Climbing may have been passed over by the International Olympic Committee in its bid for inclusion in the 2020 Games, but that hasn’t stopped the Russians from including ice climbing in the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in Sochi in February.
Ice climbing will be included as a cultural demonstration taking place over two weeks during the Olympics on a world cup-style wall erected near the medal podium in the heart of Sochi.
Among seven climbers selected to represent North America, Canmore’s Jen Olson is the only Canadian female to be granted a spot. An internationally certified ACMG/IFMGA mountain guide, Olson was selected on the basis of having competed in Ice Climbing World Cup events before, and because of her extensive experience teaching the sport.
“I feel totally honoured and super lucky to promote my passion to Canada and the world,” Olson said about her opportunity to represent Canada on the Olympic stage.
But first she has to get there.
While European, Asian and Russian climbers who compete on the ice climbing world cup circuit enjoy generous funding and high calibre, well organized team support and training programs, Canadian and U.S. climbers are very much on their own as they attempt to raise the money necessary for airfares and other travel expenses.
Olson needs to raise $12,000 alone to cover the cost of airfare not just to Sochi, but also to several competitions to prepare for the Olympic event. To help do that, she’s initiated a campaign on the Canadian athletes’ fundraising site, http://makeachamp.com/jen. And, she’ll gratefully accept points.
“We need support,” said Marc Beverly, an internationally certified mountain guide who sits on the UIAA (International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) ice climbing commission and who was responsible for selecting the North American climbers. “These guys (Europeans) train really hard, and they know how to do it. They pull together; here (North America), we’re on our own.”
While Beverly has been fortunate to train with members of the Russian world cup team, Cranbrook, B.C.’s Gord McArthur, who, along with Nathan Kutcher of St. Catharines, Ont. completes the Canadian contingent, recently competed, albeit unofficially, at the Korean national championships as part of his training program, placing seventh.
“There’s great international sportsmanship,” Beverly said. “This is a very international community.”
In the Rockies, Olson has been working on strength training in the gym, climbing at Elevation Place and also dry-tooling – climbing with ice axes and crampons on steep and overhanging local rock routes – to prepare for Sochi.
In mid-December, she’ll compete at Bozeman, Montana’s annual ice festival, which this year is the inaugural UIAA North American Championships. A precursor to being a world cup event next year, she expects to compete against at least eight women, three of whom are European world cup athletes.
Following that, she’ll head to Ouray, Colorado’s popular ice climbing festival in January, where she first competed in 2007. From there she plans to travel to world cup competitions in Romania, Switzerland, France and Italy, before arriving in Sochi.
Although ice climbing is slotted to be a demonstration sport at Sochi, without any formal competition, its inclusion is with the purpose of demonstrating both lead and speed competition events to spectators from around the world.
“We’re going to be demonstrating the sport to people in general to introduce it as a sport for future Olympics,” Beverly said. “And the UIAA wants to see a really good show.”
That, Olson said, is exactly why she wants to gain as much world cup experience as she can before Sochi.
“The Russians are really good at this sport,” Olson said. “They dominate in numbers and on the podium. And if I’m representing Canada at the Olympics, I want to be at my best.”
World cup ice climbing is very different from traditional ice climbing on frozen waterfalls. Although climbers do swing ice axes and wear crampons, competitive ice climbing is terrifically gymnastic, and, Olson says, involves “swinging like a monkey.” Competitions take place indoors or outdoors on plywood walls fitted with plastic holds similar to indoor gym climbing. The walls are dead vertical to overhanging, so the climbers have to master strenuous figure-4 moves and swing their ice axes into free-dangling logs and ice cylinders that sway when pierced.
“It’s not the same (as waterfall ice climbing) at all,” Beverly said. “It’s a totally different mindset, and the training is very sport specific. It’s a great spectator sport.”
The world cup circuit, he added, has evolved since 2000, when Canmorites Kim Csizmazia and Will Gadd won the women’s and men’s (respectively) overall world cup titles.
“It’s a lot different now,” Beverly said. “The competitions are different and the competitors are twice as strong. Westerners think we’re really good, but we’re not. We need a stronger presence, and eventually we’ll get there.”
Olson agrees.
“It’s absolutely other-worldly watching the talent at world cup comps,” she said. “And I really enjoy getting super strong training for the goal and meeting talented athletes from around the world.”
The specifics of climbing on world cup structures are challenging and sometimes frustrating, however, as climbers must figure out exactly how to hook the tiny point of their axes precisely onto each hold.
“The most frustrating thing is you fall off before you’re tired or pumped,” she said. “Usually it’s because you placed your pick the wrong way, more often than failing physically.”
As for the structure at Sochi, Olson expects it to be refrigerated since the venue is located close to the rather warm sea. No matter the challenges, Olson said she plans to represent Canada the best she can, especially with her mother being there to watch her.
“The whole reason for me to be going to Sochi is to help promote the sport of climbing,” Olson said.
“You meet people who tell you climbing changed their lives. Climbing has given me lots. It’s given me a lifestyle of physical fitness, being a guide allows me to work and travel around the world, and I meet so many interesting people in so many different places. Climbing also gives you a powerful way of appreciating the natural environment and a healthy way to connect others with the environment.”
To contribute visit http://jenolson.ca/ or watch her at http://igg.me/at/IceClimbingSochi2014/x/4613882
