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Ouray Ice Fest Results
By Dougald MacDonald
The 11th annual Ouray Ice Festival drew hundreds of ice climbers to the unique ice park in southwestern Colorado, including many of the world’s best, who competed on an overhanging sport-mixed route and a vertical speed pitch. Favorites Ines Papert from Germany and Will Gadd from Canada once again showed top form, winning both the mixed and speed comps. Always an invitational in the past, the Ouray Ice Festival debuted an open round on Wednesday and Thursday of the long weekend; more than 30 climbers tested themselves on the open mixed route, and 17 moved into the final round on Saturday. Only Will Gadd and Harry Berger from Austria flashed the M9+ finals route, which ascended about 60 feet of ice to a 50-foot rock wall and a final ice curtain. Gadd climbed this pitch nearly three minutes faster than Berger, giving him the victory. Papert’s winning performance in the women’s comp would have placed her fourth overall; last year she was the top competitor among both women and men. The strength of the international field was evident, as only one American made the top five in the men’s and women’s mixed comps. In speed, Gadd charged up two long ice pitches in a combined time of 1 minute 17 seconds, just two seconds ahead of local guide Vince Anderson. (Anderson had the day’s fastest single climb: 28 seconds to climb 100 feet of WI5 ice!) Papert climbed the two pillars in 1:51 for the women’s victory. Mixed/Difficulty Final Men 1. Will Gadd (CAN) Women 1. Ines Papert (GER) Speed Final Men 1. Will Gadd (CAN) Women 1. Ines Papert (GER)
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