You may have seen a wall of ice at Louise McKinney Park (no, not like Game of Thrones), and wondered, “Who is willingly climbing that?”
More than 90 ice climbing athletes will be at the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup, part of YEG Ice Fest. And Edmontonians can come and watch the world’s best climbers. From Feb. 26 to Mar. 1, athletes from more than 20 countries will compete in different styles of ice climbing on the Climb YEG wall.
The facility, which opens Feb. 26, offers dry-tool climbing, ice climbing and high-end sport climbing. Adam Luciuk, owner of Climb YEG and the event producer of the 2026 Ice Climbing World Cup and YEG Ice Fest, explains that climbing on just one surface makes a climb “too easy, and it’s not consistent.” Climbing athletes, on average, ascend the wall in eight seconds, whereas the general public can take two or three minutes. To keep it a fair competition, ice climbing walls are regularly maintained to comply with regulations.
In addition to watching the world’s best in the UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup, YEG Ice Fest has a number of beginner friendly “try it” activities and family events, so if climbing eight storeys holds no appeal for you, fear not. Ice Fest also has workshops to improve your outdoor skills, an expo with a variety of local businesses (including beer gardens) and an after-party to celebrate the action-packed weekend. For the brave, there is also a community competition on the last day of the World Cup. Take it as a chance to try something new!
Luciuk says the sport is “a combination between working on your strength and working on your technique,” that appeals to a growing number of athletes. The interest in climbing sports has grown exponentially, which Luciuk credits to the Olympics and the appeal to a broad range of people who want to work on their problem-solving skills, strength and endurance.
In fact, a conversation is underway about including ice climbing as a demonstration sport at the 2030 French Alps Olympics, which Luciuk hopes will encourage Canada to develop its ice climbing team. “There are four places in Canada where you can watch this sport live, and Edmonton is one of them,” adds Luciuk. Otherwise, you might have to travel internationally to find live ice climbing in countries such as the United States, Korea and Switzerland.
In hopes of inspiring future ice-climbing enthusiasts, Climb YEG is also developing programs outside the World Cup. “We’re working on stuff that people can do that may be a little bit adventurous, but doesn’t require learning those specialized skills.”
2026 Ice Climbing World Cup February 26 – March 1, 2026
Louise McKinney Park | 9735 Grierson Hill NW, Edmonton | 780-718-4878 | climbyeg.com
