Every year I have the great fortune to work with several of our Armed Forces veterans. Last week I hooked up with the Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center to take some Army reservists and Marines to the Ouray Ice Park for a great day of ice climbing. This is a great opportunity for our vets to get out and learn how to push their limits in the outdoors after returning from the front lines. Each participant was struggling with their own disability, but was able to overcome it and realize the satisfaction of reaching the top of an ice climb and learning a new skill. It is always a powerful day of guiding for me and one in which I feel I gain more than my clients do. Thanks to the Adaptive Sports Center for including me in this fantastic program again!

As an extra bonus on our way out of the Park, we ran into my friend Dawn Glanc, lat year's winner of the Ouray Ice Comp and this year's third place finisher. She was returning to the comp route for some unfinished business, and put on an amazing show for us! Our first time climbers were impressed with the upper limits of ice and mixed climbing, which they had never witnessed before.
Steve Banks
UIAGM/IFMGA