Caleb: Can you introduce yourself?
Adam: I'm Adam Keirle from Calgary, Alberta, and I currently live in Canmore, Alberta.
C: How long have you been climbing?
A: This is my third season of climbing. I actually started with ice climbing.
C: Wait, so you went straight into ice climbing rather than the traditional gym-to-rock progression?
A: Yeah, pretty much. I started ice climbing in high school, and then I did a day of rock climbing with my buddy Tommy. He wanted to get into ice climbing, and I thought it was pretty sick, so we decided to get into it together.
C: Do you feel like you missed out by skipping the traditional gym route?
A: Not necessarily. I do enjoy rock climbing, but my passion is definitely in winter sports. I did ski racing when I was really young and was also a biathlete for six years. I was on the national team with cadets and competed with the Canmore Nordic team, so I’ve always been around winter sports. Ice climbing just made sense—it’s such a cool sport with so much to learn, from safety and rope systems to different ice conditions.
C: How has your season been so far?
A: The season’s been pretty wicked. I started off in Protection Valley, which has a brutal four- to five-hour approach. My buddy John and I took on a big climb there, which set the tone for the season. I hopped on a WI5 right off the couch, which I was stoked about.
We've also been up in Bozeman, where we found it hilarious that no one wakes up early to climb. We’d get to the crag around 8 a.m. with McDonald’s breakfast and be the only ones there. People wouldn’t start showing up until 11 or even 2 p.m.! Back home, we’ve climbed classics like Nemesis on Stanley Headwall and Icicle Fairy, a really sick mixed route. Next up, we're heading to Golden to climb Asylum, which has an awesome mixed corner and gnarly ice above it.
C: What do you do when it’s not ice season?
A: I focus a lot on dry tooling and training. My first rock season was mostly dry tooling and sport climbing, with some trad multi-pitches. Last summer, I leaned more into dry tooling to prepare for ice season. My goal was to come in strong and in a good headspace to really push my limits.
C: You've been training hard. What’s your training setup like?
A: I’ve been training with my buddy Noah, who’s new to the valley. We got him into dry tooling, and we’ve been hitting this crag called Alcatraz every weekend. Our crew, including JC and Kevin, has been super stoked on pushing ourselves.
C: Who do you look up to in climbing?
A: Definitely JC and John—they inspire me a lot. Seeing what they climb and hearing about their goals really pushes me. One of my early influences was Sarah Hueniken. I watched her film Not Alone, where she climbed the Phobias trilogy—Hydrophobia, Cryophobia, and No Phobia. The shot of Hydrophobia, this stunning WI5 line, just hooked me. I was super fortunate to climb it with John at the end of last season, which really solidified our partnership.
C: You’ve got a competition coming up. Can you tell us about that?
A: Yeah! It’s in Edmonton, and it's gaining a lot of traction. It’s a dry tooling comp where they build scaffolding in the middle of the city, cover it with plywood, and set up the routes. Canada has been a leader in mixed climbing for years, so it's cool to see competitions like this helping the sport progress.
C: What’s the difference between training for comps versus real ice?
A: In ice climbing, you often have features to rest on, but in comps, you’re on a seven-minute timer, climbing 30-35 meters of hard, isolated dry tooling. So, I shift my training to focus on comp-specific skills like figure fours, lock-off strength, and dead hangs. My buddy has a gym with comp-style holds, which helps us train for that kind of movement.
C: You’re representing NW Alpine this season. What’s been your favorite piece of gear?
A: Honestly, the Thielsen softshell pants. I wore them on Whiteman’s, and even though I had pools of water forming on my legs, my body heat dried them out completely by the end of the climb. They’re my go-to for technical ice—flexible, durable, and I don’t have to worry about puncturing them with my screws. I’m definitely a softshell convert now!
You can follow along with Adam's climbing on Instagram at @Keirle_Adam
