DENVER — The World Cup Ice Climbing Competition gathered athletes from around the world to battle it out for top prize in Denver’s Civic Center Park.

“It’s very exciting, it’s unique. A lot of people haven’t seen this kind of competition before, let alone a climbing competition,” said Adam Peters, the athlete and event manager with Petzl, a sponsor of the event.

The ice climbing competition attracted more than 100 athletes from 18 different countries. The CEO of the American Alpine Club, Phil Powers, said holding the event in Denver just made sense.

“We chose this location because it’s right in the seat of climbing — Colorado — the highest state in the nation,” said Powers.

Learning how to excel at ice climbing takes serious dedication, including having to search out gyms that cater to the sport.

“It’s very hard because you have to have training facilities that are specially made for it,” noted Powers.

As the sport continues to gain attention, particularly in the U.S., the American Alpine Club has high hopes of bringing the competition to the ultimate sports battleground: the Olympics.

The American Alpine Club is headquartered in Golden and offer memberships to those learning how to become Colorado’s newest ice climber.