A total of 76 athletes (52 men, 24 women) from 15 member associations – Canada, Czechia, Finland, France, Iran, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK and the United States competed in the lead (difficulty)-only competition held at the O’BLOC Climbing Centre, a host of UIAA-sanctioned Continental Cup events since 2019.

Under the event’s evocative lighting and festival feel, both the men and women’s competitions saw the final eight athletes compete for the medals. The routes were relatively short and punchy with four minutes allocated for the women and three minutes and thirty seconds for the men. In the women’s competition gold went to Marianne van der Steen, Netherlands, a regular medallist both at continental and world level over recent seasons. The Dutch team also took the bronze medal with Annick Teepe starting where she finished last season, on the podium. Marion Salmon-Thomas, France, bagged silver, adding to the bronze she secured in her very last competition, which was the event in Bern last year.

A familiar face and former world champion, France’s Louna Ladevant, won the men’s competition as the only climber to top the route. Ladevant had not competed in Bern since 2019 and a gold performance so early in the season bodes well for the world level events starting in January. Silver went to Oliver Hamerský, a medallist on the senior level for the first time. Hamerský, 19, has competed at youth level over recent seasons. With the continental level events partially conceived to provide athletes transitioning from the youth to senior competitions with a pathway, his success pays testament to this vision. Host country Switzerland’s only medal of the weekend came via consistent performer Jonathan Arthur Brown who claimed bronze.

The continental level events come thick and fast with athletes already focusing on next week’s competition in Zilina, Slovakia on Saturday 29 November.

The 2025-2026 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour welcomes Fixe as the Official Technical Partner. The technical staff and teams at each UIAA ice climbing event will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, anchors, harnesses, and helmets. Additionally, the world’s top ice climbers will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, and belay stations throughout the circuit. Further details related to Fixe initiatives will be communicated across the season.

Photos from the competition in Bern will be available shortly.

Further Resources

Event Programme
Event Page
Registrations
Live Results

Main photo: Louna Ladevant climbs to gold. Credit: Hugo Vincent

Over 70 athletes from 15 member associations – Canada, Czechia, Finland, France, Iran, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, the UK and the United States have registered for the lead (difficulty)-only competition. Host nation Switzerland, through the Swiss Alpine Club, will bring an impressive team of 19 athletes.

The 2025-2026 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour welcomes Fixe as the Official Technical Partner. The technical staff and teams at each UIAA ice climbing event will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, anchors, harnesses, and helmets. Additionally, the world’s top ice climbers will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, and belay stations throughout the circuit. Further details related to Fixe initiatives will be communicated across the season.

The Continental tour is both a forerunner for the main event – the World Tour series which runs from January to the end of February with four World Cup events on three continents. The Continental events have a somewhat dual identity: they offer a proving ground for rising talents and a platform where established contenders can assert early dominance.

Five of the six athletes who finished on the Continental Tour overall podium last season – the leading three women – Haruko Takeuchi (Japan), Annick Teepe (Netherlands) and Ilona Serrar (France) as well as two of the top three men – Jonathan Brown (Switzerland) and Jan Mondzelewski (Poland) – will be in attendance in the Swiss capital.

Several athletes who have podiumed on the world stage will also add lustre to the competition, including world champion in women’s speed Aneta Louzecka (Czechia), Marion Salmon-Thomas (France), Lea and Lorena Beck, sisters from the Liechtenstein team, Marianne van der Steen (Netherlands) and Franziska Schönbächler (Switzerland).

The event in Bern, organised in collaboration with O’BLOC, has been a regular host of continental events since 2019. Action takes place on Saturday 22 November with the women’s qualification in the morning following by the men’s qualification. The women’s and men’s finals commence from 19:30 local time with livestreaming available from the UIAA YouTube channel.

Further Resources

Event Programme
Event Page
Registrations
Live Results

Photo credits: @hugovincentphotography / @obloc.ch

The world-level events in the UIAA Ice Climbing calendar commence on 9 January 2026, with the continental circuit kicking off in the middle of November. It promises to be an another enthralling season as the UIAA pushes towards the dream of ice climbing becoming part of the 2030 Winter Olympics – a decision on the sports programme for the Games should be made during the 2026 winter season.

Over 200 athletes from over 25 member associations are set to contest the coveted UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup lead and speed titles. Five venues on three different continents will offer unique ice towers, exciting routes and supreme technical challenges.

World Cups & World Youth Championships
Five events, Five countries, three continents

The season opener will again be held in Cheongsong, South Korea from 9-11 January. The municipality of Cheongsong and the Korean Alpine Federation (KAF) have been a longstanding organiser of UIAA Ice Climbing World Cups and recently committed to hosting events until the year 2030.

After a weekend’s gap to allow athletes to rest after the change in continents, the World Tour heads to Europe for the second round at another of its regular venues. Saas-Fee, Switzerland (22-24 January) has been an ever-present host of UIAA-sanctioned events since 2002 with its distinct ice dome offering a unique structure for competition. Built within the resort entry point, the venue in the Swiss Alps regularly attracts large crowds particularly for Saturday evening’s lead competition. The competition is organised by the experienced team in Saas-Fee and the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC).

The third world level event of the season will be the World Youth Championships which makes a welcome return to the idyllic wintery setting of Malbun, Liechtenstein (29-31 January), which first held the event back in 2018. The competition, which will also host a Continental Cup for senior athletes on the 1 February, is organised in by the Liechtensteiner Alpenverein (LAV).

Another rest weekend will follow to allow athletes to change continents again to return to last year’s debut venue for the World Cup series in Colorado. Longmont will play host to the third round of the World Cup from 20-22 February. The event will be hosted again by the Longmont Climbing Collective and supported by the American Alpine Club (AAC).

The final stop in the series will be a third visit to Edmonton, Canada – 27 February-1 March – hosted by Offbeat Entertain and supported by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) – right in the city centre. This follows on from the inaugural event at the venue held earlier this year. As part of this initiative, the general public will be able to test themselves on the ice wall on the Sunday after the competition. Edmonton will crown the World Tour winners.

Event pages – including livestreaming information, event programmes and registration details – will be available in due course on iceclimbing.sport

Quotes
“We’re thrilled to launch the 2026 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour calendar, returning to iconic venues and expanding our Continental Cup presence across Europe and North America. With the support of our new partners (to be announced in due course), it promises unforgettable moments for both athletes and fans.”
JoAnne Carilli-Stevenson, World Ice Climbing Board Chair

“It’s great to be working with established and experienced World Cup and Continental Cup organisers on the 2026 World Tour. I am especially looking forward to a return to Malbun, Liechtenstein for the World Youth Championships – this was my first event on the World Tour back in 2018! The youth have lots of opportunities to compete this season and I really hope we can grow the future of the sport.
Rob Adie, UIAA Sport Events Coordinator

Reigning World Tour winners
The reigning World Tour overall winners from 2025 are Benjamin Bosshard / Switzerland (men’s lead), Sina Goetz / Switzerland (women’s lead), Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar / Mongolia (men’s speed) and Selenge Nyamdoo / Mongolia (women’s speed).

World Championships
The next UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships will be held in 2027. This follows a decision from the World Ice Climbing Board to return to hosting Championships in odd years and for the UIAA and World Ice Climbing Board to work on developments and enhancements to the pinnacle event in the sport.

Continental Opens
A total of seven Continental Opens are being hosted in the 2025-26 season in Slovakia, Switzerland, Czechia, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, the USA, England and Finland. Young climbers will also have the opportunity to test themselves in more competition environments with events being organised at most of this season’s Continental Opens.

Provisional 2025-2026 Calendar

World Cups
9-11 January – Cheongsong, South Korea
22-24 January – Saas-Fee, Switzerland
20-22 February – Longmont, USA
26-28 February – Edmonton, Canada

World Youth Championships
29-31January – Malbun, Liechtenstein

Continental Cups & Youth Events
22 November – Bern, Switzerland
29 November – Zilina, Slovakia – Youth Categories
6 December – Brno, Czechia – Youth Categories
13 December – Utrecht, Netherlands – Youth Categories
1 February – Malbun, Liechtenstein – Youth Categories
6-8 February – Sunderland, England – Youth Categories
7 March – Oulu, Finland – Youth Categories

The full calendar of events can also be viewed here.

Main photo credit: UIAA/Slobodan Mišković

Bern, the capital of Switzerland home city of the UIAA, plays host at the O’Bloc Climbing venue. A Continental Cup was lasted staged at the venue in November 2021. The event programme can be found here. Following qualification rounds in the morning, the finals for women and men take place from 18:00.

Coverage of the finals will be available from the UIAA YouTube channel:

A total of 72 athletes from 15 nations are currently registered including five of last weekend’s six medallists. Haruko Takeuchi of Japan and Spaniard Henoc Garcia Montaya will seek to build on the gold medals won in Zilina and extend their lead in the overall standings. A full list of registered athletes can be found here.

Round 3 of the European continental season takes place in Brno, Czech Republic on Saturday 7 December. The World Cup events, the first of five, start on the weekend of 10-12 January in Cheongsong, South Korea.

Further Information
Bern event page
UIAA Ice Climbing 2024-2025 season calendar
Operating Unit ‘World Ice Climbing’ created

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER

Photo: The last UIAA Continental Cup held in Bern. Credit: UIAA/Hugo Vincent

The world-level events in the 2024-25 UIAA Ice Climbing calendar commence on 3 January 2025, with the continental circuit kicking off at the end of November. 

Approximately 150 athletes from over 25 member associations are set to contest the coveted UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup lead and speed titles. Six venues on three different continents will offer unique ice towers, exciting routes and supreme technical challenges.

Please also refer to the recent news article related to updates in the post-season, the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, and work of the Ice Climbing Governing Group. Furthermore, from 6-7 July the UIAA and FFCAM, la Fédération française des clubs alpins et de montagne, are organising the second annual UIAA Ice Climbing Stakeholders meeting – a two day workshop in July to shape the future direction of competition ice climbing. Further information here.

World Cups: Six events, six countries, three continents

The opening UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup of the season is a welcome return to China on 3-5 January 2025 – the exact venue is still to be confirmed by the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA). This will be the fifth World Cup to take place in China – previous events were held in Beijing and Hohhot. The second event of the season takes place in Cheongsong, South Korea from 10-12 January. The municipality of Cheongsong and the Korean Alpine Federation (KAF) have been a longstanding host of UIAA Ice Climbing World Cups.

After a weekend’s gap to allow athletes to rest after the change in continents, the World Tour heads to Europe for the third round at another of its regular venues. Saas-Fee, Switzerland (23-25 January) has been an ever-present host of UIAA-sanctioned competitions since 2002 with its distinct ice dome offering a unique structure for competition. Built within the resort entry point, the venue in the Swiss Alps regularly attracts large crowds particularly for Saturday evening’s lead competition.

The fourth World Cup of the season will be in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France (31 January – 2 February) organised in collaboration with FFCAM. After hosting the World Youth Championships last season, the event returns to the World Cup fold – it is sure to be another exciting and always idyllic wintery event.

Another rest weekend will follow to allow athletes to change continents again before arriving at a exciting new venue for the World Cup series in Colorado. Longmont will play host to the fifth stop of the tour from 21-23 February 2025. This new stop will be held on the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park and follows events previously staged in the state – in Boulder and in Denver. The event will be hosted by the Longmont Climbing Collective and supported by the American Alpine Club (AAC).

The final stop in the series will be a return visit to Edmonton, Canada – 27 February –1 March – the event supported by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) – right in the city centre, will also feature the YEG Ice Fest. This follows on from the inaugural event at the venue held earlier this year. As part of this initiative, the general public will be able to test themselves on the ice wall on the Sunday after the competition.

Reigning World Tour winners

The reigning World Tour overall winners from 2024 are Younggeon Lee / South Korea (men’s lead), Woonseon Shin / South Korea (women’s lead), Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar / Mongolia (men’s speed) and Aneta Louzecka / Czech Republic (women’s speed).

Franziska Schonbachler (Switzerland) in action at the 2024 UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships in Edmonton. Photo credit: Slobodan Mišković / UIAA

World Youth Championships & Continental Opens

The date and venue for the World Youth Championships are yet to be confirmed and will be announced in due course. Young climbers will also having the opportunity to test themselves in more competition environments with events being organised at most of this season’s Continental Opens. A total of six Continental Opens are being hosted in the 24-25 season in Slovakia, Switzerland the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the USA and England.

Provisional 2024-2025 Calendar

World Cups
3-5 January – TBC, China
10-12 January – Cheongsong, South Korea
24-25 January – Saas-Fee, Switzerland
31 January – 2 February – Champagny-en-Vanoise, France
21-23 February – Longmont, USA
27 February – 1 March – Edmonton, Canada

World Youth Championships
TBC

Continental Cups & Youth Events
23 November – Zilina, Slovakia
30 November – Bern, Switzerland – Youth Categories
7 December – Brno, Czech Republic – Youth Categories
14 December – Utrecht, Netherlands – Youth Categories
25 January – Ouray, USA
8-9 March – Sunderland, England – Youth Categories

Other Events
11-13 October – Youth Training Camp, Brno, Czech Republic
18-20 October – Continental Training Camp, Brno, Czech Republic

The full calendar of events can also be viewed here.

Woonseon Shin (South Korea) at the 2024 Saas-Fee – UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup. Photo credit: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals

Quotes

“Everybody, from the UIAA Office to the Governing Group to the event organisers have worked very hard to put in place the biggest and best calendar for a number of years. We are excited to announce a number of top-level events. However, this is only one part of the work being done with the UIAA delivering on feedback given by both organisers and athletes from the most recent season and working to create a more sustainable future for the sport. The next few years promise to be very exciting for all involved in competition ice climbing.”
Martin Lascano, Chair, Ice Climbing Governing Group

“The return to six World Cups is significant and great news for all involved. Having two competitions in Asia, Europe and North America creates a very balanced calendar with visits to well-established venues and exciting events in new locations.”
Rob Adie, UIAA Sports Events Coordinator

UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Open – Champagny-en-Vanoise, France. Photo credit: Photo: UIAA / Julia ROGER-VEYER

On Thin Ice: Episode One Coming Soon

The UIAA is delighted to announce the launch of a new accompaniment to the UIAA Ice Climbing season. On Thin Ice is set to unveil the drama and untold stories behind the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup. This emotional documentary will take viewers beyond the competition itself and provide an unfiltered look at the athletes, their passions, the intense battles, and the parties that define the sport. From the real ice and alpinism in remote landscapes around the world to the intensity of the competition arena, the documentary promises an immersive experience that transcends the sport and will capture the imagination of all sports fans.

As the producers state: “We’ll meet the athletes and delve into their personal struggles, triumphs, and the unbreakable camaraderie that binds them together on the World Tour. We’ll live every moment of the competitions with them.”

Through intimate interviews and unfettered access, On Thin Ice promises to be an emotional rollercoaster that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats. The trailer for episode 1 is available (see below) and the full episode is scheduled to go live on Saturday 29 June – please subscribe to the UIAA YouTube Channel for updates.

Podcasts: Spreading knowledge about the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour

Want to discover more about the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour? Look no further than the UIAA podcast, Mountain Voices. Across each episode, experts from the climbing and mountaineering world discuss issues that impact climbers and mountaineers. Episode #1, available on all major podcast platforms, addresses competition ice climbing and features the contributions of Rob Adie, UIAA Sports Event Coordinator, as well as athletes Gordon McArthur and Eimir McSwiggan.

Furthermore, the UIAA’s Rob Adie features in the latest episode of Ice Ice Beta, a podcast about ice climbing, mixed, and dry-tooling. A recent episode also featured UIAA competition ice climber Kevin Lindlau (United States) and also the an episode featured athletes Willis Morris and Oz Miller from the Scottish Drytooling Club.

Further Information

Subscribe to the UIAA YouTube Channel for reminders and updates. Visit the channel for a wealth of content (livestreams from competitions and short form content)

To subscribe to press releases please click here.

Photos, free of restrictions for editorial use, are posted for each competition on the UIAA Flickr channel. 

Follow the UIAA social media channels, notably Instagram and Facebook.

Visit the UIAA Ice Climbing website for further information about the World Tour.

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER

An impressive span of 47 athletes (30 male, 17 female) from 15 countries took part in the lead only event. It proved to be the most ‘international’ competition the UIAA has been able to organize since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In both categories, Swiss athletes made local advantage count. Nikolay Primerov took the men’s competition ahead of compatriot Jonathan Brown. However with six different nationalities in the top ten, it proved to be a wide open event on a route set by a team including multiple UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup winner Yannick Glatthard.

Swiss athletes filled the first four place in the women’s competition with Sina Goetz continuing the impressive progress she has made over recent seasons. As the only climber across the entire competition to top the lead route in the final she saw off the determined challenge of Vivien Labarile.

All results can be found here.

As this event contained competitors who do not reside in Europe, the results have been filtered to remove them from the Overall UIAA European Cup Rankings – the original results from the event can be seen here.

The current UIAA Ice Climbing European Cup Overall Rankings can be seen here.

A replay of the livestream can be viewed here:

For further information on the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour please click here.  The next scheduled event is the next round of the European continental competition to be held in Žilina, Slovakia on 27 November.

All photos credit UIAA/Hugo Vincent. Photos can be downloaded from a dedicated album on the UIAA Flickr channel.

TITLE SPONSOR UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR