Moscow and we went into the bar and had a good time with al the athletes and some of the local folks. Unfortunately, we had to be dropped off at the half way city for some strange reason. Likely it was an error on the organizers part. This set us laying on the terminal floor for four hours until the next train came through to pick us up for the remainder of the trip. At least on the second leg we were able to get a bedded cabin and catch some sleep, although I didn’t sleep much. Go figure. Time to start changing something.
As a Mountain Guide, I take people into the mountains to attain a goal who are in the same shoes and have the same excitement that I have for this trip to Europe for the 2010 UIAA International World Mixed Rock and Ice climbing Competition. For some, climbing a 14er in Colorado might be a life-long goal. This competition is extraordinary for me and is one of my life-long goals to participate in.
To date myself, I learned how to climb ice with a mountain axe (not a technical ice climbing axe) and when it wasn’t fashionable to fall. Since then, I have chosen to climb on ice axes without leashes, following a more progressive path, and even learned to love the heel spur, an additional crampon that allowed the climber to alleviate some of stress of hanging on by transferring weight to their legs. The spur allowed some to achieve climbing at a level that was previously thought impossible. The use of spurs also allowed for a more enthralling visual experience for spectators. Then, some people took the spur off and went on to climb hard routes “bareback” or “spur-less.” Now, the spur is not allowed in competition, a shame since the evolution of climbing should be embraced and not clipped like the birds of a feather condemned to not experience their full potential. Climbers are presently forced into contrived series of climbing moves in competition routes using “figure 4s” and “figure 9s.” If you can’t do these moves, then it’s going to be a show-stopper. Perhaps the reader can feel my sentiment as a bold statement, but I believe that part of the reason that many people get into climbing is to be able to express their own style and technique. It appears that conformity is etching its place here as it has across the remainder of the climbing culture, a pity.
The opposite is true in Ouray, CO, where I’ve had the great privilege of competing for the last three years. There, the competition routes have been set in a more traditional/alpine style that are more based on the skill of finding a hold on cryptic rodentie and progressing in a generally vertical, straight-up fashion. Sometimes, the competition route is covered with verglass, a thin ice layer that usually never holds my weight of about 200 pounds (90kg). So, I’ve set my sights on climbing in a competition that I know where the holds are and I’m not worried about them breaking. The IWC climbs are standardized so that every climber has an equal opportunity to climb a route that will be generally the same throughout the competition, so there is no advantages to going last, per say.
Although I have grown up climbing on ice, and I call myself an “ice climber,” I spend less than 10% of my ice climbing time actually on waterfall ice. I spent several years learning how to climb bigger and more intimidating ice climbs in the Canadian Rockies. When I was going through Physician Assistant School, I was fortunate enough to land a family practice rotation in Ridgway, CO and I spent most of my time off doing night solos of all the climbs in the area, including Ames, Bridalveil, as well as the Ouray and Silverton area climbs. Dragging a rope behind me, I found it easier to climb at night and by headlamp without any pressures from other parties, the main objective hazard in ice climbing.
Taking the flight from Albuquerque to Chicago Midway, then on to Dulles Washington was an easy first leg. The awakening that I was going to Russia became apparent once checking in at Dulles. Having traveled a fair amount, I never ceases to amaze me how large the discrepancies are between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” At home, I consider myself always bordering on the “have-not” side, but compared to the rest of the world, I have more than most. People see how I get by on meager earnings and ask me “how can you do it?” “Everyone has a different reality” I tell them.Mostly, I am happy be alive and be able to experience the places, people, and events that have shaped me into who I am. Today I am a competition ice climber headed for the World Cup in a foreign, and in the past, a hostile land.
My father and my grandfather were not able to go to Russia, and there may be a possibility that Russia may not welcome Americans once again with the resurgence of communism under Putin’s rule. I wonder how we will be seen in the Russian’s eyes once we are on their turf, the largest geographical, and still a political powerhouse, country in the world. Will it be different in Moscow than Kirov? What about general safety? So many people have been afraid of the perceived low level of safety and stability of the country. I can definitely feel the distance between the cultures just in getting on the plane, but I’m looking forward to dispelling the mystery and making friends and establishing relationships that could possibly tie our countries closer. I wonder if the language barrier will be as limiting as I predict.
Training Blues
Last week was a heavy hitter on the training side and I’m still feeling the effects. It’s now been three days off from climbing and I’m itching to get back into getting some hang time on the ice tools. I know, however, that I can’t afford to push it too hard this close before a difficulty competition. I know my body after several years of ice climbing competition how I need to do things. Everyone beats to a different drum and has a different training regimen. In training with other people it becomes necessary to help each other out since none of the ice climbers I know in the USA have a climbing coach. We are all self-sustaining on all fronts and so we lean on each other to train and climb with. People who don’t climb hard routes find it difficult to understand our “selfish and non-recreational style.”
Timy Fairfied has been as close a coach for me as I could possibly have. He has participated in International World Climbing Competitions and he has the heart and soul of a competitor. He has taught me how to climb better for sure, but has also been able to forge my minds perceptions into strong positive beliefs that allow for completion and success. He still continues to inspire and coach young adults and helps good climbers become even better. Timy has also inspired me to travel and test my mettle outside of my comfort zone. I’ll always carry a little bit of Timy with me, especially on trips like this. I once went with him and Brandi Proffitt to China to set a UIAA competition for the Asia X-Games, so this competition won’t be too shocking, but this time I am a competitor, a bit nervous and excited.
This is a journey that I dreamed of after completing my first Ouray competition in 2007. I brought up going to Europe to compete in this circuit to many people, but nobody was interested and thought it was not worth going. I remember watching another of my inspirations, Will Gadd, appear at the IWC in climbing magazines and even as a cameo in Petzl’s CD movie, “Picth Sorbet.” From there, I become enthralled with the possibility of making my own reality.
Climbing is an interesting activity. Some people take climbing as a loose recreational hobby, especially since the advent of climbing gyms and the high relative safety that accompanies that theater. Another theater has introduced more people into Ice climbing than any other in the world, the Ouray Ice Park. It also has a high safety margin when compared to the way I learned how to climb ice. Now, I train those who are willing and ready, how to climb hard on rock, sometimes even before they have ever tried to climb on ice. This makes for a physically strong climber, albeit, not a strong alpine awareness. The evolution of climbing and its techniques are never-ending. Perhaps tomorrow’s clever climbers will come up with something new and revolutionary.
So, my training has taken the mandatory abrupt turn and instead of working on cryptic alpine-style routes that are also somewhat physically demanding, I have had to work on my power and confidence on the “euro-style” of mixed climbing in order to even think I could show up and sign in for this competition. To the lay person, climbing in one style generally looks like climbing in any other form. However, I can attest that this is far from the truth.
The climbers from Europe are very strong, driven, motivated, and supported by their country and sponsors. I have worked diligently for three years to seek sponsorship in the United States. My efforts have been fraught dead-ends during a hash economy. The USA Olympic Training Committee was completely unsupportive, but it’s understandable, since mixed rock and ice climbing is not an Olympic sport. Having said that, I was extremely fortunate to be picked up as an Ice Holdz team member and received modest financial support. This was the fuel I needed to continue looking for sponsorship and PMI Rope came through with a little more money, enough to cover my rail travel throughout Europe! I was elated. Huge thanks to those two entities. I hope that anyone reading this will support them.
Running track based on my personal VO2 max, climbing days, rest days, eating “right”, not drinking alcohol (as much) and not traveling so much, all spells disaster for personal relationships. I thought that my eating was in check last year when I was counting calories, but I obviously was mistaken when I developed a myeloproliferative syndrome, a condition where my white blood cells were generated, but didn’t turn into full-grown cells. In addition, I had anemia, which contributed to a fairly major fatigue problem. Falling asleep in the middle of the day on a whim isn’t good. I started to eat more and somewhat indiscriminately and became better, I realize that eating is more important than I gave credence.
1/4/2010
Got up yesterday morning and drank some fairly expensive coffee downstairs in the hotel. I worked on my research project for about 2 hours and then checked in with the hotel to see if we could stay for another day since we were told that we did not have a room the day before. Luckily, we got a room. That freed us up for a large chunk of time that we were able to devote to running around greater Moscow unbridled.
We took the swanky Metro to the town center and tried to get into the Armory, Unfortunately, they didn’t allow our Avalung backpacks in, or maybe we had too much of a tan, but we as soon as we got through the metal detector check point, they kicked us out.
So, we ran around Red Square at -22°C and checked out some cool architecture at St. Gabrial’s’ Cathedral. We strolled through the vendors, all of which sold the same trinkets. I bought a couple CCCP t-shirts and we rallied to a rock gym that Justin had found on the internet. Justin’s really good at sniffing stuff like that out with today’s technology, something that most people here are completely oblivious to.
We took a metro to as close as possible and then hiked a km or so to get to what seemed to be an educational compound of sorts. We made our way up to the 4th floor with the help of two Moscovite girls who spoke the best English we’ve encountered so far. They were able to get us into the gym saying that “we were with them”. We paid our $150 rub and got to climb on their wall that was located in a quite large structure that included a full gymnastics floor, a superimposed track, and tennis courts. The wall was about 150m long and had a good selection of bouldering and tope rope and lead climbing. They desperately need rope. I would have left mine, but we need it for the remainder of the trip. I showed then some IceHoldz and they were a bit perplexed. I left some literature with them about indoor ice climbing and they seemed put out that I would give them information. Perhaps it’s because they can’t use the information or there’s just no way could they ever afford doing this activity since they are limited by their government in what expenses can be covered. The ropes were so bad that when I went to tie in, the rope end felt like a bag of worms since so many people have fallen on the first 8m of it. Justin took up that first 8m, coiled and clipped it to his harness, tied in short, and got stares from the manager of the gym I don’t think the manager understood our thought process. Our though process was, “don’t fall.”
The youth seems to be a lot more accepting and outgoing. Once people here get to be about low to mid 20’s, they seem to have a stern affect. There’s not much smiling, joking, or laughing in any venue. Moscow, in general, is a very quiet and a very clean city. There is no trash anywhere, period. There is also no advertising signs or billboards cluttering the viewscape, that being what it is. Busses and trains run constantly in every direction on overhead electrical power lines, reminiscent of the 1920-30s in the United States. They are quiet and don’t spew CO.
The architecture is by and large rigid, geometrically square, and functional for the time being. I seriously doubt that many of the homes and apartment complexes will be able to be refurbished and brought up to modern day standards easily. My fear for Moscow is that a small earthquake could be absolutely devastating. Justin walks around shaking his head at all the fire hazards he sees. It’s amazing that the amount of public responsibility is at such a high standard and that is what enables this city to not have large disasters. The United States seems to have way more events that could carry a larger threat should it occur in Moscow.
It’s been good to get here early and have a chance to get over the jet lag. We are about 13 hours opposite from home, and the change is a bit grueling, especially at this high latitude. I’m reading my textbook for advanced environmental exercise physiology and the only research that shows helping out with jet lag is Bright Light Exposure (BLE) and melatonin. I have neither. I do have Ambien (works well) and loads of alcohol (blahhh). So spending some days here in advance is a good thing.
Americans stick out like a blinking strobe light here. We are wearing standard clothes for the States, but the Moscovites wear lots of fur or black, brown, and dark drab colors. It’s not my style at all, so I was considering buying a large fezz (or whatever the furry hats are)…ya, right.
On another note, the last time that a UIAA Ice International World Competition was held in Russia was also in Kirov. Will Gadd was the last North American to compete in this competition here, and it was at the time when the revolutionary transition to leashless tools and spurs made an explosive appearance on the ice climbing scene and the front cover of climbing magazines. It was a pivotal point in ice climbing history.
Anyone who saw the route knows it was a tough year. Anyone who was on it, knows it was impossible. Someone asked me what the route was rated. I replied M20 since nobody sent it. Granted, it’s doable, but not on competition day and not in the conditions it was in. Overhanging verglass ice made for an improbable ascent. Brutally cold temps at night (10F during the comp) contributed to sublimated detachment and brittle ice on the competition route. Most competitors fell within a few feet of one another ( a couple of bolts apart). The route may be doable on a better day when a climber can reef on the holds, but not this day.
Speaking for my own performance on the route, I felt that I did a poor job of reading the route. Being 6’4” with a +2” index and strong lock-off ability did me no favors in trying to over pull through the opening moves to save time. My second placement hit ice and I felt secure. However, when I looked down at the placement, I could see the ice spalling from under the pick. Needless to say, that placement popped and I was off. Embarrassed and disgusted I was lowered off and wished Stephen Koch good luck and not to take anything for granted. 14th place this year wasn’t what I set my goals on, and I didn’t represent what I’m capable of.
Beyond the agony of self defeat, I was amazed at the amount of people that showed up to cheer and jeer me on. Jason Williams, Justin Spain and Ben Goddard were instrumental in helping me train hard this year and they were letting me know they were in the stands. Thanks guys. The Shooks made the journey and got some ice climbing in as well. Nic and Rose Mary came, bought me dinner after cheering me on, and enjoyed shopping at OMS shortly thereafter. Chrissie brought Logan and Sierra to watch “dad” climb not only mixed rock and ice for the first time, but also to be a part of the Ice Fest in Ouray. All my friends and climbing family from Ouray and elsewhere were having a great time and being a part of a great memory that will last forever. I feel so fortunate to have such great support from these people.
What can I say but, THANKS !
I’d like to publicly thank Chuck O’Dette and Petzl for sponsoring me and having me be a part of an elite team of world renown climbers. It’s a great crew that shows up every year and gets people from all ability levels involved in ice climbing and then throws an incredible party after the competition. PMI has been another great sponsor. Their ropes have kept me alive for many, many years whether pushing my personal limits in climbing or doing rescues in the middle of the night. Their Tech gloves have been great to climb mixed rock and ice with.
On another note, I was happy to coach several people this season so far in the contrivances of mixed climbing. I hope to bring more people into the sport and am thinking about holding a clinic on hard mixed climbing techniques next year. Seems I’m a good coach/cheerleader.
I’d also like to thank Vince Anderson who put so much time and effort putting up this year’s route, Erin and Mel who ran the Fest, Bill Whit who ran the comp, Conrad Anker who MC’d the Comp and took my information at breakfast in the wee hours before the start at the athlete’s breakfast, and everyone who played a role in making the Ice Fest and the Ice Competition happen not only for the competitors, but everyone who enjoys climbing in Ouray.
Having been in the only International Climbing Competition in the USA on an annual basis, I have to say that it’s a great experience. It’s now my third, going on my fourth season in competition and it’s a great experience. My personal goal is to be in next year’s competition and be able to give it everything, to have a good run, and to make the finish or to be gassed out trying, but not to fall off of a chincy hold.
I told Jay Smith at lunch the other day that my heroes are also my friends, there’s not many sports out there like that. I hope to compete again next year and hope to see everyone out there pushing themselves and living life !
