Durango will be host to the nation’s first International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation youth mixed climbing competition this holiday season.
The two-day event will take place Dec. 30-31 at Buckley Park and will feature a 32-foot tall, 16-foot wide artificial climbing wall that will challenge some of the world’s best young climbers, ages 15 to 21.
Mixed climbing uses ice axes and crampons, typically used to climb ice, to ascend difficult sections of rock, or in this case, artificial rock.
Marcus Garcia, a local professional climber and owner of The Rock Lounge in Durango, is training five local youths who will compete in the competition. Garcia said the governing body, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, is getting support in part from a movement to bring mixed climbing to the 2020 Winter Olympic Games. The Association of International Olympic Committee Recognized International Sport Federations is sponsoring the series.
Mixed climbing was featured as an exhibition at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
“We’re actually putting the steps forward for our future Olympians to represent the U.S. in mixed climbing, which hopefully will be in the next Olympics,” said Garcia, an Olympic hopeful himself. “This is like a stepping stone.”
Garcia currently is competing in the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup in Bozeman, Montana. He said he hopes the Durango youth competition becomes an annual event.
“It’s the first time it’s ever happened in the United States,” Garcia said about the young athletic field. “It’s a pretty big deal.”
bmathis@durangoherald.com
