More PHOTOS by Devaki A. Murch
“Petzl gave me 6 sets of crampons, how many feet have you got?”
“I have 4 crampon feet, we will have to switch off - most of the gimps only use one foot. ”
“I think we are good, we will have about 12 helmets.”
“That’s good. Everyone has a head. “

Paradox Sports brought together 9 gimps, amputees and paraplegics for a stellar weekend in the Uncompahgre Gorge in Ouray, Colorado for the inaugural Gimps on Ice. Climbers came in from San Antonio, British Columbia, Maine, Vermont, Utah and Colorado on Friday night to gear up for some ice climbing. The energy was contagious as it always is with Paradox Sports events. It drew inquires from passing climbers who dropped their packs to help us out with a belay. Dedicated volunteers assisted through out the weekend, led by Malcolm Daly, Jim Donini, Angela Donini, Margo Talbot, Kitty Calhoun, Jay Smith, Cory Hind and Annie Whitehouse.

“I think we are about equal in dexterity—I have got 5 fingers, but you have got two thumbs….” Pete Davis sat with Quinn Simons looking at their hands. Pete uses a prosthetic right arm, with a fixed ice axe end for climbing. Quinn lost his fingers on both hands as well as his feet to frost bite on Gurla Mandhata in 1997. The spirit and the camaraderie of the Paradox team are amazing. It is a sense of companionship and desire to live life to its fullest- and to share that energy with others. Taking 2 paraplegics and 4 individuals missing various appendages may seem daunting to most—but with the assistance of experienced climbers, professional guides and fellow climbers Paradox Sports once again brought together an amazing team that made the weekend a great success.