Climbing community celebrates 20th year of ice festival under way By Drew Setterholm Daily Press Staff Writer A group of 30 rock and ice climbers gathered Saturday morning in the Uncompahgre Gorge of the Ouray Ice Park, and as the morning sun crept into the high-sided gorge, a new mixed climbing route was unveiled. The climbers had their first look at “Crampus,” the official competition route for the 2015 Ouray Ice Festival elite mixed climbing competition. The competition has been the centerpiece of the festival that this year celebrated its 20th anniversary. Plenty has changed during the 20-year history of the festival, from the size of the crowds to the caliber of competitors the competition attracts, said Bruce Franks, general manager of Asolo and a 19-year festival attendee. “Twenty years is 20 years, so you can benchmark it on anything you want to,” Franks said. There is something at the center of the festival that hasn’t changed in 20 years, though. “What’s stayed the same is it’s stayed true to climbing, and it’s true to ice climbing. … The camaraderie that’s come out of the group and the competitors haven’t changed. They’re all wanting to win, but they’re all supporting each other, and there’s a good message there for everybody,” Franks said. Mike McLeod, president of the Ouray Ice Park board of directors, has seen the community of climbers attending the festival grow, but he agreed with Franks — it is the camaraderie that keeps people coming back. “Ask a hundred people and a hundred will tell you, ‘I just like all the people. It’s fun to see my friends,’” McLeod said. “That seems to be the thing — the sense of community and the climbing community getting together.” See the full story in Sunday’s Montrose Daily Press.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 06:39:28 +0000
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