Kimber Cross is the first female adaptive ice climber to send Bridal Veil Falls WI5/6
“...like climbing through a shower,” says Cross, the first documented person to top the testpiece with an upper-limb prosthetic.
Kimber Cross on Bridal Veil Falls. The WI5/6 route is considered one of Telluride's iconic test pieces. Photo Credit: Brooke Warren
Bridal Veil Falls, one of Telluride’s legendary ice lines, has seen its first documented female adaptive ascent.
On March 16, Kimber Cross, a sponsored athlete and kindergarten teacher, topped the 365-foot line.
It’s a landmark accomplishment in the world of adaptive climbing. Cross was born with terminal transverse limb deficiency. She has no right hand.
As a result, Cross said this is also the first time someone has sent the line with an upper-limb prosthetic.
“This one meant a lot,” Cross told Gripped. “It’s one of those that will sit with me for a while.”
The route is a major testpiece.
One of the first ascensionists, Jeff Lowe, called it the hardest technical ice climb he’d ever done at the time.
First put up by Lowe and Mike Weiss in the 1970s, the route can be WI5+ when it comes in fat. However, in leaner conditions, it can be considered a solid overhanging WI6.
The multipitch route features narrow ice pillars, shrouds, and huge mushrooms. This route, which normally is a raging waterfall in the warmer months, can be home to car-sized icicles in the cold season.
“Bridal Veil in Telluride is one of those routes people talk about. It’s serious, it’s committing, and it’s beautiful,” said Cross.
“For me, routes like this are also a chance to test what’s possible with a prosthetic ice tool in a long sustained WI5-WI6 route. That combination was hard to pass up.”
Cross’s upper-limb prosthetic consisted of a Petzl Nomic with a carbon fiber mold and titanium attachment, custom to her arm.
She said the tool performed well, but it also meant a different approach to problem-solving on the ice.
“I was born without my right hand, so I can’t switch tools between hands,” said Cross. “That changes everything about how I move, especially through technical terrain. I have to map out sequences in advance, figure out where high feet and hip position can compensate, and mentally rehearse what standard technique looks like when one of your tools is fixed. It adds a layer to prep that most climbers don’t have to think about.”
For Cross, one of the most memorable parts of the climb were the roofs.
Again, the inability to switch tools between hands required a different, deliberate approach, she said.
“High feet, stemming hard, getting my left tool high, and driving the prosthetic solid into the top of the roof. Then just tighten the core and pull through,” Cross recalled.
She gave a shout out to Elias De Andres Martos, whom she called an incredible mentor.
De Andres Martos, an AMGA alpine guide, led all the pitches and provided coaching assistance where needed.
On top of hard roof climbing, the pair had to navigate sections of what essentially was an ice-water shower.
“The other thing that sticks with me is the water,” said Cross.
“A few of the pitches were running, like climbing through a shower, and by the time you moved through them you were essentially a popsicle with gear coated in ice. Elias and I both had to work fast, knocking ice off carabiners and screws just to remove protection and keep moving. It sounds miserable but it was genuinely fun. That’s the part of climbing I love.”
Cross said the experience was a reminder of what’s possible.
“My framework is pretty simple. Can’t. Will. Did. Bridal Veil was another ‘did,’” she said.
