The New York Times | January 2006

Photo by Keith Ladzinski for The New York Times

Outdoors

Path of Most Resistance

The novices will slide aside and the world's elite ice climbers take over the frozen walls of the Uncompahgre Gorge this weekend at the 11th annual Ouray Ice Festival in Ouray, Colo.

The five-day event attracts climbers from around the world for clinics, parties, auctions and competition. Qualifying rounds for the open rock-and-ice competition began Wednesday, with 35 climbers vying for spots in this weekend's finals.

Twenty-three climbers representing eight countries will compete today in the finals in the "difficulty" discipline. Climbers face a complicated route that is designed so most of the climbers will not finish; they are then judged on speed and technique. Judging involves a 10-point scoring system with categories like beauty of line, efficiency, security, artistry and difficulty.

Tomorrow, a final will be held in speed climbing, and it is an open field. Climbers ascend two routes -- each about 100 feet -- and are judged on their speed alone. Last year's winner, Will Gadd, finished one route in 50 seconds and the other in 1 minute 2 seconds. He has qualified for the finals in the difficulty discipline, in which he finished second last year to Ines Papert of Germany.

The Ouray Ice Park, more than a mile long, is part of the Uncompahgre Gorge, starting seven blocks from downtown Ouray. A plumbing system shoots overflow water from the city over the sides of the walls of the gorge, creating walls of ice. The event's organizers said that extremely cold temperatures in December created excellent ice conditions for the season.