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Ice bouldering: One step further in climbing competitions
Jan 7, 2005 03: 04 EST
Ice climbing competitions are becoming more and more popular in winter sports resort. Now there is a new trend joining the European and World Championships to be held in two weeks in Valle di Daone (Italian Alps): Ice bouldering.
Climbers from 15 different countries will compete for the first ever title of Ice Bouldering world champion. Organizers promise "the most technical, innovative and hardest in the entire ice axe and crampon competition circuit."
The Daone's Valley is a well-know spot for sport-ice climbing. It has hosted stage of the world cup from 2001 to 2003. The experience and increasing success of the tournaments have move the organizer to take one step further and, following rock-wall competitions, add bouldering to the usual speed and difficulty categories.
Even more difficult!
The battle for the World Ice Bouldering Champion and European Ice Bouldering Champion titles will take place from Jan 26 to jan29. The introduction in the Ice Master-s website is pretty exciting indeed: "A great occasion to measure the ice climbers' abilities, to see how hard ice climbing and dry tooling can really go. It'll be ice bouldering as we've never seen it before: the hardest problems imaginable, way beyond the vertical, interpreted with just two ice axes and a set of crampons!"
Those contests take place on artificial ice-covered frames. In just a few years, the sport has become more and more popular.There are several reasons for that:
Do it yourself.and then climb it!
First, the competition can be hold anywhere, whenever temperatures stay well below cero Celsius. Steel and timber frames are installed on open places -watch out though; indoor competitions are starting too. A water pipe system soaks the structure and rapidly freezes, resulting in amazing ice playing grounds for dry-tooling fanatics and open-mouthed spectators. Sponsors have a great and crowded showcase assured.
Not so risky business
Second, the wicked design and ultra-difficult routes -Jumps, roofs, hanging objects to cling to, etc - provide movements and poses one could never imagine in natural frozen waterfalls. Climbers are safely roped to fixed bolts, and there is no risk of a ten-ton ice chunk crumbling down along with the climber. Once danger is under control, and imagination free to invent impossible routes, an spectacular show is warranted. TV networks and photographer have perfect shooting sports reserved granting a wide media coverage.
A class of its own
Third: The controlled conditions have resulted in an specific sport discipline, with is own movements, gear, stars and 'lingo'. First competitions where crowded with veteran ice and rock climbers, who use those gatherings as a training for big walls on rock and ice.However, things are changing very fast: a new wave of very young-guns, specifically trained, are coping all the podiums. Some names will be familiar to those who follow the world sport climbing circuit. Some others are ultra-specialized dry-toolers. In any case, for those looking for favorites, don't miss the super-young, super-bold Russian team, both boys and girls.
Ice Master: Calendar of events
The competition gets underway on the evening of Wednesday 26 January with Opening ceremony and presentation of athletes at Ponte Morandino. On Thursday morning things begin in earnest at the Climbing Stadium at Pracul, which hosts the innovative ice structure ideated by Maurizio Gallo and without a doubt one of the main attractions of the event. Three qualification routes lead to the Semifinal on Friday. And on Saturday 29 January the grand finale takes place, with the best 8 men and women contending for the World and European title.
Images by Giulio Malfer courtesy of Valle di Daone Ice Master
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