Ouray Jan1-8

[chossmonkey]

Is anyone planning to go to Ouray for the Festival? I have double room with three beds booked for the week and I am looking for a person or two more to split it with.

[Fred]

Good luck competing Choss!

[Fred]

Congrats on your big win Nathan!!!

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12w/news ... al-results

[chossmonkey]

Thanks Fred, I don't think anyone was more surprised than I was.

It super cool to be representing for Canada!

[martha]

Great work Nate!!! What is better than climbing hard, having fun AND winning?! I do hope you had some beers!!!

[Stacey]

Congrats choss on a great win!! NICE work!!!

[Dom]

Cool article about your win Choss

http://rockandice.com/news/1767-tnb-the-underdog-superdog

[chossmonkey]

Great work Nate!!! What is better than climbing hard, having fun AND winning?! I do hope you had some beers!!!

Thanks guys!!!

It might be true that the best climber is the one having the most fun. I just went into it not expecting to even get close to winning, with the goal of just trying to climb the route my best and enjoy the moment. I was just psyched to be selected to climb in the comp.

The joy I felt when I pulled onto the ice bridge was incredible. It only got better when I got onto the headwall and the crowd went nuts.

Topping out was unbelievable. At that point I didn't care if everyone else after me topped out quicker and I fully expected it. I was just supper happy that I climbed my best and managed to top out.

Without a doubt the best day of my life. I'm happy Bec was there to share it with me.


Contrary to popular belief, when my feet cut on the ice bridge I was nowhere close to falling off. I did think I was off when the ice broke at the end of the bridge when getting onto the headwall but the grate caught me and also after getting onto the headwall and I hooked a diagonal edge, committed both hands to the tool and it shifted down a little.

Here are a couple more links:

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/_print/web12w/newswire-2012-ouray-ice-festival-results

http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2012/01/ouray-ice-festival-winners/27194/

http://gripped.com/2012/01/sections/news/jan-9-2012-canadian-climbs-to-victory-at-ouray-ice-fest/

[*Chris*]

Nice send Choss! Glad to hear that you had fun.

[chossmonkey]

This is an article about the festival out of one of the local papers.

http://www.watchnewspapers.com/view/full_story/17096628/article-Mystery-Climber-Stages-Upset-to-Claim-Ice-Fest-Prize?instance=ouray_top_story

[chossmonkey]

Nice send Choss! Glad to hear that you had fun.

Thanks Chris!

I went into it just to have fun and with no expectations.

[Ken P]

Short clip on vimeo:

http://vimeo.com/34912233

[granite_grrl]

Without a doubt the best day of my life. I'm happy Bec was there to share it with me.

I'm glad that I could be there too, but I still think our wedding day was better.

[Andrew]

Hot-damn, son! Looked like you were just hamming it up for the audience with your legs coming off the ice bridge. Nice job!

[chossmonkey]

Hot-damn, son! Looked like you were just hamming it up for the audience with your legs coming off the ice bridge. Nice job!

Thanks, it wasn't intentional, but not the big deal some people made it out to be either.


Here is an interview I did with Gripped and we talk a little bit about the slip and a bunch of other stuff.

http://gripped.com/2012/01/sections/news/jan-17-2012-gripped-interviews-canadian-winner-of-2012-ouray-mixed-climbing-comp/

[Fred]

Nice interview Nathan.

Still can't belive you won Ouray!! That's awesome!

[theriault]

Still can't belive you won Ouray!! That's awesome!

+1 Good Job!!!

[chossmonkey]

Thanks!

I'm still a little shocked myself.

[Eager]

Congrats! on your comp win and your new route, it looks pretty burly.

[chossmonkey]

Thanks!

Metamorphosis was in the back of my mind for a long time. It was good to put that one to bed.