The following is a reprint from last year to get people psyched for ice climbing in Ouray!
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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!
The auspicious entrance ice sculpture to the ice park. Quite fitting, really.
Getting some practice on the steep WI 4’s in the South Park.
Notice the good triangle form and stable leg position
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!
A beautiful steep gully climb. To the left, there is a rope hanging on Le Saucisson, a great intro to steep mixed climbng (M6). Next to it is Chinese Water Torture. At M9, it is a testpiece at its grade and a project for many Ouray locals. Clipping bolts is the name of the mixed game in the Ouray Ice Park.
The memorial to Karen McNeill and Sue Nott, two beloved climbers who passed while climbing in Alaska.
The memorial graces the entry to the Ice Park’s upper bridge area.
Seconding some snow-covered ice. When there is a lot of snow on top of the ice, it takes extra effort to excavate the good sticks. While tedious at times, it is an excellent mountain skill (or, in many cases, a front country skill, too). Steeper lines usually do not collect as much snow as moderate lines like this, because the angle of the ice sheds snow better.
–Mike Pond, Instructor and Guide