Once upon a time, ice climbing was less of a weekend hobby and more of a general necessity for people living in frozen, icy climes. If you lived in the Alps or the Himalayas before tunnels were invented, it was the original “commute from hell” where one might have to scurry up a vertical, frozen mountain pass or negotiate a slick waterfall just to get over to Aunt Heather’s house for Sunday lunch.
Back then, frozen gullies stood between climbers and wherever they were headed, be it a neighboring village or a stray goat, so they learned to move upward anyway, armed with sharp tools, warm socks and a lot of patience. These days, however, the sport has the opposite problem: Dependable ice can be harder to come by, especially around the Front Range in Colorado. This is precisely why crews in Longmont are performing a feat of modern engineering, assembling a massive 45-foot competition wall from specialized blocks frozen and stored in Denver for months, all in preparation for this weekend’s UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup.
Hosted by the Longmont Climbing Collective, 155 Pinnacle St., Longmont, the event represents a triumphant return for a facility that has recently stared down the barrel of Mother Nature’s more temperamental side. Just nine weeks ago, wind gusts estimated at 80 mph pummeled the gym, peeling off roof panels and causing over $150,000 in damage…