Day two in the Park

The day began colder with the threat of something falling from the sky. We converged on the Scottish Gullies and dropped 4 ropes. We climbed POPSTAR WI3; SUNSCREEN WI4; BY GULLY WI2;UK GARAGE WI3. The cooler temps kept the drippy routes at bay and the sun came out and the typical blue bird Ouray sky blanketed our day. John Smith, Leah Werchick, Christina, Court, Mark Elton, Ross Downer, Saif and myself climbed until we were spent. We bagan the day a little sore from the first day and today we pressed on. Pictures are to follow..internet connection sucks.

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Ross Downer sending this stiff section	Leah	Saif
Leah on her first full day on the ice on a stiffy!	Danica, San Juan Guide. We love her to pieces. She's the greatest!	John with his ice goggles from the dollar store.

Day One 2012

The First day of our yearly visit to the small mining town of Ouray Colorado for a week of ice climbing presented a gloriously warm day in the 40s with hero ice that was drippy by days end. It was warn. The day started at 24 degrees and ramped up into unthinkable temps. The best parts of this beginning is we have the park to ourselves . Gone is the zoo-like atmosphere of the ice festival of week one and vacationers of MLK weekend. I climbed today with no hat, 2 pair of work gloves that I brought along, that get wet from use since they really aren't climbing gloves of breathable material, and my base layer. I wore my nano-puff but I was roasting, if you can imagine thins while ice climbing. I never broke out my guide gloves or mittens. We climbed at the school room on WI3s and WI4s just of the couch and we all looked great for thr first day. Tomorrow we'll hit the Scottish gullies and TR WI3-WI5. FK who cares it is all Top Rope (TR). should be much colder tomorrow from here on out. pictures to follow

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Vincent	Dot & Spot
xtrian		Dot and Ross Downer
		Court
John Smith, aka, John Smith

2012 Trip and a Wake UP

Tuesday January 17th and it looks like I'll have to lug my lousy lap top around. We have a great group of climbers converging from all around the country to our favorite ice destination in Ouray Colorado. The temps are going to be a little warmer than we have seen but the nights dip down in to the single digits and the teens. This should prove to be another wonderful time at the Ouray Ice Park. Stay tuned for the fun

Looking Ahead to 2012

The 2011 ice season is hardly over and I am mentally planning the trip for next year. Right now we are looking a week in advance to go tot eh CAtskills in questionable ice when in Ouray, a weeks worth of climbing goes a very long way, with out the drive and brutal conditions.

I found the comfort Inn to be a great and convenient lodging solutiom but the lodging cost me as much or more than the air fare.


The Naz has volunteered a nifty link than can be an alterantive to pricy hotels-a pricy condo!   HAHA

http://www.vrbo.com/

Day SEVEN in the Ouray Ice Park

The last day finally came.What was suppose to be a last rest day was a determined march into the Scottish Gullies and toward the unknown. This is one of the areas of competition during the festicles and we thought we had no business in this area; what did we know. We followed Peter Smith out early to beat the crush and arrived with plenty of time to set up 2 really nice hard lines. I had come in from a different direction into the park and the warning signs to remind me to put on my crampons and helmet were not apparent, to me at least. After the anchor was set up I clipped into the static line out of habit. I prepared to thread the rope through the lockers and do the big toss. Instead I began to do the big dance and slip and to my horror I did not have my crampons on. I was slipping near the edge and luckily I had the static line in my hand. Holy Shit is right! It got serious real fast without any consequences besides a soil base layer that no one noticed right away; thank goodness for goretex. LOL

Dawn, one of the  delightful San Juan Guides, was setting up next to us for the CHICKS with PICKS gig and she deterred us from throwing a rope over a M7 route; I guess she may have seen what a dumbass I was almost killing myself and thought we belonged on pure ice instead. I rapped into a line that looked steep as shit going down and immediately thought I was going to be embarrassed trying to climb this thing. This day was not about me however and it was the best climbing we had encountered thus far.

The rap in to the Scottish Gullies.

Climbing the steeper ice was very rewarding after a week climbing varied grades of ice throughout the Park. Little did we know that awesome, doable climbing was much closer than hiking into past the school room and beyond. We were climbing just in front of the viewing stands in the Scottish Gullies. Every day we climbed, without fail brought BLUEBIRD skies and sunshine. The trip to the ice park was unbelievably pleasant! We hung out with the Mazamas from the very first day we arrived!

The same	Mazama climber Rob Paasch on M7 as John Looks on	John kickin ass and toppin out
r.Paasch	Hardman Peter Smith gobbles M7	Our belay stance until the weight of the 3 of us broke this alcove in 3
Sunshine, Blue Skies and Chicks with Picks	Visit The Ouray Brewery	John on an interesting start

Sun was just coming out on this steep pilla.	Just Below the green room	A long and steep route; Vincent
John	Vincent	Vincent
	Vincent on a longish line that gets really hard at top

Betty & Ted

We climbed every day of 7 days without a full rest day. No skiing, no dancing no badges and no disco. Just climbing ice. We went out to dinner twice, but for the most part we saved big dollars by getting awesome sandwiches from the Backstreet Bisto early before 5pm daily. The new Ouray Brewery was another great place to get reasonable vittles and of course breakfast being served daily from 7-10am at the Comfort Inn where some of us stayed with our fellow climbing hosts Betty & Ted!

In conclusion, It is a no brainer to come to Ouray to climb Ice. The amount of ice one can climb is limited by your energy and time away from your life that you can spare. We have over 500 images from 7 days of climbing and going through these pictures it is hard to remember what day it was or where we were. We had blue skies and sunshine everyday. A number of us came home with upper respiratory infections maybe due to altitude who knows; Peter left his apple laptop on the plane. No one died or was seriously hurt. The trip to Ouray was a memorable trip and we made lasting friendships and renewed old ties from previous trips to the ice park.

350 days until I return!

Day SIX in the Ouray Ice Park

Saif topping out on FingerBang WI5, day before. Vince and Jason in the riverbed a hundred feet below.

Sinking up to my knee and didn't get wet last night

We ran over to where else: SOUTHPARK, before the chicks with picks descended on the crag to snag chinpokemon WI4. I could have rapped down, but decided for some reason to use the nearby walk down with John. When I got there John was backtracking because the area I am pictured in above was even softer and deeper. I brushed him aside and tried to make it to solid ground and failed. My right foot sank up to my middle thigh soaking my foot and leg. What a PITA. I tried to ignore this wetness in the 10 degree air temps.

I jumped on the route and my hands were cold and my foot was numb, I had to come down, Stephen McCay and Alex Obert threw another rope on an easier line and I was somehow able to climb out. REST DAY.

Stephen Attacks the Pillar

I watched Vinnie prove that my fears of the river had foundation so I climbed back up the walkdown and rapped in over Chinpokomon. After Vince left because of his frozen foot (chuckle) Stephen, Alex (potential PMC member) and I (John) ran laps on Cartman's Mom Pt.2 (WI4) and Chinpokomon (WI4) 'till Alex had to leave. Stephen and I decided to give the free-standing pillar between the two routes a try. I over thought the problem, got on the wrong side, and had to give up for fear of a nasty swing if I came off. Stephen did better, and was only a couple moves from finishing the bastard off when his arms torched and he had to lower. A couple of the CWP ladies had runs on our rope, and we climbed out with packs, met Naz at the top and scooted.All in all a very satisfying day. Rumor has it that Vince saw some mountain goats on his frozen foot hike out of the park. He may have been hallucinating however.

Everywhere a sheep-sheep

more sheep

Sheep

Day FIVE in the Ouray Ice Park

Man, the routine for the past 5 days has been wake up at 0630. Walk down for Breakfast at the COMFORT INN (why stay anywhere else?) and then leave the room for the 15 minute approach to the memorial at the bridge. It was 5 degrees in the parking lot but if you don't wear hardly anything at all you'll just be warm by the time you get there to donn your helmet and crampons which are required to enter the park. And so we are walking to whatever climb by about 0810. At first it is a grind , maybe because we're all still asleep but once you get to the tree or anchor you had in mind, you quickly become focused and your day really begins.
 
We were supposed to meet Lee and Sir Simon at the bridge for a send off since they are leaving today but them slackers were no where in sight at 0800. We hooked up with Saif and the 4 of us went back to, you guessed it SOUTH PARK. We set up Fingerbang WI5, Cartman's Mom WI5 and Cartman's Mom part2 WI4 for a day of hard climbing.

Jason started up Fingerbang and did a fishflop onto a ledge and finished 4/5th of this climb but hey, WI5 on his 5th day of climbing aint too bad. John Smith, not to be out done by anyone, decides become one with the ice and take one in the face. The scarlet indicator on the route marked the mishap in all its crimson gory. I am sure he will post images for everyone to see. He is OK. It looked much worse than it looked...

Saif ran up fingerbang like it was JANS FACE at Carderock and he too left for the airport. Jason's flight has been canceled so he will be climbing with us another day. We were able gather "a" group of us for a picture with the flag. We climbed from about 9am until 230-holy shit. we were tired.

Here is the best secret in Ouray. On Tuesdays The Backstreet Bistro has a dinner special cooked by the chef and owner for you. The 5 of us made reservations and we were treated to an unbelievable dinner and catered to by the Chef/owner. NAZ turned me on to this last year. All I can say is OMG. This place is INSANE!!!!

One last tidbit. The NEW Ouray Brewery  allowed me to affix one of our CLUB Stickers in their establishment. I'll post a picture of this unique, soon to be, Landmark, here in the Town of Ouray!

		john on Fingerbang
River Running	Just before the mishap	fishflop
Motley Crew	Saif running up  the climb like he had a plane to catch	Stephan
Stephan McCay on verglass	Saif