A Little Extra Spice: Stories from the World of Competition Ice Climbing

Catalina Shirley Climbing in Ouray. PC: AAC Member Nicholas Moline

By: Sierra McGivney

Ice cascades into the Uncompahgre Gorge, creating an ice climber's paradise. With more than 150 manmade ice and mixed climbs across almost 2 miles of terrain, Ouray Ice Park is an ice climbing playground, and the Ouray Ice Festival is the ultimate celebration of that. This year, the ice fest kicked off on Thursday, January 18, with a Barbie pool party and lasted through the weekend. Pros and ice climbing connoisseurs taught clinics, pushed grades, and had fun, but Ouray is also often the first and only time rock climbers try ice climbing. All types of clinics are offered, demo gear is included in an all-access pass, and volunteers belay at the walk-up wall, making the Ouray Ice Festival an accessible entrance to the sport. 

That's precisely how Ian Umstead, now a USA Ice Climbing Team athlete, tried ice climbing for the first time two years ago. He originally wasn't sold on ice climbing. He had fun but thought it was sketchy. But something clicked when a friend invited him to go dry tool at a local crag in March 2023. 

"It's like sport climbing with a little extra spice," said Umstead. 

Ian Umstead Climbing in Korea. PC: Provided by the UIAA

Umstead is primarily a sport climber, so he had strength built up from sport climbing that translated into dry tooling. A couple of athletes on the Ice Team encouraged him to try out for the team even though he had only been dry tooling for three months. Umstead was surprised they suggested it but thought: If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. So, he put off his sport project and trained on tools for eight weeks. Then, he went to tryouts and made the team. He was stoked. Umstead returned to training for his sport project, and after five weeks, he sent his first 5.14. Umstead has a semi-professional bike racing background, so he eats and breathes training and competing. 

"I'm a projecter's projecter," said Umstead. 

He picks challenging projects, trains, and tries hard. Drytooling fulfills that, adding an element of goofiness. The movements feel silly and fun and keep Umstead engaged. 

Umstead is one of many athletes who started in Ouray. Connor Bailey first tried ice climbing in Ouray at eight years old. He remembers his crampons falling off because his boots were too small, but he liked it. Scratch Pad, a dry tooling gym in Salt Lake City, contacted his climbing team and asked if anyone wanted to try out for the youth ice climbing team. He and one of his friends, Landors Gaydosh, decided to check it out.

 "I thought it was going to be just ice climbing," said Bailey. "I was pretty excited. I went in there and saw all the different holds and was like—huh?"

Left to right USA Ice Team Athlete’s Connor Bailey, Tyler Kempney, Mathius Olsen. PC: Provided by Stephanie Olsen.

The holds and movements were similar enough to rock climbing that Bailey found success. Initially, the comps had no age requirements, so he could join the team and compete. Unfortunately, this past year, the youth age requirements changed, and Bailey, who is 12, falls below the youth age requirements. Thankfully, he could still compete in Ouray. 

Bailey sometimes questions why he chose this sport, especially when it's cold, but once he begins swinging his tools and warms up, he loves each movement.

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From the snow-covered bridge leading into the vendor village, the giant competition wall rises up from the gorge. Starting from the bottom of the gorge, competitiors climb on rock and ice, until they reach the artificial wall, where they begin placing their tools on holds made of various materials. The Ouray Ice Festival is a crucial competition for the USA Ice Climbing athletes as part of the UIAA Continental Cup Series. On the Saturday of the festival, commentators and spectators gather, and above the din of music playing, people cheer on the competitors in the finals. 

Catalina Shirley began her climbing career young—like most of us do—climbing trees and doorways, scaring the sh*t out of our parents. When Shirley began venturing to the roof of her parents' house, her mom drew the line and signed her up for summer camp. Shortly after, her family moved to Durango, Colorado, where she joined Marcus Garcia's team. Garcia was working on building out the USA Ice Climbing Youth team. Shirley began training and went on to compete in France the following year when she was fourteen. 

"I love the kinds of moves that you can do in ice climbing that you can't quite get in rock climbing—like the crazy floating underclings and gastons and, of course, figure fours and anything on swinging features," said Shirley. 

Shirley likes the thought required for every move and the freedom of movement in dry tooling. Climbers can put their feet anywhere, regardless of body size or strength. But in Ouray, the competition wall reminds Shirley of a puzzle, with only one right way to solve it. Part of that puzzle in the Ouray Finals was a dyno. Shirley set up for it, looking out at the crowd. Then she jumped and closed her eyes, landing slightly above the hold but sticking it. When she opened her eyes, everyone screamed, infusing her with energy. With one minute left on the clock, she went as fast as she could, letting the crowd's energy flow into her. She placed first in the women's lead competition. 

"I feel like I perform the best when I'm under a little bit of pressure," said Shirley. 

Catalina Shirley Climbing. PC: AAC Member Nicholas Moline

The weekend before, January 12 through 14, Shirley placed second in both lead and speed in Cheongsong, Korea. She is the first American to make the lead podium—man or woman. The competition setting is her style: long figure fours, roof climbing, and endurance-based; climbing fast is one of her strong suits. She got to the top of both qualifier routes. She was one of three women to do so, next to Marianna Van Der Steen and Woonseon Shin, both of whom Shirley had been watching since she was a kid. 

But in the Cheongsong finals, Shirley had fallen three moves from the top because she missed the dyno. Sticking the dyno in Ouray means that much more. She credits her team as a big reason why she made the podium. They provided support for her all weekend, from food to encouragement. Her team had her back.

"It really felt like the whole team's medal," said Shirley.  

Shirley believes there are four main challenges to competitive ice climbing: strength, problem-solving, fear of falling, and fear of failing. It's what keeps bringing her back. In "regular" life, rarely are all those elements compounded.

"Overcoming all of that is the best feeling in the world," said Shirley.  

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Sam Serra Climbing. PC: AAC Member Nicholas Moline

Each person on the USA Ice Climbing Team has their own story. 

Sam Serra attended an intro to ice climbing class hosted by the Ice Coop in August 2021. Tyler Kempney was teaching it and asked if anyone wanted to try dry tooling. Serra had a blast. 

"I went to get into ice climbing, but I feel like I really got into dry tooling," said Serra. 

He didn't get on ice until two months later. As Serra spent more time at the Ice Coop, he got dragged into competing. His first competition was in Michigan, only a couple of months after he began climbing. It wasn't his strongest competition, but he found climbers he wanted to surround himself with. The community kept him around until he learned to like dry tooling competitions. Serra grew to love the movement and style of competition dry tooling. The unique way of using your ice tools pushes the climber to be creative in a way that differs from traditional ice climbing. 

Sam Serra being lowered. PC: AAC Member Nicholas Moline

"When It comes to dry tooling and really competition style dry tooling–it just opens the door to so many new movement patterns that they don't even exist outside–they almost can't exist outside," said Serra.  

Phoebe Gabrielle Tourtellotte's story looks a little different. Tourtellotte had to drop out of speed climbing due to a joint condition in the fall of 2021. She felt aimless. At the time, she lived across from the Ice Coop in Boulder. Her boyfriend encouraged her to try that dry tooling thing. Despite inner doubts about how she would look or perform, she went. 

In the first couple of months that she was learning to dry tool, she had to confront why she was still climbing at all after speed climbing hadn't worked out. Then it hit her: here was an opportunity to start over.  

"It's so cool getting to learn all new stuff," said Tourtellotte, "There are so many tiny nuances I never would have expected to learn about in this sport."

She had gone from one of the fastest disciplines to one of the slowest and methodical. Coming from a speed-climbing background, Tourtellotte moves more dynamically. At the Ice Coop, she gets beta and technique spray-downs from everyone in the gym. Her teammates are open to mentoring each other, even if they're competitors. 

The USA Ice Climbing Team in Cheongsong, Korea. Provided by the UIAA

The small community of competition ice climbing supports and uplifts one another. It brings together people of all ages and backgrounds, connected through their niche passion for ice climbing and dry tooling. The team will continue to swing tools, compete, and celebrate their love of climbing through silly and unique movements. 

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Ouray Ice Fest Results 

Catalina Shirley placed first in the Women's lead final, with Corey Buhay in Third. Tyler Kempney placed first in the men's lead final, with Sam Serra placing second. They both topped the finals route. The Ouray Ice Festival competition is a special place for the team, for everyone to gather and celebrate. The USA Ice Climbing team will end their season at the World Championships In Edmonton on February 16 through 18. Tune in to the UIAA YouTube channel to livestream the event and support the USA Ice Climbing Team.

UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Open - Ouray, USA: Top Three

The Women's Lead Final

1 Shirley, Catalina USA 1 [1] 1 [36.100]

2 Louzecka, Aneta CZE 4 [12.0] 2 [31.000]

3 Buhay, Corey USA 3 [9.0] 3 [28.100]

The Men's Lead Final

1 Kempney, Tyler USA 1 [1] 1 [TOP (0:00)]

2 Serra, Samuel USA 2 [4] 2 [TOP (0:00)]

3 Howe, Tyler CAN 3 [15] 3 [33.000]

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The USA Ice Climbing Team is Supported by

The Power of Beginning Again: Reflections from the USA Ice Climbing Team

Chelsea Kyffin and Jessica Perez jogging to warm up near the World Cup competition structure in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France. PC: Ryan McCauley

By Ryan McCauley (she/her)

“I mean this in the nicest way possible,” my teammate Marian Prather said, hesitating to finish their sentence. “But this experience kind of reminds me of helping my Mom with social media.” I erupted with laughter as I glared at my iPhone screen in the middle of a South Korean coffee shop, mouth agape, processing the newly learned fact that it was impossible to edit a posted Instagram story (that I had just spent 45 minutes carefully crafting with a lot of hand-holding from Marian and another friend on the USA Women’s Ice Climbing Team). I wrinkled my nose and jokingly prodded back, “Your Mom sounds cool. Is she also 35?”

This was Ryan's third and final speed run in women's finals in the World Cup in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. PC: UIAA Livestream

It was honestly the first time that weekend that I had truly relaxed, given myself permission to sit with the ridiculousness of the moment, and allowed joy to creep in. I had been too busy focusing on the pressure of my performance expectations at the first UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup of the ‘22-’23 season. Sadly, this anxiety was quickly replaced by disappointment as the results started rolling in. Nothing like training for months and flying across the world, only to fall off one swing into the speed climbing competition or slip off a lead move I had done numerous times at the training gym back home, to make me question my efforts. Although it was only my second season competing, my hopes had exceeded reality. Beginner or not, I should have done better.

If I was being honest with myself, the desire to make my Instagram story perfect by zooming in on every detail was representative of more than just my mindset at the South Korean World Cup. As a woman who has been drawn to sports historically dominated by athletes identifying as male, I have often leveraged perfectionism as a way to prove that I am good enough to belong in a given space. Asking for help is something I’ve learned to avoid at all costs. I have a tendency to approach other women with a slight hesitation or skepticism—as I try to assess how others might compare my performance to hers. Vulnerability is something I don’t share easily.

Ryan climbing in Women's speed climbing finals in the World Cup in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France. PC: Nils Paillard

So, it was intentional that my first-time dry tooling (the nuanced, competition-version of ice climbing) was at a Ladies’ Night at the Ice Coop dry-tooling gym in Boulder, which was the only facility of its kind in the U.S. at the time. I did not want to be a total novice in front of men. Beyond being male-dominated, it was also a sport nobody had ever heard of.

I joked that I was going to the hardware store when trying to explain the concept to others. Even presenting it as “indoor mixed climbing” seemed to fall flat for many. Traversing climbing routes by hooking ice tools on plastic or metal rock climbing holds was hard to comprehend. Kicking into plywood walls with specialized crampons to simulate ice climbing was confusing to visualize. And doing it all in a bouldering format at the Ice Coop without ropes seemed downright dangerous. But there was something about the challenge that hooked me. The promise of what was possible was too enthralling to ignore as I watched old YouTube videos of experienced athletes hanging upside down from swinging boxes during the 2019 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Denver. However, even with this excitement, I swindled a coworker to go with me that first night so I didn’t have to risk looking like a fool in front of a group of strangers. Beginner or not, I was not going to embarrass myself.

Ryan McCauley climbing Catwoman (D10) at a dry-tooling crag in Quintal, France. PC: Justin (Jay) Jacobs

Despite my initial insecurities, that first evening dry-tooling injected an energy into me that I didn’t know existed. As a sport climber who was used to navigating routes that demanded either a lot of power or a plethora of precision, I loved how dry tooling required both. Moments that forced me to intentionally slow down my breathing and trust my exhausted arms to connect the pick of my tool with a tiny pocket on the side of a hold sent waves of enthusiasm through my entire body. I was stronger than I knew.

For the next year, I dove headfirst into every opportunity to grow and improve. I signed up for a gym membership, joined the local team, entered competitions, invested in new gear, and started attending a summer training group. Things were going well and I was excited. However, I had been so consumed with competition outcomes or team rankings to prove my “enoughness” in the sport that I hadn’t paused to reflect on the bigger picture or express gratitude for the larger value I was deriving from this space. Beginner or not, I would not allow myself to make excuses or fail.

Climbing to Not Fall

France Competition structure. PC: Ryan McCauley

If you had told me in the summer of 2021 that I would be representing the U.S. in the Ice Climbing World Cup a mere year later, I would have laughed uncontrollably. I would have rolled my eyes at the thought of re-activating my Facebook profile so I could communicate with people just over half my age to schedule team practice for a sport that had hardly any training facilities. But I also didn’t anticipate the power of the community I felt that Friday at Ladies' Night. The possibility posed by the non-judgmental, inclusive space allowed people of all ages and backgrounds to show up as total beginners and be genuinely embraced for who they were. Trust, support, and advocacy were offered to each individual who showed up and tried, no matter how guarded or hesitant they were. While resources and funding for dry tooling are more limited in the U.S. compared to some other countries, countless people are volunteering their time to expand the sport and welcome new members with open arms.

And here I was, sitting in Cheongsong, getting discouraged and fixating on my mistakes a little over a year into the sport. I couldn’t help but ruminate on how it might have played out if I could only go back in time and edit my personal story—what if I had swung the tool slightly differently; had shifted my weight at a different angle; had trained harder; had found the sport at a younger age? It still felt so hard to disconnect from the scoreboard. Beginner or not, those results defined my success.

Keenan Griscom climbing in Men's Lead Semi Finals at the France World Cup in Champagny-en-Vanoise. PC: Nils Paillard

That evening, while riding the bus back to our hotel from the competition venue, I sat next to Keenan Griscom, the top-ranked athlete on the USA Men’s Ice Climbing Team. He was just shy of his 19th Birthday and had been competing in a variety of climbing disciplines since middle school. As we debriefed the day, I was struck by the way he balanced both seriousness and lightheartedness when talking about his own performance expectations. As someone who had made finals and was slated to compete again the following day, I anticipated him to feel much more pressure than he did. Intrigued, I pummeled him with questions about his journey as an athlete, how his training had evolved, and even concerning his personal definition of success. Keeping a humble tone, Keenan noted times when a higher ranking he received didn’t elicit pride because he knew deep down that he had failed to fulfill his own potential. Similarly, he confidently recounted times when a lower score ended up being a cause for celebration because he knew within himself that he gave the competition his all. 

I had noticed this same open-mindedness and curiosity earlier when someone had asked for advice on filing their picks and he had encouraged them to trust themself, experiment with an approach, and see how it went. The feisty millennial in me wanted to say something to the effect of, “It makes sense you don’t feel pressure to get it right this time, you have so many competitions ahead of you before your knees fall apart!” and it suddenly hit me. I was getting in my own way. I was the only one telling myself I had to show up perfectly now; believing that there was indeed an expiration date on this opportunity. 

Keenan Griscom climbing in Men's Lead Finals at the South Korean World Cup in Cheongsong. PC: Rhea Kang

Sure, I wasn’t getting younger. And I might still never get to the same level as some of my teammates who had already been competing for nearly a decade and were 15 years my junior. But, hyperfocusing on my scores was damaging my confidence and blinding me to the massive privilege of the opportunity in front of me. Just as with the stupid Instagram story, things were already live and I couldn’t go back and update the countdown hashtags (or so I’m told— please reach out if you know otherwise) or go back in time and swing my tool into the ice tower further to the right when speed climbing. All I could do was laugh about it, remember to tag people before hitting “upload” next time, and be present with the amazing community around me at that moment.

What if I shifted the story from “What place did I get?” or “How did I compare?” to instead be about “What did I learn today to get 1% better?” “What progress can I celebrate?” or “Who did I connect with?” So much of my current narrative was driven by fear and the pressure wasn’t getting me on the podium. What if I reframed success to be about the experience rather than whether or not I fell?

Climbing to Play in the Present Moment

Ryan McCauley reaching the top of the speed wall during Women's Speed Climbing Finals in the Saas-Fee, Switzerland World Cup. PC: Robert Hendriksen

As naive as it felt, I pushed myself to focus more energy during the France World Cup on things like laughing with teammates about our “Nascar pit stop” sharing of speed crampons or joking about the record time it took my Nalgene to freeze. By the third and final competition in Switzerland, I found myself fully dancing to the music at the base of the ice tower while waiting for my turn to climb. It was the longest and steepest speed structure we had encountered so far and people were falling fairly consistently. If anything, the pressure was higher—but I had slowly started to feel gratitude for it all. “Once in a lifetime opportunity” had shifted from meaning I only had this one competition to demonstrate my entire worth to instead serving as a reminder to soak it all in. I chatted with international athletes and made silly faces at the live-stream cameras. I was going to make the most of this moment. 

Suddenly, everything clicked. My tools hooked the ice smoothly one after the other and my feet glided up the wall in a delicate, nearly effortless dance. I shrieked as I turned around to look at the timer: 20.52—nearly 9 seconds off my last run and a time that would put me in 4th place overall. I guess this approach wasn’t so silly after all. I’d be lying if I said it was easy to sustain this mentality in a high-pressure competition, that it looked the same for every athlete, or that it didn’t take the same kind of practice as showing up to training each week. But, wow, it made the effort so much more worthwhile and fun. Beginner or not, letting go of my fixation on the outcome could result in a more lasting definition of success.

Reflecting on the Season

USA athletes cheering on teammates in lead finals during the South Korean World Cup in Cheongsong. From left to right - Jessica Perez, Noah Bergman, Sam Serra, Marian Prather, Dominic Gonzalez-Padron. PC: Rhea Kang

Overall, as a Team, the U.S. walked away with one of the most successful seasons we have had in the past few years. There were a lot of milestones to celebrate, such as Cat Shirley setting a record for the first-ever American woman to qualify for UIAA World Cup lead finals or Keenan Griscom earning 4th and 5th place, respectively, for lead climbing in two of the World Cups! (*see box below for more specifics).

Perhaps even more exciting to see was how much closer our community became through the shared experiences of relentless months of training, hectic or jet-lagged travel, competition stressors or mistakes, celebrations of personal or team growth, and unexpected memories made. Early morning group warm-up runs, aggressive games of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza back at the Airbnb, and hugs from other athletes after emotional moments of doubt are the things that will stick with me for years to come. 

There is still so much work that needs to be done in the United States to help strengthen our reputation as a competitive team and develop the sport of dry-tooling. There were moments where we jokingly noted how dry tooling was a “real sport” in other countries as we came across a multitude of gyms in Seoul where we could train and found celebrity-style posters of dry-tooling athletes in the local tourist office. It could have been tempting to be frustrated by how far behind the U.S. is concerning this, but many teammates also commented on how incredible it was to be at the frontier of this sport in our country, helping to build a stronger foundation alongside organizations like the American Alpine Club and Rab.

Justin (Jay) Jacobs warming up on the dry-tooling warm-up wall at the World Cup in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France. PC: Sam Montgomery

We may not be able to successfully revolutionize the future of dry tooling in the U.S. overnight. However, this season taught me so much about the power of giving ourselves permission to embrace the imperfections and be patient with growth. The acceptance and vulnerability that comes with this approach allows us to clearly see our own strengths and empathetically show up for others. We get to choose to contribute to success that is bigger than ourselves and accelerate our growth with each mistake. Beginner or not, letting go can actually magnify the power of our team.

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Some of the specific USA women’s achievements worth noting include:

Cat Shirley (right) congratulating Roz Reynolds (left) on qualifying for Women's Lead Semi Finals at the South Korean World Cup in Cheongsong. Sam Serra is standing in between the women and Noah Bergman is off to the right. PC: Rhea Kang

South Korea:

• Jessica Perez & Roz Reynolds competed in their first-ever World Cup competition!

• Cat Shirley & Roz Reynolds reached the top of the lead climbing qualification routes and continued on to compete in the semi-finals, placing 8th and 16th respectively, out of a field of 31 female athletes. Cat is the first US woman to ever qualify for the UIAA World Cup lead finals!

• Cat Shirley, Marian Prather, & Roz Reynolds progressed to speed climbing semi-finals, ultimately placing 3rd, 8th, and 11th respectively, out of a field of 25 female athletes. Cat walked away with a bronze medal for this performance!

Champagny-en-Vanoise:

• Chelsea Kyffin competed in her first-ever World Cup competition!

• Jessica Perez, Chelsea Kyffin, & Ryan McCauley climbed in temperatures of 8 degrees Fahrenheit each day during women’s lead qualifications and still made gains between their first and second routes averaging about three quickdraws higher!

• Ryan McCauley & Chelsea Kyffin competed in women’s speed finals and shaved off a combined 10 seconds on their runs as they placed 7th and 14th respectively, out of a field of 16 women.

Saas-Fee:

• Gabrielle (Phoebe) Tourtellotte competed in her first-ever World Cup competition!

• Ryan McCauley & Lauren Shartell earned spots in women’s speed finals and placed 4th and 8th, out of a field of 21 women. With scores in all three competitions, this put Ryan in a tie for 6th place in overall women’s 2023 World Cup speed standings!

Some of the specific USA men’s achievements worth noting include:

Keenan Griscom working out the sequence for Men's Lead finals at the South Korean World Cup in Cheongsong. PC: Rhea Kang

South Korea:

• Sam Serra, Ian Wedow, Daniel Koepke, Noah Bergman & Dominic Gonzalez-Padron competed in their first-ever World Cup competition!

• Keenan Griscom & Tyler Kempney progressed to lead climbing semi-finals with Tyler successfully reaching the top of one lead qualification route and Keenan topping both. Keenan further advanced to lead climbing finals and the two athletes ultimately placed 4th and 10th, respectively, out of a field of 37 male athletes.

• Sam Serra progressed to speed climbing semi-finals, ultimately placing 14th out of a field of 26 male athletes. 

Champagny-en-Vanoise:

• Noah Rowley & Justin (Jay) Jacobs competed in their first-ever World Cup competition!

• Keenan Griscom progressed to lead climbing semi-finals, ultimately placing 11th out of a field of 56 male athletes.

• Noah Rowley progressed to speed-climbing semi-finals, ultimately placing 14th out of a field of 37 male athletes.

Saas-Fee:

• Erik Gomez competed in his first-ever World Cup competition!

• Sam Serra, Noah Bergman, & Keenan Griscom all successfully reached the top of one of the two lead climbing qualification routes.

• Noah Bergman & Keenan Griscom progressed to lead climbing semi-finals, with Keenan advancing to lead climbing finals. The two athletes ultimately placed 13th and 5th respectively, out of a field of 49 male athletes.

• Sam Serra progressed to speed climbing finals, ultimately placing 12th out of a field of 35 male athletes.

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The USA Ice Climbing Team is supported by

A Gateway to Ice Climbing

The AAC DC Chapter hosts a New Ice Climber Weekend in the Adirondacks

PC: AAC member Ben Garza, https://www.bengarza.media/

Grassroots: Unearthing the Future of Climbing

By Sierra McGivney

“How would you describe the ice in the Adirondacks?”

“Delicious!” says Piotr Andrzejczak, the Washington D.C. AAC Chapter Chair.

PC: AAC member Ben Garza

The American Alpine Club Washington D.C. Chapter hosted the New Ice Climber Weekend on February 26 & 27. In collaboration with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and Arc’teryx, the event was held in the Adirondacks. On a good day, the drive is around seven or eight hours to the 6.1 million-acre park in Upstate New York.

Ice in the Adirondacks is consistent. Even if there is a warm spell or a rainy day, the ice always heals and survives late into spring. Anything closer to Virginia is unpredictable. Ice routes that were once flowing over cliffsides can disappear in days. Unlike rock routes, ice changes constantly. 

“It can be brittle, scary, and intimidating or it can be cruise control,” says Andrezejczak.

PC: AAC member Ben Garza

When the group of ten participants arrived on Friday, months-old brown leaves were on the ground, but the ice was still in. Overnight the Adirondacks got about a foot of snow and transformed into a winter wonderland. On Saturday, rays of sunshine hit pillars of fat ice in Cascade Pass. Climbers donned sunscreen and sunglasses to protect themselves from getting burnt. 

The energy was high. Everyone wanted to learn. Participants got first-hand knowledge on placing ice screws, climbing techniques, and building V-Threads. 

The weekend exposed experienced rock climbers to a new discipline. Unlike going climbing with a guide, the New Ice Climber Weekend offered mentorship and promoted members finding ice climbing partners. Seneca Rocks Climbing School volunteered one of their lead SPI guides for the event and Andrezejczak also mentored climbers. 

“I am passionate and I feel very compelled to mentor other climbers to pursue their own personal dreams and aspirations,” says Andrezejczak. 

Andrezejczak instructing participants on ice screw placement. PC: AAC member Ben Garza

Everyone was asking questions, not quite sure what to expect on the first day. Participants swung their tools nervously as ice rained down from above at Pitchoff Quarry, a popular ice climbing destination, featuring stunning cliffs of cascading ice. Off to the side, mini-seminars were held, climbers listened eagerly, ready to learn. 

The next day, the group of climbers trekked across a snow-covered Chapel Pond to Positive Reinforcement, a wide flow of ice that offers a variety of climbs. Andrezejcak watched as the novice ice climbers fit their own crampons to their boots. Excitedly, climbers placed ice screws while top-roping, practicing their newfound skills. Some climbers launched themselves off the ground and onto the ice, practicing their ice dyno. 

“The second day everyone was self-functioning ice climbers like they graduated with an ice climbing diploma,” says Andrezejczak.  

The group even held an ice climbing speed competition. Each team climbed one of two neighboring routes. Competitors had to place two ice screws anywhere on the climb. It didn't matter where, as long as it was off the ground. Andrezejczak’s team's strategy was light and fast. Place the screws immediately and then climb up. The other team had the total opposite approach. Go fast and ditch your screws later, when you're tired so you can rest. 

The energy was addictive. “We just want to be a conduit for ice climbing,” says Andrezejczak. 

After the event, Andrezejczak ran into two participants from the New Ice Climber Weekend at his local climbing gym. Weeks later, both climbers were still stoked about the New Ice Climber Weekend.

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PC: AAC member Ben Garza

Looking for a community of like-minded people and climbing partners, Andrewzejczak, joined the AAC in 2015. He began by volunteering, and while living out in California, he helped establish the AAC San Diego Chapter. Andrzejczak loved that the AAC cultivated an environment that encouraged mentorships in a varity of climbing disciplines. 

When Andrezejczak moved to Washington, D.C. he inserted himself in the D.C. section leadership and ice climbing community. If you want to stay active in the winter on the east coast, naturally the next step is ice climbing. 

“I feel I'm more appreciative of ice climbing because of the uniqueness,” says Andrezejczak. “Things don't come in every year, so whenever you get on a route, that's a rare formation. That just gives [me] more appreciation and fulfillment.”

PC: AAC member Ben Garza

There are plenty of resources available for members of the D.C. Chapter who are interested in trying ice climbing. Andrezejczak hopes this can be a continuous opportunity that the D.C. section offers to members. Novice ice climbers can take advantage of the $30 a year gear closet that PATC offers as well. Finances should not be a burden. 

“This can be your gateway to becoming an alpinist,” says Andrezejczak. 

land of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga (Haudenosaunee) and Kanienʼkehá꞉ka (Mohawk).

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The Prescription - November 2020

The adjacent article is part of the extensive avalanche coverage featured in the 2020 Accidents in North American Climbing. AAC members will receive the new book this month. The cover photo shows an avalanche on Polar Circus in Canada by Alex Ratson.

Ice Climbers & Avalanches

It’s Time to Take this risk more seriously

By Grant Statham

Every winter, ice climbers are caught—and sometimes killed—by avalanches. Even small avalanches can be deadly when they get funneled into the narrow gullies where ice climbs form. So understanding the avalanche conditions and carrying rescue gear when climbing is essential for many climbs.

Yet despite this reality, climbers have been slow to embrace basic avalanche safety practices, even when they always use avalanche gear when backcountry skiing. This contradiction makes no sense, and it’s high time for a paradigm shift.

Once you’ve determined if your ice route is formed, your next move should be to figure out whether it’s threatened by avalanches. Any steep snow slopes on the approach, the route, above the route, or on the descent have the potential to release an avalanche.

If your route is threatened by avalanches, then you need to know more. Is the climb located in a gully with avalanche start zones overhead? Will you be climbing through snow slopes above cliffs? How about the approach—will you be walking under avalanche paths or kicking steps up a 40° slope to reach the base? How hard is the route—can you climb fast or will you be exposed to avalanches for hours? What does the local avalanche forecast say? You need to answer all of these questions before going climbing.

AVALANCHE RISK

Avalanche risk in ice climbing has three main ingredients: 1) enough snow to produce an avalanche, 2) avalanche-prone terrain, and 3) climbers exposed to this hazard. Remove any one of these elements and you’ve eliminated the avalanche risk.

But while eliminating avalanche risk ensures safety, it won’t get you up the routes on your hit list that are subject to avalanche hazard. For this, you’ll need to manage the risk by assessing its individual elements and understanding how they affect you and your partner.

SNOW

The best indicator of unstable snow is avalanche activity. Both slab avalanches and sluffs are threats to ice climbers, because it doesn’t take much to knock you off your front points. If avalanches are occurring near your route, then it’s safe to assume the snow on your route is also unstable. Here are the big three factors:

(1) Precipitation: new snow and especially rain can overload the snowpack

(2) Wind can move snow at 10 times the snowfall rate and create locally deep slabs

(3) Temperature: warming trends, inversions, and temps over 0°C (32°F) produce avalanches

TERRAIN

Minimize your exposure by positioning belays out of avalanche terrain or in protected locations, moving together when you can, moving one at a time when necessary, belaying across exposed slopes, and spending no unnecessary time exposed to avalanches. These are the strategies that keep experienced climbers alive. Here are the terrain basics to keep front of mind:

(1) Slope angle: the prime angle for slab avalanches is 30° to 45°

(2) Aspect: there are big differences between routes in the shade and in the sun

(3) Elevation: snow depth increases with elevation, so be aware of conditions overhead

(4) Terrain traps: ice climbs are often in or above terrain features that increase consequences (cliffs, gullies, creeks, etc.)

PEOPLE

Debris from several slides that trapped two climbers on a route in Santaquin Canyon, Utah, in February 2019. The avalanche hazard was rated low at the elevation of the climb but more dangerous high up the mountain, where these slides originated. Read the report here.

For risk to exist, something must be “at risk,” and in climbing this is people, deliberately exposing themselves to avalanche hazard. All people are fallible, and human factors are well-recognized as a major contributor to avalanche accidents. Here are some considerations:

(1) Partners: climb with people you trust and who share your values around risk

(2) Decision-making: trust your instincts and bail if it doesn’t feel right

(3) Trophy hunting: don’t obsess over one climb; have options and let the conditions determine your route

(4) Group size and speed: keep your team small and move efficiently

PUBLIC AVALANCHE FORECASTS

An excellent source of information on local conditions is the public avalanche forecast, found at avalanche.ca in Canada and avalanche.org in the USA. Locals watch the forecast regularly to stay abreast of conditions; start checking it early to get a sense of the snowpack.

Don’t climb in avalanche terrain unless the danger rating is Low or Moderate. When it’s Considerable, avalanches are likely, so now you need to know specific details about the route and what might trigger an avalanche there. If you don’t understand this, then don’t climb there. High and Extreme are obvious—stay out of avalanche terrain.

NATURAL RELEASES AND CLIMBER TRIGGERED AVALANCHES

Many ice climbs form directly beneath large avalanche slopes. To climb these routes, you need to determine whether a natural avalanche will release while you’re there. This is difficult, but the avalanche forecast, weather forecast, and ridge-top weather stations (accessible online) will provide some of the information you need. Always remember that snow depth, wind effect, and air temperature will be much different high above your climb, so don’t be lulled into complacency by snow conditions near your route.

Climbing steep snow is usually part of ice climbing, and this can lead to triggering a slope yourself. Whenever possible, go around snow slopes or cross them as high as you can to reduce the amount of snow above you. If you have to climb directly up the middle of a big slope, the best tactic is to evaluate smaller, safer slopes of similar character to get sense of conditions. Then consider spacing out, going one at a time, or belaying, even if the slope is small but the consequences are catastrophic.

CARRY AVALANCHE RESCUE GEAR

If you’re climbing and exposed to avalanche risk, then you should use avalanche rescue gear. If someone gets buried, you have about ten minutes to find them, dig them out, and clear their airway before they asphyxiate. Each member of the team should carry an avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel. Nobody likes extra weight, so be thoughtful about when and where you carry the gear—plan it out like you plan your rack. Do you only need it for the approach or for the whole route? Maybe take one shovel up the route instead of two. What about the descent?

Even if you’re climbing a route where you think an avalanche would be unsurvivable, somebody will still want you back, which means SAR teams will be searching for you. Wearing a transceiver and using clothing equipped with the Recco system does everyone a favor by making you searchable.

RISK AND REWARD

Good avalanche skills are part of being a solid alpinist and waterfall ice climber. While climbing a great route feels awesome, climbing it in good style and doing everything you can to reduce your risk feels even better. Adding risk without additional benefit is pointless, so learn about avalanches, carry the gear, and respond to the ever-changing conditions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Grant Statham is an IFMGA mountain guide and avalanche forecaster based in Canmore, Alberta. He works with Parks Canada’s search and rescue and avalanche safety programs in Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks.

GO DEEPER: The following webinar expands on the topics discussed above. This session was hosted by Avalanche Canada and Grant Statham and presented by Canadian guide Sarah Hueniken on November 4, 2020.

THE SHARP END: A CREVASSE FALL IN THE TETONS!

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Tyler Willis and a friend were descending from a successful ascent of Mt. Owen in Grand Teton National Park. It was late in the day when they reached the Teton Glacier, which they had crossed without a problem early that morning. Just a few steps later, Tyler plunged into a hidden crevasse, an extremely rare accident for the Tetons. By the time climbers pulled him to the surface, he was hypothermic, and it wasn't until the next day that rangers could helicopter him to safety. Hear all about it in Episode 58 of the Sharp End (link below).

An accident like this illustrates the importance of recognizing and treating the symptoms of hypothermia, which may develop even on a sunny day in August. A useful reference for climbers and clinicians alike is the Wilderness Medical Society’s updated guidelines assessment and treatment of hypothermia patients. The article and several downloadable field guides (like the one shown above) are available at this link.

AVOID INJURIES DURING WINTER TRAINING

Photo: Alton Richardson

Dr. Volker Schöffl is one of the world’s foremost authorities on climbing injuries. The German professor and physician is co-author of One Move Too Many: How to Understand the Injuries and Overuse Syndromes of Rock Climbing (Sharp End Publishing, 2016). This year, he and co-authors Dicki Korb and Patrick Matros released a new work describing complementary training to avoid injuries. The 94-page book is packed with tips and specific exercises, and it’s available as a free download! We decided to ask Schöffl for some training advice for Prescription readers.

We’re headed into winter and lots more indoor climbing. What are the most important things climbers can do to prevent injuries during the months of indoor training?

Do not overdo it early on, and build up strength gradually through the winter. Motivation is high, as everyone wants to be better next season. Don’t forget, you have to endure a couple months of training, and you should pace yourself. Increase the load gradually and this will help you to avoid overuse injuries in November.

What are the most common areas of injury for climbers heading indoors? 

This really depends on the type of training you are doing. In pure strength training, simple overload leads to finger stress and tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath). In indoor bouldering, especially with dynamic problems, injuries from falls onto the lower extremity are most common. Overuse and over training in indoor climbing also affects the shoulders and elbows.

Any recommendations for avoiding these common injuries?

A proper warm-up will help to reduce both injury incidence and severity. Stretching itself is not ideal as a warm-up, as it reduces muscle tension (stretching is more appropriate for cool-down after a session). Warm-up should consist of some general exercise and include finger specific exercises (e.g., therapy putty, softball squeezes, or plain finger movements). You can find some examples in One Move Too Many. Climbers should also focus on adjunct compensatory training (ACT)—exercises that counteract the specific stressors of climbing. We just released our ACT program, which is a free pdf booklet, accessible through www.act.clinic. After this general warm-up phase continue into some easy climbing and gradually increase stress/difficulty to a peak approximately 30 minutes into the climbing session.

Can you tell us more about ACT and its importance for overall climbing performance?

Climbing, as with many other sports, stresses the body in uniform patterns, leading to strength in certain muscle groups and to neglect in others. These imbalances lead to posture deficiencies and poor movement patterns. ACT focuses on training the neglected muscle slings (muscle, fascia, and ligaments) and innervation patterns within their specific range of motion, building up posture and core strength as well as balancing the athletic build of the body. In order to withstand climbing specific training over time and to prevent associated injuries, the antagonists and neglected muscle groups must be addressed. This is where ACT comes into play.

MEET THE RESCUERS

Doug McCall, President of Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) and member of Seattle Mountain Rescue

Years volunteering with your team: 12

Home Crag:  Exit 38, Deception Crags/Far Side Wall

Favorite type of climbing: Single-pitch sport. The crags near me offer a wide range of grades that allow me to climb with a wide variety of people. I love bringing new people to the crag and letting them try outdoor climbing for the first time. I also love challenging myself with friends who climb above my abilities.

How did you first become interested in search and rescue?

I was a volunteer firefighter at our local department when one of the other volunteers began talking about climbing and then later about Seattle Mountain Rescue (SMR). He had been a member of SMR for about 15 to 20 years and recommended that I apply. I was excited about the opportunity to combine my passion for the outdoors with the medical skills I had learned through the fire department. I was accepted into SMR in February 2008.

Why do you think accident reporting is important?

Learning from others’ mistakes is a powerful way that humans learn from one another. While it is easy to “armchair quarterback” some scenarios, you never really know what you might do when presented with a sudden experience. Knowing what others did or didn’t do helps to frame a thought process that may help you or your climbing partner down the road.

Personal scariest “close call”?

Early in my alpine career, my climbing partner, mentor, and cousin, Doug Walker, and I were caught in a slab avalanche that swept me down a 600-foot slope and then off a 30-foot cliff. I somehow survived. The worst injury was a severe fracture around my left eye that I likely sustained from a glancing blow to a rock. While we were able to self-rescue, I have since felt compelled to try to help others during their bad day in the mountains.

Personal safety tip?

I wear a helmet when climbing. While my doctors say that I have a very thick skull, I’d rather never have to test that again. Helmets are easy and offer good protection from an unexpected slip or rock fall. Also, I always tie knots at the ends of my rope when on rappel. I’ve been on numerous recoveries where a knot would have been the difference between life and death.

What would you say to people interested in learning more about search and rescue?

I’d encourage people to find a local MRA team or a SAR team and learn more about how to become a member. MRA teams train constantly and test each other to ensure that every team can safely effect rescues in all sorts of terrain and conditions. We also operate with a safety mindset that carries over into our personal climbing.

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not climbing?

Spend time with my family. My family has been very supportive and patient with all my time spent climbing and responding to rescues. While we tend to do a lot of outdoor activities together, they have also taught me to enjoy a number of other activities. Being with family and sharing experiences with them have been the greatest joys of my life.

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Share Your Story: If you’ve been involved in a climbing accident or rescue, consider sharing the lessons learned with other climbers. Let’s work together to reduce the number of accidents. Contact us at accidents@americanalpineclub.org.

The monthly Accidents Bulletin is supported by adidas Outdoor and the members of the American Alpine Club.

2020 US Ice Climbing Team Applications - now open!

Image courtesy UIAA

USA Ice Climbing Competition Team Selection

As the US Member Federation to the UIAA, the American Alpine Club is proud to once again open applications to all athletes seeking to join the 2020 USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team.

Athlete participation in the World Cup and World Championship events will be determined by the AAC and the US team manager in the Fall of 2019. Up to 25 adults and 20 youth will be selected for the US team, and athletes will receive a status notification by September 15, 2019. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. MT, August 31, 2019.

Apply Online Now!

Application Requirements

Note: This year, both youth and adults will apply using the same application.

• Must have or be able to obtain a US passport before Dec 2019.

• Since we are working to develop a team, priority will be given to athletes who are competing in more than one World Cup event, and who plan to compete in future years.

• Athletes must turn 16 or older before the date of chosen world cup event(s) to participate.

• We encourage people who are experienced competitors in any form of climbing to apply.

• Athletes interested in being part of the US team and competing in any of the Ice Climbing World Cup & World Championship events must complete the application by 11:59 p.m. MT, August 31, 2019.

Team Benefits & Expectations

• Athletes will receive a team uniform that they will be required to wear during any international competitions between July 2019 and June 2020.

• Athletes will be expected to make their own travel arrangements once notified.

• Athletes (and parents when the athlete is a minor) will be required to sign and abide by a code of conduct set by the AAC and the team manager. Athletes who violate the code of conduct will be warned and may be removed from the team at the discretion of the AAC and the team manager.

• The AAC and the team manager will work to provide monetary and product support through fundraising and grants. Athletes will be expected to support these initiatives as well. 

• Athletes are expected to behave as part of a team, giving and receiving support to and from their team members.

• Athletes will act as American Alpine Club and US ambassadors to the domestic and international climbing communities and are expected to obey the rules and regulations of the host country in which they are climbing.

Competition Selection Policies

• Selection to the USA Ice Climbing team does not guarantee a spot at any competition.

• In the event that participants are only competing in either Speed or Difficulty (and not both) the AAC will select enough athletes to be able to field a team consisting of 8 men and 8 women for the Speed portion and 8 men and 8 women for the Difficulty portion.

• If there are not enough available team members to fill the quota at a competition, non-team athletes may apply to compete and will be selected by the AAC and the team manager.

• The USA can send up to 8 men and 8 women in each of Difficulty (Lead) and Speed to each World Cup event.

• There are three age categories for youth competitors.  U16, U19, and U21. Age guidelines will be released by the UIAA.

Need a little more inspiration? Meet last year’s athletes!

UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals Draws Record-Breaking Crowds

Photo: Ben Nelson of Huck Adventures

On its inaugural stage in downtown Denver, CO, the 2019 UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals broke international records as the largest-ever audience for a World Cup Ice Climbing event and received a record number of online views with hundreds of thousands more tuning in to watch the competition’s live stream.

The two-day World Cup Ice Climbing Finals held in Civic Center Park, February 23 - 24, recorded a live crowd of more than 25,000, making the Denver World Cup Finals not only the most watched World Cup Ice Climbing event in the Tour’s history, but also one of the most well-spectated climbing events of all time.

Hosted and produced by the American Alpine Club, the event’s attendance more than doubled the original expectations. American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers, had never witnessed such a massive audience for a climbing event: “We exceeded our attendance goals for the full weekend before the end of the first day. People were blown away by the athleticism and intensity of the competition — I have no doubt many new ice climbers were created this weekend.”

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February 25, 2019, Golden, CO—On its inaugural stage in downtown Denver, CO, the 2019 UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals broke international records as the largest-ever audience for a World Cup Ice Climbing event and received a record number of online views with hundreds of thousands more tuning in to watch the competition’s live stream.

The two-day World Cup Ice Climbing Finals held in Civic Center Park, February 23 - 24, recorded a live crowd of more than 25,000, making the Denver World Cup Finals not only the most watched World Cup Ice Climbing event in the Tour’s history, but also one of the most well-spectated climbing events of all time.

Hosted and produced by the American Alpine Club, the event’s attendance more than doubled the original expectations. American Alpine Club CEO, Phil Powers, had never witnessed such a massive audience for a climbing event: “We exceeded our attendance goals for the full weekend before the end of the first day. People were blown away by the athleticism and intensity of the competition — I have no doubt many new ice climbers were created this weekend.”

Located in Denver’s historic Civic Center Park, the competition was hosted in an urban setting that provided a more diverse audience in comparison to the Tour’s regular stops in mountain towns. Sunday evening’s Lead Finals had an electric atmosphere as just two men topped out on the 60-ft structure: 21-year-old Yannick Glatthard of Switzerland and Nikolai Kuzovlev of Russia. Glatthard, dubbed ‘Swiss Air’ for his flying, daring style, topped out 11 seconds faster than Kuzovlev, claiming the Gold with a dramatic victory leap off the top of the structure in front of an enthralled crowd. The women’s lead final left no less exhilaration with Maria Tolokonina of Russia nudging out Woonseon Shin of South Korea by a mere touch of the eleventh (and final) hold.

The big story for Saturday evening’s Speed Finals was Canada’s David Bouffard, who became the first North American to claim a World Cup medal with silver. Nikolai Kuzovlev of Russia took Gold with a blistering fast climb of 6.48 seconds. Maria Tolokonina of Russia also took Gold in the Women’s Speed Final in a big weekend medal sweep.

For complete results and World Cup Tour recap, please visit: https://www.theuiaa.org/ice-climbing/

COMPETITION PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/2BSFQBL 

UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals Begin Today in Denver

We’re stoked to be kicking off the UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing Finals here in Denver today (Friday, Feb. 22)!

The new North American tour stop will serve as the 2018/2019 World Cup Ice Climbing Finals in which over 100 athletes from 18 countries around the world will compete for the overall World Cup in both Lead and Speed categories.

The 2019 event is the first time the Ice Climbing World Tour has come to Denver, Colorado. The weekend event is being held in Denver’s Civic Center Park and is free to the public. Come for the climbing, stay for the Barbagazi Winter Festival featuring games & activities for everyone: Ice Maze, Obstacle Course, Fat Bike Course, Axe Throwing, Live Music, Ice Bar, Food Trucks, Fire Pits and more!

Come down to Denver and join the fun if you can'; the event is totally FREE! If you can’t make it, you can still stay in the loop by watching the competition live.