This weekend, I ran a one-on-one ice climbing instruction course with Zheng Yang, an aspiring alpine climber and one smart cookie (he was in the military as an explosives expert and is now a mathematics major at Columbia).
It was a great weekend for the ice here in the park, and it was great to have some one-on-one time to really hone in on Zheng Yang’s ice technique. Here’s some photos from the weekend. (Note that they are thumbnails. Click on the pictures for the expanded files). Enjoy!
Getting some practice on the steep WI 4’s in the South Park.
Working steep technique. This stuff gets hard! It’s almost like a little chimney with a roof on top.
Techy, pumpy, and really great climbing!
Look ma, no axes! Nope, this isn’t Photoshopped – this is a great way to work on your balance,
footwork and using the available holds to your advantage. And it sure doesn’t make you pumped!
After the first powder dump of the month. The storm hit the area with up to 24″ of light powder.
Oh yeah, the skiing in the Ouray area is awesome, too!
The memorial to Karen McNeill and Sue Nott, two beloved climbers who passed while climbing in Alaska.
Beautiful Ouray, Colorado.
Thanks for looking. It was a great weekend of climbing in the prime season of ice climbing in Ouray. Stay tuned to the blog for more updates on the ice season, as well as various climbing techniques to hone your ice climbing game. Climb on!
–Mike Pond, Instructor and Guide