After the Psairer Bauernmeisterschaft championships is before the Ice Climbing World Cup. In one week (29 to 31 January) the best athletes of this rising sport battle it out on Eisturm Rabenstein for victory and for valuable World Cup points. 

In the Ice Climbing World Cup the pace will quickens. Last weekend the best ice climbers in the world met in Cheongsong in South Korea. Now they all move to Saas Fee in Switzerland and in eight days’ time this elite of the sport arrives in Corvara in Val Passiria. Ice climbing is similar to Alpine skiing where the January classics take place in Adelboden, Wengen, Kitzbühel or Schladming: The tour stops in Saas Fee and then in Corvara are the ultimate events for the ice climbing stars.

Registration figures are the proof: 43 women and 85 men from 19 different countries and three continents have so far registered for the World Cup in Corvara. “This is the highest number in the whole of the World Cup and we are more than a little bit proud that so many good athletes want to participate here”, explains the Chair of the Organising Committee, Reinhard Graf.

The World Champions are here: Graf and his team of the Association Verein Eisturm Rabenstein are ably supported in organising the event by the Alpine Association Alpenverein Südtirol. They look forward to welcoming the two reigning world champions, Russian Alexey Tomilov and Korean Woon Seon Shin. Local athlete Angelika Rainer from Merano, three times world champion in difficulty climbing and current runner-up world champion in this discipline will also be there. The younger generation is represented by David Oberprantacher from Val Passiria, born in 1999. For him the World Cup is a rehearsal for the Junior World Championships (U22, U19 and U16), which will also take place in Corvara during the first weekend in February.

“The preparations for the World Cup are nearing their final stage and the various jobs focus more and more on the details. We are in a very good place and we already look forward to the athletes from countries all over the world. We look forward to hosting them and to welcome the nearly 2000 spectators that are expected to visit Corvara on 30 and 31 January”, concludes the Chair of the Organising Committee Reinhard Graf.

INFO:  Climbing World Cup