- Utah’s The Scratch Pad gym trains international ice-climbing champions Conner Bailey and Mathias Olsen.
- The gym, founded by Dustin Lyons, faced challenges but relocated to Bountiful in 2024.
- Ice climbing may join the 2030 Olympics; Bailey and Olsen hope to compete.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is becoming a factory for international ice-climbing champions.
In Liechtenstein at the end of January, youth athletes from 12 countries competed in the Ice Climbing Youth World Championships. Standing on both the gold and silver podiums for speed and lead climbing were two teenagers from Utah.
As of 2026, more than half of the national youth team for ice climbing is trained in Salt Lake City, and it’s largely thanks to one gym…