As part of this effort, the Anti-Doping Commission of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) held an educational lecture ahead of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Saas-Fee, Switzerland which took place on 23-24 January. The session was attended by all competing ice climbers.

During the lecture, Prof. Dr Nenad Dikić explained what will change from 2027, including updated rules, possible sanctions, clearer handling of supplements from a “contaminated source,” and increased awareness of the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process.

The UIAA continues to invest strongly in anti-doping education and testing. With more than 17 years of continuous activity in this field, the federation remains committed to protecting clean sport and supporting athletes through clear rules and informed decision-making.

For further information click here.

Photo credit: Marija Andjelkovic

Lead (Difficulty): Woonseon Shin back to her best
The difficulty finals in Saas-Fee are one of the highlights of the entire World Tour. A pulsating atmosphere, a knowledgeable and passionate crowd, and routes which draw out the very best from these elite climbers.

In the women’s competition, eight athletes from seven countries were given six minutes to tackle a complex, technical route. Demanding a balance of speed, poise and strength, it was perhaps perfectly suited for South Korea’s Woonseon Shin, a legend of the sport. Despite having only qualified in seventh place, Shin – who had only competed in the speed event at her home World Cup in Cheongsong, raised her game in the final. Her trademark balance and control, and an uncanny ability to never look rushed, came to the fore. In the end time was her foe as with the top in sight the clock ran down. However, the 45-year old had set a benchmark that the following climbers could not beat. It maintains an impressive run of performances for the South Korean who finished third and first in her last two visits to the Swiss venue. Consistently impressive throughout recent seasons, the Netherlands’ Marianne van der Steen, with great purpose, powered her way into second and Marion Salmon-Thomas, enjoying an brilliant season, won bronze and retains her lead in the overall season standings. Salmon-Thomas had won in Cheongsong.

The men, negotiating a slightly longer route, were given seven minutes to climb in the final. Athletes from six countries made the final eight. The clear favourite was Louna Ladevant, a serial winner in Saas-Fee and gold medallist in the season opener in South Korea. Before the event he remarked: “The Cheongsong win is already a big step in terms of the overall ranking. Another win here would be great – Saas-Fee is a venue where I have won a lot and the atmosphere is always amazing.” Ladevant put down a marker with a dominant performance in the semi-final meaning he earned the right to be the last climber to go in the final, always the most prestigious slot in the Saas-Fee programme. He duly delivered a terrific performance to dominate the field. Like Shin he finished close to the top before being timed out and then delighting the crowd by doing the traditional Saas-Fee jump. Ladevant’s performance relegated virtual leader Jorge Veiga Rodriguez into second place. However the 20-year old Spanish climber was delighted to claim a first World Cup medal. The ultra consistent Younggeon Lee of South Korea won bronze to keep the pressure on Ladevant in the overall standings.

In terms of the European Championships, the difficulty discipline was decided by the semi-finals scores. Louna Ladevant claimed the gold followed by teammate Virgile Devin and Lichtenstein’s Linus Beck.  Franziska Schönbächler won the women’s title, Switzerland’s best result of the weekend, and ahead of Marion Salmon-Thomas and Lea Beck.

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: Safdarian extends lead
As detailed in the preview press release, Iran’s Mohammadreza Safdarian is at home in Saas-Fee. His past three visits had yielded a gold, silver and a bronze. After winning the opening round of the season in Cheongsong two weeks ago, he repeated the feat. Instead of the regular duel (climber v climber) format, Saas-Fee opts for the solo format, climber versus the clock. In the final rounds this means each athlete has three attempts. Whoever records the fastest time, wins. With a blistering ascent of 8.60 seconds, Safdarian took the gold. For compatriot Mohsen Behesthi Rad it was a case of peaking too early. He actually recorded the fastest time of the competition, 8.55. However it came in qualification. In the final his time of 9.06 was enough for the silver medal, which bettered the bronze he claimed in South Korea. Florian Gantner of Liechtenstein, in a time of 9.14, also improved his Cheongsong performance by one position to claim bronze, his first ever World Cup medal. He also claimed the title of European champion as the Saas-Fee programme also counts as the European Championships. Joining him on the European podium were Nils Martin Dolf of Switzerland and Gantner’s compatriot Linus Beck.

Having not made the podium in Cheonsgong, Selenge Nyamdoo (Mongolia) – winner of the 2025 World Tour title – returned to form in Saas-Fee. Her ascent in 11.29 seconds pulverised the competition. In the women’s event the bar was raised for the final with times significantly faster than the qualification round. Nyamdoo’s time seemed to inspire others. Lorena Beck of Liechtenstein, who won the Saas-Fee World Cup in 2024, posted a time of 13.13 to finish second while reigning world champion and 2024 World Tour winner Aneta Loužecká, Czechia, ensured she was the only female speed athlete to podium at both World Cups to date. Her time of 13.29 ensured third place. Lorena Beck’s older sister Lea came fourth and Olga Kosek, Poland, who won the Cheongsong World Cup finished in fifth. Lorena Beck was also crowned European champion ahead of Loužecká and Lea Beck.

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 in Saas-Fee
Fixe, Technical Partner of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour, ran a number of exciting initiatives during the weekend. This included a speed competition for those onsite with details provided in the post below.

The technical staff and teams at each World Cup event are using 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.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fixe (@fixe.climb)

In addition to Fixe, a number of delegates attended the event including representatives from UIAA member federations FFCAM (France) and the SAC (Switzerland), UIAA CEO Andre von Rotz and a significant contingent from the UIAA Office and the entire World Ice Climbing Board. The event also proved a perfect showcase for visiting dignitaries working on the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games organisation.

The next round of the World Cup, the third of four, takes place in Longmont, Colorado (USA) from 20-22 February. Next weekend the focus switches to the World Youth Championships and Continental Cup in Malbun, Liechtenstein.

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/Kaspar Kellerhals

An impressive 137 athletes from 19 countries have registered for this year’s competition, a 13% increase on last year which itself was a 16% improvement from the year before. Not only is the depth a testament to the continued growth and appeal of the sport, the quality is equally startling.

Competition, which also counts the European Championships, takes place on Friday with the difficulty (lead) qualifications and entire speed competition before Saturday’s conclusion of the difficulty event. This is always one of the most electrifying moments of the season and a huge crowd converges on the spiralled venue to gain a close appreciation of the poise, precision and technique of the athletes. This passionate support often inspires incredible feats on one of the World Tour’s largest walls.

The expert local organizers, supported by the Swiss Alpine Club, always put on a memorable competition for athletes and fans alike.

Speed: Climber versus the clock
In terms of the speed competition, single format will be deployed meaning it is climber against the clock. Saas-Fee often witnesses some incredibly fast ascents. Having won the opening round in Cheongsong, Mohammad Reza Safdarian will be the athlete to beat. The Iranian loves competing in Saas-Fee. In his last three visits he has taken a gold, silver and a bronze with a mesmerising sub-8 second climb earning him the World Cup title last season. Competition will be fierce. Both Saikhanjargal Otgonbayar (Mongolia) and Mohsen Beheshti Rad (Iran), medallists from Saas-Fee will be present, as will two-time World Tour champion Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar.

Speed Finals, Friday 23 January, from 20:00 local time (check your time)

Poland’s Olga Kosek excelled in the opening round, winning her first World Cup gold. Having finished fourth in Saas-Fee last year she has the pedigree to be among the contenders this weekend. Both world champion Aneta Loužecká (Czechia) and Catalina Shirley (USA), medallists in Cheongsong, will look to better their round 1 performance while reigning World Tour champion Selenge Nyamdoo seeks her first medal of the season.

Difficulty: Louna Ladevant to extend Saas-Fee run?
Form suggests it will be hard to look beyond Louna Ladevant for the men’s difficulty. The French athlete has won on three of his last four visits to Saas-Fee. He also made a statement winning the opening World Cup in South Korea. Strong competition will come from within his own team. Virgile Devin is the only other athlete to win gold at the event since 2022 while Tristan Ladevant is a regular Saas-Fee finalist. In fact last year he took second place, denied only by his younger brother. South Korean athletes Kim Min Choel and Lee Younggeon, on the podium in Cheongsong, will take inspiration from compatriot Heeyong Park’s past gold medal performances in Switzerland.

Difficulty Semi-Finals, Saturday 24 January, from 11:00 local time (check your time)

Switzerland through Sina Goetz and Petra Klingler have enjoyed recent gold medal success at the event. In their absence, a strong host team will seek to delight the home crowd with another top spot. Franziska Schönbächler, second last year, is one such contender. The field is wide open. Marion Salmon-Thomas (France) already has two gold across the current Continental and World Cup season. USA’s Catalina Shirley will hope to better last year’s fourth place. South Korea’s Woonseon Shin has climbed to Saas-Fee gold in the past and finished third last year.

Difficulty Finals, Saturday 24 January, from 19:00 local time (check your time)

This year’s event also counts as the European Championships.

Fixe in Saas-Fee
Fixe, Technical Partner of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour, will run a number of exciting initiatives during the weekend. This includes a speed competition for those onsite with details provided in the post below.

The technical staff and teams at each World Cup event are using 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. This new rope will be pre-launched during the weekend in Saas-Fee. Please follow the Fixe social media channels for further details.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fixe (@fixe.climb)

World Tour Leaderboards

Difficulty (Lead)
Men: (1) L Ladevant (FRA), 100 pts, (2) M Kim (KOR), 80 pts, (3) Y Lee (KOR) 65 pts
Women: (1) M Salmon-Thomas (FRA), 100 pts, (2) C Shirley (USA), 80 pts, (3) J Kim (KOR) 65 pts

Speed
Men: (1) M Safdarian (IRN), 100 points; (2) S Otgonbayar (MON), 80 pts, (3) M Beheshti Rad (IRN), 65 pts
Women: (1) O Kosek (POL), 100 pts, (2) A Loužecká (CZE), 80 pts, (3) C Shirley (USA), 65 pts

Further Details
Event page
Event programme
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: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals

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

For the organizers in Saas-Fee, supported by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), it was a poignant weekend. The hosts marked the 25-year anniversary of welcoming competition ice climbing to the resort while remembering one of the architects of that feat –  Dario Andenmatten who tragically passed away in October. Dario was a pioneer in the creation and evolution of ice climbing events in Saas-Fee. The UIAA presented the organizers with a certificate of appreciation in recognition for 25 years of hosting a diverse array of competitions – notably World Cups, World Championships and World Youth Championships.

The lead finals, as is tradition, concluded a thrilling final day. With spectators packing ever vantage point, climbers were given extra inspiration as they scaled one of the World Tour’s most vertical routes.

In the women’s event, eight athletes from six countries contested the final. Incredibly five would top the route, meaning the medal places came down to who ascended fastest. The tightest gap proved to be for the bronze medal position where reigning world champion Woonseon Shin (KOR) pipped Catalina Shirley (USA) by a mere two seconds. After failing to medal in her home event last time out, Shin took her first podium finish of the season. The gold and silver places were contested by two Swiss athletes – Sina Goetz (photo, above) and Franziska Schönbächler. Goetz, gold medal winner in Round 1 in South Korea prevailed, completing the route with a little over 90 seconds to spare. Schönbächler, third in the World Championships last year, had been the fastest in the semi-finals and silver caps an impressive weekend. With two gold medals, Goetz leads the overall standings following two flawless performances.

Lead Finals: Replay

The men’s final was contested by eight athletes from four countries. And like the women’s event, the top two went to the same national team. In fact, to the same family. Louna Ladevant (main photo), the dominant force in men’s lead ice climbing, during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, returned to form to seal gold as the only athlete to top the route. In doing so he denied his older brother Tristan a first ever World Cup gold. Ahead of next weekend’s competition on their home ice tower, an impressive statement from the Ladevant brothers. Bronze medal went to Younggeon Lee, one of three third places for the South Korean team. After two rounds Lee leads the World Tour as only athlete to medal in both competitions.

The speed competition in its fastest time wins, athlete against the clock format, was entirely held on Friday evening. With a blistering ascent of the 15m wall in 7.67 seconds, Iran’s Mohammadreza Safdarian took gold for the second week running to retain leadership of the World Tour. Mongolia’s Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar, 8.25, and South Korea’s Joon Kyu Park, 8.53 claimed silver and bronze.

Speed Finals: Replay

Mongolia would go one better in the women’s competition. Selenge Nyamdoo’s ascent in 11.83 pulverised the competition. Adding to her silver in Cheongsong, she now leads the World Tour rankings. Lea Beck (LIE), took silver in 14.28, and reigning world champion Aneta Louzecka (CZE), bronze with a time of 15.31.

The UIAA thanks the local organizers in Saas-Fee as well as the SAC and all bodies involved in the exceptional delivery of the event and looks forward to future collaboration. The UIAA delegation at the event included Honorary Member and former President Frits Vrijlandt, CEO Nils Glatthard and three office staff – Rob Adie (Sport Events Coordinator), Carol Kahoun (Project Manager) and Philippe Quintart (Mountain Safety Project Manager). International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) President Urs Wellauer and IFMGA Secretary Christoph Schaub were also in attendance.

Full results, and the latest World Tour rankings are on the UIAA Ice Climbing website.

The turnaround to the next competition, round 3 of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour in Champagny-en-Vanoise, France, is a short one with action taking place between 30 January and 1 February.  A preview of the event will be published on Wednesday 29 January.

Whilst the World Cup competition was taking place in the Swiss Alps, the North American Continental Open was staged in Ouray, Colorado. Keenan Griscom and Sara Lilley took the gold medals at an event which acts as a something of a precursor for rounds 4 and 5 of the World Tour which will take place in North America. An impressive 54 athletes representing Canada and the United States took part.

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

Photos: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals

Over 125 athletes from the following member federations will take part: Czechia (6), Finland (8), France (8), Germany (1), Iran (9), Ireland (1), Japan (7), Liechtenstein (8), Mongolia (5), Netherlands (3), Poland (10), Slovenia (3), Slovakia (6) South Korea (11), Spain (5), Ukraine (1), United Kingdom (10), United States (10). Highly competitive host country Switzerland brings a squad of 14 athletes. A full list of registered athletes is available here.

Lead preview
All four gold medal winners, and consequently current World Tour leaders, from Round 1 in Cheongsong are in attendance. In lead, Lee Younggeon, South Korea, will hope to better his two previous visits to Saas-Fee which saw him twice take bronze. The Swiss team are likely to have a huge say in the medal count. Sina Goetz not only proved dominant two weeks ago but has a silver and a gold from her last two World Cups in Saas-Fee.

Lead Semi-Finals, 25 January, 11:00 local time

In the men’s event, the Ladevant brothers from France will seek to build on their return to competition last time out; Iran’s Mohammadreza Safdarian, a medallist in lead and speed in Cheongsong, will hope to impress at a venue where he has always performed better in the latter discipline; the Swiss team will have high expectations for the increasingly strong showings of Benjamin Bosshard and Jonathan Brown.

Lead Finals, 25 January, 19:00 local time

Goetz will face close competition from within her team in the women’s event with Vivien Labarile improving year on year while strong challenges are expected from Eimir McSwiggan (Ireland), Marianne van der Steen (Netherlands) and Catalina Shirley (United States). Having lost out on a medal place in her home event, South Korea’s Woonseon Shin, current world champion and reigning World Tour winner, will plot a return to form. She won in Saas-Fee in 2024.

The lead wall has been extended during the off-season. It now reaches the top of the competition venue, adding further vertical challenges to the always demanding technical routes.

Speed preview
The speed event, on a 15m wall, returns to athlete versus the clock format. In Cheongsong, European athletes failed to medal so the likes of world champion Aneta Loužecká (Czechia) and the Beck sisters, Lea and Lorena (Liechtenstein), will aim to overturn that statistic and confront strong teams from Iran, Mongolia, South Korea and the United States. Gold medallists from Cheongsong – Safdarian and Shirley – have their sights set on building their advantage in the overall standings.

Speed Finals, 24 January, 20:00 local time

Action starts on Friday 24 January with the lead qualification and entire speed competition. Saturday 25 January, when a sizeable spectator crowd is expected, is reserved for the lead semi-finals and finals. The full event programme is available here.

The UIAA will provide livestream of both the speed finals (20:00 local time – 24 January) and the lead semi-finals (11:00 local time – 25 January) and lead finals (19:00 local time – 25 January). For a time zone convertor please use the following link. Embed codes for the livestreams can be found below. Please subscribe to the UIAA YouTube channel for reminders and updates.

Before the lead finals, a minute’s silence will be held in memory of Dario Andenmatten who tragically passed away in October. Dario played an instrumental role in the organisation of UIAA competitions in Saas-Fee and this weekend presents an opportunity for all involved to pay their respects and celebrate his legacy.

Saas-Fee is not the only UIAA competition on the horizon with a Continental Open taking place in Ouray, United States from 24-26 January. Over 50 athletes from Canada and the USA have registered. Further details here.

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

Main photo: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals

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

Speed: Dramatic Finishes

The scene was set on Friday evening with the enthralling speed competition. Athlete versus a 15m sheet of vertical ice. And the clock. In the men’s event, the predicted battle between Team Mongolia and Team Iran came to fruition. In clocking a time of 7.20, Mohsen Beheshti Rad of Iran set the fastest time. Unfortunately for the reigning world champion that came in qualification. In the final his ascent of 8.11 was only bettered by Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar. Having seen his teammate Kherlen Nyamdoo claim gold in the opening round in Cheongsong, 23-year old Chuluunbaatar set a blistering 7.88 in the final to seal gold. It proved to be a solid evening for Iran with Mohammadreza Safdarian earning bronze with a time of 8.77

After two rounds, the World Tour leader boards are (photo above):
(1) Chuluunbaatar MGL 180 points, (2) Rad IRN 120, (3) Safdarian IRN 116

The women’s event proved even more dramatic. Having won the opening World Cup of the season and then travelled to the North American Continental Cup in Ouray to take silver, the Czech Republic’s Aneta Louzecka heads the World Tour leaderboard. Her time in the final of 13.78, the fastest to that point, look set to seal another gold. Only Liechtenstein’s 18-year old sensation Lorena Beck (below), double speed and lead world youth champion, could better her time. Despite a little slip towards the top of the ice wall, Beck’s time of 13.77 was enough for a dramatic gold medal. Poland’s Olga Kosek, who was narrowly denied a medal in Cheongsong, claimed bronze with a time of 14.31.

After two rounds, the World Tour leader boards are:
(1) Louzecka CZE 180 points, (2) Kosek POL 120, (3) Lorena Beck LIE 100

Lead: Peerless Shin takes another gold

The men’s lead competition arguably witnessed the biggest surprises. Having returned to competition in style at a Continental Cup last weekend, world champion Louna Ladevant was expected to lead the charge of Team France. However to the gasps of the Saas-Fee crowd, he missed a dyno relatively early into his final climb and would finish in eighth place. Three other French climbers made the final – Virgile Devin (main photo), Tristan Ladevant and Nathan Clair. It was the former who prevailed. The 23-year has enjoyed gold medal success at continental level and having come closest to the top of a highly technical Saas-Fee route, his wait for World Cup gold was over. Tristan Ladveant finished second with Lee Younggeon, second in Cheongsong, taking bronze to head the World Tour standings.

After two rounds, the World Tour leader boards are:
(1) Lee KOR 145 points, (2) Kwon KOR 100, (3) Devin FRA 100

In the women’s event, Woonseon Shin (above) became the only athlete to take gold medals from both World Cup rounds. Furthermore, the veteran South Korean athlete claimed first place at last weekend’s UIAA Ice Climbing Continental Cup in France. Completing the set, Shin was the only climber to top the Saas-Fee route. It puts her in a strong position to take the World Tour title in the deciding round of the series, to be held in Edmonton, Canada from 16-18 February. As last climber of the weekend, Switzerland’s Sina Goetz, first in the semi-finals, enjoyed the partisan support of the home crowd as she attempted to match Shin’s achievement. She would fall with the TOP marker in sight and the clock agonisingly ticking down. Bronze went to France’s Marion Salmon-Thomas.

After two rounds, the World Tour leader boards are:
(1) Shin KOR 200 points, (2) Salmon-Thomas FRA 120, (3) Goetz SUI 117

The event was organised in partnership with the Swiss Alpine Club and the host team, led by Kurt Arnold and Dario Andenmatten. It marked the 24th time that Saas-Fee has hosted a UIAA competition. Amongst the delegates in attendance were Seulki Kim from Youngone Corporation/Outdoor Research and IFMGA President Urs Wellauer. Medalists also received timepieces from Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix. The watches presented came from a range made from ocean-bound upcycled plastic. Further details here.

The next UIAA Ice Climbing competition is a Continental Open in Oulu, Finland on 3 February. The World Cup season closes on 16-18 February with a tantalising double-header, a World Cup and World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.

Photos: UIAA/Kaspar Kellerhals

Results from Saas-Fee
Photos 

UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD TOUR PARTNER