Intro:

France's Stephanie Maureau and Jeff Mercier took the top spots at the Ouray Ice Climbing competition in Ouray, Colorado this past weekend (11 January).

Script:

SOUNDBITE (English) Stephanie Maureau, Ouray Ice Climbing winner:
"The logs are so bumpy. It's always so bumpy when you have logs on the route because you are just swinging and you don't know where to put your feet and you're on figure four. From the second to the third it was a long move so it was very bumpy. But I love this kind of gymnastics, it's fun to climb."

SOUNDBITE (English) Jeff Mercier, Ouray Ice Climbing winner:
"Last year I reached the top I was second because we were two French on top and the first climbed faster than I. After this route I have to had to imagine better on each hold. It's very interesting when you climb on line you have different, better and you have to choose the right one and very fast because your arm it can't stay minutes and minutes on the same hold on your axes. So it's very interesting. It's a very interesting climb."