Photo of me doing some mixed climbing at the Ouray Ice Park before the competition.

The comp route, put up by Vince Andersen at al, was excellent this year! This was my second year competing. I had fun, climbed well and ended up roughly in the middle of the pack. Click here for comp results.

Congratulations to Josh Wharton on his dominant win!

It is not easy to put yourself out there to compete at the elite level, with a crowd and judges. To all those who competed, creating a fun and supportive environment, thanks and congratulations!
Will Gadd is my hero! He ice climbed 24 hours straight, climbing over 25,000 feet of ice! See below.

Will Gadd climbed non-stop for 24 hours at the Ouray Ice Park in an event billed as The Endless Ascent to raise money for the dZi Foundation, which builds programs to improve education and quality of life in the small villages of the Himalaya. No one has pulled this sort of feat off, but if anyone can do it, it’s an ice master and freak of fitness like Will. This is a GREAT opportunity for all of us climbers to support a cause that truly makes a difference. You can get more details, follow the Twitter feed and MAKE YOUR DONATION at: www.endlessascent.org

Help support StephenKoch.com by purchasing a pair of the hottest crampons on the market, the Petzl Dartwin’s at Backcountry.com.

Cheers!