What a weekend of ice, adrenaline, and community spirit! From February 20–22, 2026, the world's elite ice climbers descended upon Longmont, Colorado, for the thrilling third stage of the 2025/26 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. Running alongside Colorado's premier Winterfest, it was a massive community celebration that delivered some of the most intense climbing action of the season.

🏆 The Main Event: World Cup Highlights & Results

As the crucial penultimate stop before the season finale in Edmonton, athletes were fighting hard for World Cup points and the prestigious North American Championship titles. Here is how the action unfolded on the walls:

Lead (Difficulty) Climbing: French Dominance

The Lead walls proved incredibly challenging, testing the endurance and technical skills of the world's best.

  • Men's Lead: France's Louna Ladevant proved unstoppable, claiming his third gold medal in as many events this season. He is now eyeing a historic clean sweep at the upcoming finals in Edmonton.
  • Women's Lead: The World Tour title remains finely balanced. France's Marion Salmon-Thomas took silver, securing a clean sweep of medals this season (Gold, Silver, and Bronze across three events) to maintain her overall lead.

Speed Climbing: A Liechtenstein Sweep

The speed wall delivered pure electricity, highlighted by an unforgettable family victory.

  • Double Gold: It was a golden Saturday for Liechtenstein as cousins Linus Beck (6.24 seconds) and Lea Beck (8.25 seconds) both surged to victory in the men's and women's speed finals, respectively.
  • Men's Podium: Following Linus Beck, Mongolian athletes Mandakhbayar Chuluunbaatar (6.28s) and Kherlan Nyamadoo (6.31s) rounded out an impossibly tight podium.
  • Women's Podium: Reigning overall champion Aneta Loužecká (Czechia) secured silver with a 9.33s run.

🌟 Team USA Spotlight: Catalina Shirley

The hometown crowd had plenty to cheer about thanks to an ultra-impressive performance from Team USA's Catalina Shirley. Shirley was an absolute powerhouse, successfully doubling up on medals by taking Bronze in Women's Lead and Bronze in Women's Speed (9.77s). She now sits comfortably in the top 5 of the overall World Tour standings for both disciplines.

🎉 Beyond the Ice: A Winterfest to Remember

Hosted by the Longmont Climbing Collective, Winterfest turned this world-class sporting event into the ultimate weekend hangout. Fans braved the biting temperatures to enjoy:

  • Live Music: High-energy sets from DJ Bad Bolts & Garbage Sauce, capped off with a fantastic Sunday performance by The Bonnie & Taylor Simms Band.
  • Food & Drink: A bustling village of food trucks and local craft beverages from Left Hand Brewing and St. Vrain Cidery kept the crowd fueled and warm.
  • Community: From the massive vendor village to the heated VIP tents and the highly anticipated Saturday Night Party, the local community showed up in full force to support the sport.