Longtime ice climbing stud Will Gadd won the elite mixed climbing competition at the Ouray Ice Festival on Saturday, the festival reported.
The four-day Colorado event is the nation’s biggest and arguably most prestigious ice and mixed climbing competition. The 47-year-old Canadian, still recovering from injuries sustained in the previous ice climbing season, said he entered the competition with no expectations, according to Rock and Ice.
None of the competitors were able to complete a tricky man-made crack section nicknamed the Krampus. (The name is a reference to a character in German folklore who serves as Santa Claus’ assistant and is responsible for punishing misbehaved children.)
Sasha DiGiulian, arguably the nation’s top sport climber, who crashed-coursed her ice climbing education in just a few weeks, climbed well but slowly and timed out before reaching the Krampus section.