Bye bye Guy

I was pretty stunned to hear this week about the news that Guy Lacelle had been wiped out by an avalanche at the Bozeman Ice Festival in Montana, US. Guy was a very special character in the ice climbing community, with a very individual style on and off the ice. When you saw the truck and the dog in the car park, you knew the master was around. Along with Francois Damilano, Guy was the shining light of pure ice climbing in a changing world of 'fruitboots' and 'drytooling'. I probably had more respect for him than any other ice climber in the world. His quiet, methodical and controlled approach to ice was totally his own. In the few chances I had to climb alongside him, I learned more about how treat ice, than through any other medium or any other person. He was the ice man.

Guy cruising effortlessly as he did.