Ouray 2015

Happy New Year of climbing Ice.

I know it's only September 2014 but I have already priced tickets from DCA to MJT is $465. I heard you may get a better deal actually calling the airlines.

I am planning on arriving at the same time, just after MLK weekend, on Wednesday and staying for at least a week.

This is a club trip that's not really a club trip because there aint no deposits, no schedules, no puissant race for the best bunk ( well unless you rent a house or something I suppose), no requirement for membershit, and especially, no stinkin badges.

Comes as  you are, climb your ass off, make new friends.

The are new climber clinics provided by San Juan Guides that you'd take for a day or 2 gear provided for the clinic, then you can simply join the group and climb in the park. Newbies come every year, who are now ice mongers. You can arrange gear rental with the shops or guide service for the remainder of your stay....You can find all this info somewhere on this website; you don't need a car. Many hotels will pick you up and drop you off at the airport in Montrose if you stay with them...the ice park is a leisurely 10 minute walk and so on.

SO,  WEDNESDAY January 21th-2015 is when the fun can begin YMMV.

We someties forget to get everyone together for a group picture until people have left and at the last possible minute.

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Day 5: Back to the Shool Room

John wanted to lead something so we returned to School Room on this day. Ryan Jones joined us this morning who hooked up with us through Mark Eldon who joined our last year. Ryan is a guide in Washington and we were fortunate to climb with him and pick his brain for tips and tricks. Another wonderful session in the park. Chicks with Picks had a few clinics going on and the empty rope police began hounding us as they should for hogging climbing lines that no one was climbing.

Day 4 in the Scottish Gullies

We got an earlier start this morning in anticipation of a an early weekend crowd that never really materialized. Setting up at the Scottish gullies was the typical snap. The designated anchores are marked at the yellow wands and there you find bolted anchors in the rock.....THANK YOU OURAY ICE PARK. We set up some some nice routes and climbed all day. I climbed next to Jim Domini and his partner who loves golf and i shot a video of them climbing....they were featured in Rock and Ice having just climbving the &^%&^%&^$%^&$ up camp bird road.

Jim Pasterchek	reason for living	Greg Christopolus
BFF	John, Jim, Hellion, Scott	A group of us for 2014
		John Smith
	Crewage	Ouray from box canyon
Vincent	Vincent	Joe
Scott Hartsock	John

Day 3 in The Grad School

After a hearty breakfast at the backstreet Bistro we arrive at grad school. At 45 meters, This area has some of the longest routes in the park. We have an opportunity to use the refined and standardized technique of belaying from the top in guide mode and lowering with an act or similar device with an auto block demonstrated by the San Juan Mountain guide- Dawn Glanc. The crew arrives and we set up 4 lines down the into the gorge. The ice on the harder routes down stream were excellent with solid WI4 from the bottom for 10-15 meters. Lee, Scott, Todd, Joe, John, Jim and myself.

Newbie awrd could go to Ellen who kisked holy ass on this trip.	Scott , a beast on the ice in his own right!	Lions on the Beach
Crew on a beautiful Ouray day	Ellen's smile can be seen in Denver as she is lowered on the crag's hardest line. not bad for a newbie!	John
Add caption		Playing with marbles!~
		Newbie of the year!

Day 2 in the School Room

Day 2 in paradise was like every other day except this year we rented a car and were at the park with even less effort if that were possible. Greg Christopolus joined us this day 12 years since he last swung an ice tool; Greg is our 70 year old new addition to our crew who kick ass. Be began the day at school room and were hard pressed to beat the Korean contingent who arrive for an ice climbing course. You never met a friendlier or a more enthusiastic crowd at the park! So much fun. One thing that was different this year was the city of Ouray purchased the ice park from the USFS but still run by the Ice park personel. The city's liability insurance does;t cover manmade structures per se so the scary stair are closed off and only used for emergencies. The downside to this is we must use the heinous down climb up stream. Most people do just fine but I would have to hook something and take the plunge with all your gear down this gully. I clipped the ropes on the way down for shits and giggles....One image shows the big log jam on the down climb. The weather was beautiful. about 30ish or warmer, ice was dry and the sky was blue. What else do you want?

Greg Christopolus and Lee Jenkins	Traffic jam on the down climb in School Room	Add caption
Crew from Denver: Todd, Joe, Scott and Annette	Beasty mixed climber	Jim Pasterchek
Vincent	John Smith	Joe, lee, Scott
	no snot sicles	from the catwalk looking down in to the School room
Joe and Annette