The World Tour visited Longmont for a second time after an inaugural competition in 2025. The event was organised in collaboration with the Longmont Climbing Collective and the American Alpine Club supported by USA Ice Climbing. The structure itself has been built on the site of an existing climbing gym, a model which could inspire similar venues anywhere in the world.

Nearly 100 athletes from the following countries – Azerbaijan, Canada, Czechia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Japan, Lichtenstein, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States – took part. Among the dignitaries in attendance was UIAA President Peter Muir.

Lead (Difficulty): Ladevant extends ‘lead’
Having dominated the opening two World Cups of the season, Louna Ladevant repeated the trick in Longmont to make it three gold medals in as many events. If the Frenchman achieves a fourth in the season finale in Edmonton next weekend, he will have completed one of the most impressive World Tour campaigns ever.

In Longmont, Ladevant was flawless throughout, flexing his qualities through qualification and putting in the best performance in the semi-finals. That allowed him the accolade of being the last male climber to compete in the final. Unbeknown to him from the isolation tent, no athlete had topped the route with Jorge Veiga Rodriguez of Spain, in a rich vein of form, and Jonathan Arthur Brown of Switzerland having put in the best two climbs. They would ultimately have to settle for silver and bronze respectively as while not topping the route, Ladveant climbed higher than his rivals to effectively win the World Tour title.

There was no top in the women’s competition either but unlike the men’s, the World Tour title remains finely in the balance. Another French athlete Marion Salmon-Thomas will go into the final round with a 43-point lead over Netherlands Marianne van der Steen. And these two athlete both shone in Longmont. Salmon-Thomas has been the most consistent female climber and now has a clean sweep of medals – gold in Cheongsong, silver in Longmont and bronze in Saas-Fee. Making the podium was no given as a relatively off colour semi-final showing almost jeopardised her place in the final.

Van der Steen needed something special to close the gap and duly delivered. Having made countless podiums and dominated the Continental circuit in recent season, she finally achieved her dream of a World Cup gold. Reward for persistence and consistency over an extended period. A historic moment for the Dutch athlete. The ultra impressive Catalina Shirley, who had already won bronze in speed (see below), doubled up with a bronze in lead too.

Difficulty – World Tour standings after three rounds
Men: (1) L Ladevant (FRA), 300 points; (2) Y Lee (KOR), 177 pts; (3) M Kim (KOR), 170 pts
Women: (1) M Salmon-Thomas (FRA), 245 points; (2) M Van der Steen (NED), 202 pts; (3) C Shirley (USA), 165 pts

Speed: Golden joy Liechtenstein cousins
The World Tour speed competition is set to reach a pulsating climax in Edmonton next weekend with at least five athletes in the men’s and women’s competition having a realistic chance at taking the seasonal crown. It also proved to be a fantastic Saturday on the speed wall for the Liechtenstein ice climbing team who are enjoying their best ever season on the World Tour.

On the 12-metre speed wall in Longmont, athletes were given three opportunities to climb in the final with fastest time winning. Three male athletes recorded sub seven second ascents. The most impressive performer was Linus Beck who twice scaled under seven seconds, with his fastest time of 6.24 ultimately winning the competition. Two Mongolian athletes completed the podium – Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar, 6.28, surprisingly yet to medal this season, and Kherlan Nyamadoo, who had only competed in Round 1, finishing in 6.31.

In terms of the overall standings going into the final weekend, Iran’s Mohammedreza Safdarian leads the competition after his wins in the opening two World Cups. Linus Beck, with gold in Longmont, moves into third just behind teammate Florian Gantner. Also in contention for the World Tour title are Mohsen Beheshti Rad, Iran, and Chuluunbaatar.

The women’s competition is no less dramatic. A brilliant weekend for the Beck family was sealed with Lea Beck’s ascent of 8.25 ensuring a gold medal to match that of her cousin. That came in her last attempt with the pressure on. Two other females managed sub 10 second ascents – Aneta Loužecká claiming silver with 9.33 and Catalina Shirley taking bronze in 9.77.

Loužecká’s consistent performances see her take the lead in the overall standings ahead of reigning World Tour winner Selegne Nyamadoo, who could only finish in fourth, and Olga Kosek of Poland. Lea Beck now moves into fourth some 30 points behind Loužecká and Shirley is into fifth. With medals going to so many different athletes this season, expected the unexpected in Edmonton.

Speed – World Tour standings after three rounds
Men: (1) M Safdarian (IRN), 200 points; (2) F Gantner (LIE), 175 pts, (3) L Beck (LIE) 157 pts; (4) M Beheshti Rad (IRN); 145 pts; (5) M Chuluuunbaatar 131 pts
Women: (1) A Loužecká (CZE) 225 points; (2) S Nyamdoo (MON), 210 pts; (2) O Kosek (POL), 202 pts; (4) L Beck (LIE) 195 pts; (5) C Shirley (USA) 167 pts

Fixe has joined the UIAA as Official Technical Partner. The technical staff and teams at each 2026 World Cup event are using Fixe ropes, carabiners, anchors, harnesses, and helmets, with the brand covering all organisational needs in these product categories.

Further Details
Event page
Event programme
Photos
Results

How to follow the World Cups
For each World Cup event, a preview and review press release will be made available. Subscribe here to UIAA ice climbing press releases.

Livestreaming will be made available on the UIAA YouTube channel for all semi-finals and finals and certain qualification rounds.

On the UIAA Facebook and Instagram channels, shortform content including video clips and behind the scenes highlights will be posted as well as updates about livestreaming timings as well as podium winner posts and ‘climbs of the weekend’ clips.

Live results are available from the UIAA Results service.

The UIAA Ice Climbing website provides full information about each event including programmes and provisional timings.

Photos from competitions will available on the UIAA Flickr Channel. A ‘best of’ gallery for media wishing to preview the 2025-2026 season is available here.

Photo credit: UIAA/M Westlake Photography

Action commences on Saturday 21 February with the entire speed competition and the lead (difficulty) qualifiers. The following day, the semi-finals and finals of difficulty take centre stage.

Last time out: Highlights from round 2 in Saas-Fee (Switzerland)

The World Tour visits Longmont for the second time after an inaugural competition in 2025. The event is organised in collaboration with the Longmont Climbing Collective and the American Alpine Club supported by USA Ice Climbing.

Following two captivating World Cups in Cheongsong (South Korea) and Saas-Fee (Switzerland), the World Tour verdicts will be decided in back-to-back events in North America. Following the competition in Longmont, the season decider will take place in Edmonton (Canada) a week later.

Nearly 100 athletes from the following countries – Azerbaijan, Canada, Czechia, France, Great Britain, Germany, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Japan, Lichtenstein, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United States – are registered for round 3.

Lead (Difficulty): Contenders in action
Louna Ladevant (France) has dominated the men’s competition with two wins out of two. Another victory in the USA would practically seal the World Tour title. His two closest adversaries, Lee Younggeon and Min Cheol Kim of the South Korea are both registered and will seek to capitalise on any slip up by the Frenchman. In terms of the podium contenders, the men’s competition is stacked with talent. Spain’s Jorge Veiga Rodriguez claimed a first World Cup medal with a silver in Saas-Fee and has since won two Continental Cups in Malbun and Sunderland. While some athletes have taken a break from competition over the past few weeks, Rodriguez has maintained his edge. And with the likes of Virgile Devin (France), Tristan Ladevant (France), Florian and Andreas Gantner (Liechtenstein) and Jonathan Brown (Switzerland) currently registered, a high quality final eight is guaranteed.

Lead Semi-Finals. Sunday 22 February, 12:00 local time

All three of the leading women – Marion Salmon Thomas (France), Marianne van der Steen (Netherlands) and Celina Bosshard (Switzerland) will compete in Longmont further intensifying the quest to become World Tour champion. Like the men’s competition, the deeper field is highly-competitive with a significant number of athletes having their sights set on medals. This includes two athletes who regularly go deep in both speed and lead – Aneta Louzecka (Czechia) and Catalina Shirley (USA). With over 20 athletes registered, Team USA will hope to leverage home advantage.

Lead Finals. Sunday 22 February, 17:00 local time

Difficulty – World Tour standings after two rounds
Men: (1) L Ladevant (FRA), 200 points; (2) Y Lee (KOR), 130 pts; (3) M Kim (KOR), 127 pts
Women: (1) M Salmon-Thomas (FRA), 165 points; (2) M Van der Steen (NED), 102 pts; (3) C Bosshard (SUI), 102 pts

Speed: Mongolia to stake claim
With the absence of the two leaders in the men’s competition, Mohammadreza Safdarian and Mohsen Beheshti Rad, Longmont presents an opportunity for some other athletes to take the spotlight. The Mongolian men’s team have not yet hit the heights of recent seasons, or better have not hit the heights at the speed we have become accustomed to. Regular World Cup winners Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar and Kherlen Nyamdoo will both be on the hunt for a first gold of the season. However, outside of the two aforementioned Iranian climbers it is Lichtenstein’s Florian Gantner who has been the best performing speed climber.

Speed Finals. Saturday 21 February, 18:00 local time

In the women’s competition, Selenge Nyamdoo, returned to her imperious form in Saas-Fee and heads the leaderboard. However her advantage is a slender one over Poland’s Olga Kosek and Louzecka (CZE). Likely to put in strong performances are Lea Beck (LIE) and Shirley, who represents the USA’s most likely medallist.

Speed – World Tour standings after two rounds
Men: (1) M Safdarian (IRN), 200 points; (2) M Beheshti Rad (IRN); 145 pts; (3) F Gantner (LIE) 120 pts
Women: (1) S Nyamdoo (MON), 155 points; (2) O Kosek (POL), 151 pts; (3) A Loužecká (CZE) 145 pts

Fixe has joined the UIAA as Official Technical Partner. The technical staff and teams at each 2026 World Cup event are using Fixe ropes, carabiners, anchors, harnesses, and helmets, with the brand covering all organisational needs in these product categories.

Further Details
Event page
Event programme
Photos
Registered athletes

How to follow the World Cups
For each World Cup event, a preview and review press release will be made available. Subscribe here to UIAA ice climbing press releases.

Livestreaming will be made available on the UIAA YouTube channel for all semi-finals and finals and certain qualification rounds.

On the UIAA Facebook and Instagram channels, shortform content including video clips and behind the scenes highlights will be posted as well as updates about livestreaming timings as well as podium winner posts and ‘climbs of the weekend’ clips.

Live results are available from the UIAA Results service.

The UIAA Ice Climbing website provides full information about each event including programmes and provisional timings.

Photos from competitions will available on the UIAA Flickr Channel. A ‘best of’ gallery for media wishing to preview the 2025-2026 season is available here.

Photo Credit: Louna Ladevant in action in Longmont (2025). UIAA/Ian Warren

Four Continental Cups in Europe have whetted the appetite and provided athletes with a chance to find their competition form in events which have consistently attracted an impressive field of over 100 athletes from up to 25 different UIAA member associations.

One of the exciting developments for the current season is the UIAA’s partnership with Fixe as Official Technical Partner. Further details on this relationship and what it means for the season are detailed below.

The World Tour will see four World Cups staged in as many countries and on three continents. The World Tour winners will be the athletes who accumulate the most points across the difficulty (lead) and speed disciplines across the season. Once again, the quality of the national teams and climbers set to compete is impressive.

The Events: Four World Cups, four countries, four winners

The format for the four World Cups is relatively simple. Each will have a difficulty and speed event organised with qualifications, semi-finals and final stages. The top three athletes in each discipline win World Cup medals – gold, silver and bronze. Points are awarded at each World Cup stop. The overall World Tour winners, at the season’s end, are those who accumulate the most points across all competitions, rewarding consistency and an ability to shine on very different structures and routes and in frequent subzero temperatures.

The season kicks off in Cheongsong, South Korea, a host of UIAA-sanctioned events for over 15 years. The event is organised in collaboration with the always superbly hospitable Korean Alpine Federation (KAF).

Photo credit: UIAA/Julia Roger-Veyer

Two weeks later, the World Tour makes its stop in Europe and specifically the unique venue of Saas-Fee in the Swiss Alps. Generating a festival atmosphere, especially for the difficulty finals, Saas-Fee’s unique spiral vantage points ensure spectators get close to athletes like no other venue. Supported by the Swiss Alpine Club and the local organisers who have been dedicated to the event for over twenty years, Saas-Fee will also host the European Championships.

North America has become a frequent host of UIAA World Cups over the past five years. Two competitions will be held this year, firstly a second visit to Longmont, Colorado, supported by USA Ice Climbing. Longmont will also stage the North American Championships. As it did last year, the downtown venue in Edmonton, Canada will host the deciding round of the season where the World Tour winners will be crowned. The Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) support Offbeat Entertainment with the hosting of this event.

Between the Saas-Fee World Cup and the two North American competitions, the annual UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships will be held in Malbun, Liechtenstein from 29-31 January organised by the Liechtenstein Alpenverein (LAV).

World Cups
UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Difficulty & Speed) Cheongsong, Korea 9-11 January 2026
UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup & European Championships (Difficulty & Speed) Saas-Fee, Switzerland 22-24 January 2026
UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup & N. American Championships (Difficulty & Speed) Longmont, USA 20-22 February 2026
UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Difficulty & Speed) Edmonton, Canada 26-28 February 2026

The Athletes: Need for speed and overcoming the difficulties

Photo credit: UIAA/Julia Roger-Veyer

Registrations from some UIAA member associations are still pending. However, the line-up of athletes for the World Cup events is already impressive. Typically over 200 climbers from some 25 countries compete across the different events.

In difficulty, last year’s World Tour winners both came from Switzerland with Benjamin Bosshard and Sina Goetz triumphant for the first time. However, the depth of competition is impressive and, in all probability, multiple athletes will win World Cup golds across the season. Recent World Tour winners like Younggeon Lee of South Korea and Louna Ladevant of France are expected to feature as is South Korea’s imperious and multiple World Champion Woonseon Shin.

If the Continental season is a good indicator of form, then the French team is looking strong with Virgile Devin and Marion Salmon-Thomas putting in determined performances and the United States’s rising star Catalina Shirley likely to be in contention both in difficulty and in speed.

Mongolia did the double in speed last year with Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar and Selenge Nyamdoo winning the men and women’s titles respectively. Chuluunbaatar going back-to-back after emerging victorious in 2024. The speed discipline, which is either set up as climber versus the clock or climber versus climber format, is especially unforgiving. One nano second of hesitation can compromise an entire climb. The Iranian team, notably Mohsen Beheshti Rad and Mohammadreza Safdarian, will be strong contenders while in recent seasons athletes from Czechia, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the United States have regularly podiumed.

A number of national federations have invested significantly in youth development, coaching and pathway programmes and may well be rewarded this season with medals. Spain is one example, increasingly dominant on the youth circuit, a number of athletes are ready to shine at senior level.

The New Technical Partner: Fixe
In August 2025, Fixe was confirmed as the Official Technical Partner of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. The technical staff and teams at each World Cup event will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, anchors, harnesses, and helmets, with the brand covering all organisational needs in these product categories. Additionally, the world’s top ice climbers will use Fixe ropes, carabiners, and quickdraws throughout the circuit.

One exciting announcement is the new 9.5 Saas-Fee rope, Fixe’s official choice for the 2025-26 season.

“We are very happy and grateful with the partnership and for our position as technical partner. For this reason, we have decided to create and manufacture a new rope design, specifically for mountain guides. And we would like to make its official presentation when the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup competition is held in its namesake event – Saas-Fee.”
Toni Domingo, Fixe Marketing and Back Office Manager

Indeed during the weekend in Saas-fee, Fixe will carry out a number of initiatives for spectators including a speed carabiner-clipping challenge, similar to the one presented here, with many prizes to be awarded:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fixe (@fixe.climb)

In addition to those initiatives, Fixe will award the most popular athlete on the entire circuit with a special trophy: a unique rope on the market, in a colour never before manufactured. This will be delivered at the final competition of the season in Edmonton, Canada. Social media followers will be responsible for deciding and voting which athlete will be selected. Please follow the UIAA and Fixe social media channels to participate.

Photo credit: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals

UIAA Quotes
“Everything points to a great season ahead. With the support of Fixe, we will see a number of technical aspects further enhanced and improved. I would like to thank all of the organisers for their hard work in preparing the events and for their commitment to hosting top-level competitions, giving athletes the chance to perform to their best levels. We can look forward to an enthralling World Tour for those watching at the venues and the hundreds of thousands following online.”
André von Rotz, UIAA CEO

“This is the first full season overseen by the World Ice Climbing Board. It seems that ice climbing is going from strength to strength as we push forward with our project to get the sport into the 2030 Winter Olympics in France. Our now regular World Cups on three continents should be great and as always it is fantastic to see the Continental Senior and Youth Series develop even further this year with some excellent looking events offering even more competition opportunities for even more athletes.”
JoAnne Carilli Stevenson, Chair, World Ice Climbing Board

Photo credit: UIAA/Slobodan Mišković

Update: 2030 Olympic Winter Games
The UIAA and World Ice Climbing acknowledge the IOC’s decision to adjust the timeline regarding the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games discipline and additional sports programme. The verdicts related to additional sports will now be taken in June 2026, alongside confirmation of the events and athlete quotas. The UIAA reaffirms its candidacy for the inclusion of ice climbing as an additional sport for 2030. Further details here.

How to follow the World Cups
For each World Cup event, a preview and review press release will be made available. Subscribe here to UIAA ice climbing press releases.

Livestreaming will be made available on the UIAA YouTube channel for all semi-finals and finals and certain qualification rounds.

On the UIAA Facebook and Instagram channels, shortform content including video clips and behind the scenes highlights will be posted as well as updates about livestreaming timings as well as podium winner posts and ‘climbs of the weekend’ clips.

Live results are available from the UIAA Results service.

The UIAA Ice Climbing website provides full information about each event including programmes and provisional timings.

Photos from competitions will available on the UIAA Flickr Channel. A ‘best of’ gallery for media wishing to preview the 2025-2026 season is available here.

Main photo credit: UIAA/Julia Roger-Veyer

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

Furthermore, three of this weekend’s male and female lead and speed winners are now top of the World Tour rankings. Following four rounds in Asia, Europe and in North America, the final verdicts will be decided in Edmonton, Canada next weekend.

The inaugural UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Longmont, the first held in the USA since 2019, was organized by the Longmont Climbing Collective and supported by the American Alpine Club (AAC). The event welcome nearly 90 athletes from 14 countries.

However, while the headlines were claimed by the World Tour’s in form athletes, climbers from eight countries made the podium.

Image credit: UIAA/Jean Jeanneret

Lead: Double Swiss triumph

Having won his first ever World Cup in Champagny in Round 3, Switzerland’s Benjamin Bosshard has clearly developed a taste for success. On a short, technical route, he was able to hold off a strong challenge from Team France who saw Louna Ladevant, Virgile Devin and Tristan Ladevant position second, third and fourth respectively. The men’s final welcomed climbers from five countries – Canada, the United States and United Kingdom were also represented in the last eight.

Livestream Replay: Lead Finals

It sets up a thrilling final round in Edmonton next weekend with Louna Ladevant still in with a chance of reclaiming the World Tour title. However, Bosshard holds what appears to be a relatively secure 59-point lead. Tristan Ladevant will hope to move into the World Tour podium places with the current incumbent Younggeon Lee unlikely to climb again this season.

Current World Tour standings:
(1) B Bosshard (SUI) 316 pts; (2) L Ladevant (FRA) 257 pts; (3) Y Lee (KOR) 230 pts

The women’s competition has been dominated by one athlete: Switzerland’s Sina Goetz. She now has four wins from four World Cups. In Longmont, she topped the route in a rapid four minutes, 30 seconds. Goetz needed to be agile as her nearest rival Marianne van der Steen also topped, finishing in just under six minutes. Poland’s Olga Kosek showed her versatility claiming bronze having finished third in the speed event in Champagny. Going into this season, Goetz had just one World Cup to her name. She now has five and has the World Tour title secured. Will anyone be able to deny her a clean sweep next weekend in Edmonton?

Current World Tour standings:
(1) S Goetz (SUI) 400 pts; (2) M Van der Steen (NED) 262 pts; (3) C Shirley (USA) 230 pts

Speed: Mongolia sets the standard

Mongolia once again emerged with the speed gold medals although it was not the same pair of athletes who triumphed this weekend.

Selenge Nyamdoo claimed the women’s event – her third gold medal in a row to continue an amazing season where she has one silver and three victories. She registered the fastest time in the final of 12.64 to see off the USA’s Catalina Shirley, 13.64, and Aneta Louzecka, the reigning world champion from Czechia, who ascended in 13.93. Shirley is having some season – that was her second silver medal to add to the gold she claimed in Cheongsong.

Current World Tour standings:
(1) S Nyamdoo (MGL) 380 pts; (2) C Shirley (USA) 311 pts; (3) A Louzecka (CZE) 240 pts

Livestream Replay: Speed Finals

The men’s speed competition is the most open of all the disciplines going into the final round in Edmonton. With a pulsating time of 7.43, Kherlen Nyamdoo finally struck gold after a bronze and two silvers this season. That was enough to see off his compatriot Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar who clocked 8.67. Samuel Serra, USA, won his first ever UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup medal, taking bronze in 9.07. Just nine points separate the two Mongolian teammates in the standings. Edmonton promises fireworks on the speed wall.

Current World Tour standings:
(1) M Chuluunbaatar (MGL) 297 pts; (2) K Nyamdoo (MGL) 288 pts; (3) M Safdarian (IRN) 255 pts

Despite challenging ice conditions caused by weather and equipment issues, the Longmont Climbing Collective hosted an impressive first-time event. While the speed finals faced unexpected complications, the UIAA alongside the local organizers adapted the format – from duel to single, ensuring the finals were a success. The UIAA extends its gratitude to the athletes and organizers for their resilience, sportsmanship, and dedication, making for an unforgettable weekend of climbing.

A preview of the final UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup of the season, and the World Tour decider, in Edmonton, Canada will, be published on Thursday 27 February.

—

Assets for Media and Fans

Short-form content, highlights, podium posts and updates are available on the UIAA social media channels, notably Facebook and Instagram.

Event photos are available on the UIAA Flickr channel.

Live results are available from the UIAA Ice Climbing website.

A selection of ‘best of’ photos for media, prepared for the 2024-2025 season, can be found here.

Press releases will be available for all World Cup events, both previews (-3 days before) and reviews (day +1). Please subscribe to receive press releases directly to your inbox.

Please visit iceclimbing.sport for all event information, details on event programmes and timings, athlete registrations, live results and more.

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER

Image credit: UIAA/Jean Jeanneret

Evocatively named after a local peak and nestled in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains National Park, Longmont is a welcome addition to the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. It is the latest venue in the United States to host a UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup following Durango, Bozeman and Denver. The event will be organised by the Longmont Climbing Collective, supported by the American Alpine Club (AAC).

Action starts on Saturday 22 February with the lead qualification and entire speed competition. On Sunday 23 February, the lead semi-finals and finals will be staged. The full event programme can be found here. For a timezone convertor please click here.

Nearly 90 athletes from the following member associations have registered: Canada (9), Czechia (1), France (4), Iran (1), Ireland (1), Japan (7), Liechtenstein (5), Mongolia (9), the Netherlands (2), Poland (6), South Korea (2), Spain (1), Switzerland (5), United Kingdom (6), and the hosts United States (27). A full list of registered athletes is here.

Lead Preview: Who can stop Sina Goetz?

Sina Goetz of Switzerland has won all three of the women’s lead World Cups in the 2025 season, demonstrating flawless performances on three very different routes. Longmont is likely to be the final opportunity for her nearest rivals to deny her the World Tour title going into the final round in Edmonton. Woonseon Shin and Marianne van der Steen are best poised to reduce Goetz’s sizeable gap although Catalina Shirley, currently in fourth place, will seek to lead a gold medal charge from Team USA. A gold for Goetz will allow her to dream of a 500-point season in Edmonton.
Current World Tour standings:
(1) S Goetz (SUI), 300 points; (2) W Shin (KOR), 192 pts; (3) M Van der Steen (NED) 182 pts

Livestream Lead Semi Finals. Sunday 23 February. 10:00 local time (MST).

The men’s competition is more wide open. South Korea’s Younggeon Lee leads. He has not been as imperious as Goetz but having medalled in all three competitions has been the most consistent performer. However with Lee set to be absent in Longmont, opportunities open up for those in pursuit. This includes Benjamin Bosshard of Switzerland, fresh from a first World Cup gold medal in Champagny, as well as Louna Ladevant – a star performer in Saas-Fee but off the podium in Cheongsong and in Champagny. Currently in fifth place, Tristan Ladevant also has podium ambitions while USA’s Keenan Griscom, silver medallist at last years Worlds, makes his first World Cup appearance of the season. The prodigious 21-year old recently won the UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Open in Ouray. Lead routes in Longmont will not be steep but are likely to be technical.

Livestream Lead Finals. Sunday 23 February. 16:00 local time (MST).

Current World Tour standings:
(1) Y Lee (KOR), 230 points; (2) B Bosshard (SUI), 216 pts, (3) L Ladevant (FRA) 177 pts

Speed: Mongolia’s mission

Iran’s Mohammadreza Safdarian won the opening two rounds of the speed competition but found himself off the podium in Champagny-en-Vanoise. Winner of that event, Mongolia’s Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar closed the gap on the reigning world champion to set up a tantalising head-to-head over a duel format this weekend. Mongolia’s other top five male speed climber Kherlen Nyamdoo will likely push them close.

Current World Tour standings:
(1) M Safdarian (IRN), 255 points; (2) M Chuluunbaatar (MGL), 217 pts; (3) M Beheshti Rad (IRN) 200 pts

Livestream Speed Finals. Saturday 22 February. 18:30 local time (MST).

Mongolia’s Selenge Nyamdoo leads the women’s speed competition but has her nearest rivals – Catalina Shirley and world champion Aneta Louzecka as well as Poland Olga Kosek all registered and primed to take advantage of any mishap in an always unpredictable competition.

Current World Tour standings:
(1) S Nyamdoo (MGL), 280 points; (2) C Shirley (USA), 231 pts; (3) A Louzecka (CZE) 175 pts

Assets for Media and Fans

Short-form content, highlights, podium posts and updates are available on the UIAA social media channels, notably Facebook and Instagram.

Event photos are available on the UIAA Flickr channel.

Live results are available from the UIAA Ice Climbing website.

A selection of ‘best of’ photos for media, prepared for the 2024-2025 season, can be found here.

Press releases will be available for all World Cup events, both previews (-3 days before) and reviews (day +1). Please subscribe to receive press releases directly to your inbox.

Please visit iceclimbing.sport for all event information, details on event programmes and timings, athlete registrations, live results and more.

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER

Photo credit: UIAA/Julia Roger-Veyer

Continuity and evolution will be at the fore. The opening three stages of the World Cup will take place in venues familiar to athletes. All three offer contrasting experiences. Set in the secluded Korean mountains and organised by the Korean Alpine Federation (KAF), Cheongsong always offers highly technical routes and will additionally stage the Asian Championships.

For the 25th year in a row, the Swiss resort of Saas-Fee hosts a UIAA-sanctioned event, an impressive feat for the organizers, supported by the Swiss Alpine Club. Saas-Fee is a unique venue, where a very partisan and sizeable crowd are able to follow the action from many different vantage points.

The second and final European stop is in Champagny-en-Vanoise, supported by UIAA member association FFCAAM. Champagny is often referred to as a ‘winter wonderland’ and with the French Alps hosting the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, it presents an opportunity for competition ice climbing to showcase its potential in a future Olympic setting.

The World Tour concludes in North America. Over the past decade, visits to North America have become more frequent. Colorado, from Ouray to Denver, has become a favourite stop. This year the honour goes to the town of Longmont, located in the Boulder and Weld counties. The event will provide the perfect opportunity to showcase the burgeoning development of US team supported by the American Alpine Club. The AAC will host the event in partnership with the Longmont Climbing Collective.

The hosting of UIAA ice climbing events have not been confined to mountain regions over recent years. For the third time, the World Tour will visit a downtown urban area with Edmonton, Canada following on from its hosting of last year’s World Championships with the final World Cup of the season, combined with the North American Championships. The event, set against the city’s business district, is supported by the hosts Offbeat Entertainment and the Alpine Club of Canada and expected to draw a huge public.

2024 UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championships in Champagny-en-Vanoise (France). Photo: UIAA / Julia ROGER-VEYER

The World Tour format is relatively simple. At each of the five World Cups, medals are granted to the top three male and female athletes in the lead and speed disciplines. The World Tour winners are the athletes who accumulate the most points across the five World Cups. The defending champions are: Lee Younggeon and Woonseon Shin of South Korea in lead and Mongolia’s Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar and Aneta Louzecka, Czech Republic, in speed. A number of UIAA member associations have made a significant commitment to the development of their ice climbing teams. This year a sizable contingent of athletes are expected from the following countries: France, Japan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

There have also been some seminal changes to the organisation of competition ice climbing. At the 2024 UIAA General Assembly, a dedicated Operating Unit ‘World Ice Climbing’ was created. The newly formed World Ice Climbing comprises a board of elected specialists supported by two athlete representatives.

“The approved new structure of ice climbing is going to enable the people who are experts in this field to work with a greater degree of independence. This is a major step in allowing the sport to develop.”
Peter Muir, UIAA President

Full details on the creation of World Ice Climbing are available here.

Another key moment of the season is the annual World Youth Championships where athletes across U16, U18 and U20 age categories will compete for world titles. The 2025 edition takes place in Ouray, Colorado from 7-9 February. This is the first time that the Youth World Championships has been hosted outside of Europe. Furthermore, the Continental Open season is already underway with four events having taken place in Europe in November-December 2024 and the final two competitions of the season scheduled for Ouray, USA in late January and Sunderland, England, in early March.

“What a season we have lined up! It’s taken a lot of hard work to build the World Tour back up to where we were in 2019 – but the 2025 season will be amazing, with events on three continents. We are really looking forward to using this season to develop the sport in terms of bringing in new athletes, federations and fans of the sport. It will be a seminal season for Ice Climbing especially with the creation of World Ice Climbing to lead the sport forward towards a bright future!”
Rob Adie, UIAA Sports Events Coordinator

Assets for Media and Fans

The semi-finals and finals of all lead and finals of all speed competitions will be livestreamed on the UIAA YouTube channel. Please subscribe to receive reminders about streaming times. Livestream details for most events are now available.

The UIAA documentary series On Thin Ice, tracking the best moments of the 2024 season and offering a behind the scenes perspective of the sport, is available to view on the UIAA YouTube channel. Five episodes have been released.

Short-form content, highlights, podium posts and updates will be available on the UIAA social media channels, notably Facebook and Instagram.

Event photos will be available on the UIAA Flickr channel.

A selection of ‘best of’ photos for media, prepared for the 2024-2025 season, can be found here.

Press releases will be available for all World Cup events, both previews (-3 days before) and reviews (day +1). Please subscribe to receive press releases directly to your inbox.

Please visit iceclimbing.sport for all event information, details on event programmes and timings, athlete registrations, live results and more.

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER

Main photo: 2024 UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships in Edmonton (Canada). Credit: UIAA/Slobodan Mišković

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