The feather on the cap for the Ouray Ice festival is definitely Saturday’s Mixed Comp. Having gone to this festival for the past five years, and the comp always impresses. This year was no different. The comp route this year started out with 4-5 meters of friendly water ice. Then… wham, a 20 meter wall of overhanging rock slowed competitors down, with hard mixed move after move. This leading to a moon shaped chunk of overhanging ice that piloted up towards the final two sections of manmade, dangling steepness. Two floppy, hanging log structures were the next obstacles to overcome. 
ARC’TERYX athlete Kristie Arend, hitting the Wall
ARC’TERYX Athlete Audrey Gariepy gunning for the ICE. Then a long 42 degree plywood plank with sparse plastic holds directed the few who got to this point, to the top, a place referred to as the diving board. A select few were allowed passage on to the diving board. The first to make it this far was ARC’TERYX Athlete Rich Marshall from Golden BC. He smoothly made it on to the plywood section and in transit onto the first plastic hold dropped a tool. A collective moan roared from the spectators all wishing Rich progress up through this section, but Rich was definitely impeded by his lack of equipment. He inched his way up to the next plastic hold, lost his grip, and fell.
Rich Marshal – Still has two tools!
Only five other climbers made it through the proverbial log gate and onto the diving board. Boris Bihler from France, Spaniard, Carlos Garcia Bello, Evgeny Krivosheitsev from the Ukraine, Jeff Mercier of France and Germany’s Ines Papert, the comps only female to make it that far. In the end only Jeff Mercier made it to the top to win this year’s comp. ARC’TERYX athlete Ines Papert was so close in making it to the last hold but literally 3 centimeters of reach blocked Ines from topping out. Her amazing ascent got her got her top spot in the female category and second overall. Last year’s winner Evgeny, had the last attempt and all expected him to best Ines and Jeff, but half way up the diving board a tool popped and Evgeny was denied from a second win of this comp. Another noted finish was from Audrey Gariepy who ascended to the logs, which got her second place in Women’s and 7th overall.
ARC’TERYX Athlete Ines Papert on “The Diving Board”
Will Gadd’s slide show was next on the agenda. Will’s hi-energy chronicles of red-bull inspired trips the world over. 30 trips in 50 minutes was the title and living through Will’s roller coaster ride of happenings was the experience. Paragliding, climbing, ice Bergs and underground frozen waterfall climbing in Sweden were just a few of the stories.
The ARC’TERYX / PETZL Party was the next attraction of the festival. A “Dress to Impress” theme inspired all to reach deep into the tickle trunks to pull out their favorite skanky outfits for a night of grooving. Kings, queens, and lots of folks dressed in cheetah print donned their dance shoes as DJ Givens was on hand to stream the tunes, disco lights and all. In the ends many shirts came off and melody reigned til the wee hours of the night.
Sunday came a bit earlier then people would have wanted given the late night prior. But most were on hand again to scoop the demo gear and get out climbing and partake in clinics again, on the kilometers of water ice that lead into the gorge outside of Ouray. The weekend tapered and the finale to another great festival was held at the Ouray Theatre. Top prizes for the competitors and accolades for the great support of volunteers and sponsors were handed out. Then Josh Wharton dazzled the crowd with accounts of his exposed feats and ascents the world over.
All in all was another incredible event. Great to be a part of it. Try to get there next year to check it out!
