In spring 2005, world champion ice climber Ines Papert, from Bavaria, Germany, took a 65-foot fall in the Dolomites. A huge flake had detached from the wall (with her pro in it!), severely breaking her leg. Four months later, with screws still fastened through her tibia, she visited Colorado to climb the most difficult ice routes in Vail. In the words of her friend and champion ice climber Harry Berger, “I wouldn’t go out this soon if I was her!”

 The bad luck continued: Papert ripped The Fang (165-foot free-hanging ice pillar) after swinging into the top of it — but luckily not injuring any spectators. This didn’t set her back either. Bam! She was back to climbing just days later, winning the women’s division at the 2006 Ouray Icefest. Papert came back to the US again in April to spend several weeks at Indian Creek, UT, and Rifle State Park, CO, with her son Emanuel, age five, and a traveling nanny/belayer.  I visited Papert at Indian Creek, where she was climbing 5.13 trad, and again at Rifle (she has redpointed up to 13c sport).

 At sunset after a long day of sport climbing at Rifle, we kicked back and enjoyed a cigarette and a PBR on the tailgate with fellow Climbing magazine associate Greg Loomis.