Lurking in the background of today’s climbing news — between flashy bouldering videos, alpine first ascents and the latest 5.15 sport routes — lies the exciting and fast-paced, yet least understood climbing genre of them all: ice climbing competitions.

Their anonymity comes, in part, from the fact that they no longer take place on ice. Competitors proved years ago that climbing ice is too simple for a competition format. They needed a steeper, more challenging medium that would push athletes both physically and technically.

Enter the modern day “ice comps,” where plywood overhangs spackled with screw-on holds meet swinging boxes in horizontal roofs — and ice is utterly absent. Athletes “dry tool” these routes — hooking artificial holds with the picks of their ice tools — that are typically 60 to 100 feet long, with a time limit between six and eight minutes. At least, that’s how they looked during the most recent Ice Climbing World Cup season that wrapped up this month in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Edmonton World Cup, this season’s fifth and final event, also served as a stand-alone competition called the North American Ice Climbing Championships. Front Range climbers Keenan Griscom and Catalina Shirley placed fourth and second respectively, yet they ranked first among North Americans, earning them both gold medals.

Griscom, of Lakewood, has been climbing ice since he was 5 years old, and competing since he was nine. In 2022 he became the youngest (17) American to win the high-profile Ouray Mixed Climbing Competition, which he won again this season, now 21, amid a strong field of 45 men.

But even his peers wonder what goes on at these misnamed events. “I have so many climbing friends who are like, wait, it’s an ice comp but there’s no ice?” said Griscom. He explained that now, the young and upcoming ice athletes have never climbed ice at all. Instead, they come from rock competitions, with their coordination boulders and dynamic, full-body antics — all of which match the style of the Ice World Cup.

Shirley, of Lafayette, began ice climbing and dry tooling in Durango at age 14. Under the tutelage of Marcus Garcia, who launched the first youth ice climbing team in America, her initial trepidation turned to skill, strength and confidence. “Last year I was the first American ever to make it on the podium in Lead,” she told me. Later that season Griscom also podiumed.

Just like in rock competitions, ice comps have a Speed discipline. It’s here where ice is actually found. Wielding special, lightweight tools, competitors — often side-by-side — race up a vertical ice wall 39 to 49 feet tall. In Korea this season, Shirley took gold in Speed.

“It was pretty cool watching her,” said Griscom. “She was definitely more motivated and did more training than any other season.” Having recently graduated from CU in Integrative Physiology, Shirley had time to compete in all five World Cups, in both disciplines. Of all 10 events she never placed below fifth, which is incredible considering how easy, and common, it is for a pick to unexpectedly pop off a hold.

And that’s where practice comes in. Both climbers train at the Ice Coop, a dedicated dry tooling gym in Boulder and the first of its kind in the country. “Once we had a place to start experimenting and setting and practicing pacing… it drastically changed how everyone was competing,” said Griscom.

At the Ice Coop, both climbers also coach fellow competitors, set routes and savor the tiny yet vibrant brotherhood and sisterhood surrounding ice-free ice comps. “Honestly, the community is what always draws me back,” said Griscom. “It’s just the tightest group of people, and everyone is so incredibly supportive.”

Shirley echoed, “Everyone who does it is very close because it’s such a small sport. Even on the international scene there are eight women finalists and we’re often from eight different countries but we’re all really close friends.”

Perhaps the real misnomer in “ice competitions” isn’t the first word, but the second. Sure, everyone aims to climb their best, but Griscom and Shirley both relish the unique fun and friendship between athletes. As Shirley said, “We just want to build each other up and watch each other succeed.”

Contact Chris Weidner at cweidner8@gmail.com. Follow him on Instagram @christopherweidner and X @cweidner8.