Ouray Colorado

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Ouray is ranked as one of the most popular locations for ice climbing in the world. Not only do the surrounding mountains provide numerous spectacular ice-climbing routes, Ouray has the only ice park where a mile of farmed ice is available to climbers right in the city limits, easily accessible and free to all who enjoy this exciting sport.

With the accessibility of the Ouray Ice Park, more Ouray visitors are walking to the park and watching the climbers from the bridges and also from the stands built for this purpose along the top of the Uncompahgre Gorge. Climbers are usually in the park throughout the day but typically start early. CAUTION: Be sure to dress warmly and stay away from both the climbing area and edge of the gorge.

There are a number of world-class outfitters who live in the Ouray area. If you are interested in learning how to ice climb, pick up brochures for the area outfitters and guides and one of Ouray’s free “Ice Climbing” brochures at the Ouray Visitor Center or at many of Ouray’s motels.

If this sport is new to you consider staying in Ouray for several days and including ice climbing lessons with your other outdoor activities.

A Bit of History

Ice climbing enthusiasts have been coming to Ouray, Colorado since the seventies to ply their craft on a few of the steep classic's that formed on the sheer walls of the Uncompagre Gorge. Climb's such as "Stone Free" and "Tangled Up in Blue" were the stiff test pieces in the gorge located at the south end of the sleepy alpine hamlet. Wood shafted ice axes, flexible crampons, leather boots, wool stocking caps and gloves, and a considerable degree of skill and moxie comprised the tools of the day.

Although the equipment changed dramatically over the next 15-20 years, the ice climbing challenges in Ouray remained very much the same. It wasn't until some enterprising local climbers came upon the idea to manipulate a nearby water source and start spraying it over the edges of the mile long gorge that the Ouray ice climbing scene began to evolve into its present state.

In the fall of 1994, a few locals strung out some half inch pvc pipe and the odd assortment of garden hose and sprinkler heads and began to farm ice in the gorge. The results surprised even the pundits: long steep flows of crystal blue ice on previously blank rock; the Ouray Ice Park had arrived. Word spread quickly among the small ice climbing fraternity and that winter of 1994-5 saw many climbers come down to Ouray to test out the newly formed terrain.

The Ouray Ice Park (OIPI) as we know it today is a shining example of what a volunteer organization can accomplish with little capital but a lot of enthusiasm and vision. OIPI has continued to improve and expand the Ice Park each year through memberships, corporate sponsorships, and funds raised by the annual Ouray Ice Festival.

The Ouray Ice Festival is an eclectic gathering of ice climbers, gear manufacturing exhibitors, and ice climbing voyeurs simply thrilled to watch at a safe distance from the precipitous edges. This annual festival, first held in January of 1996, is now widely recognized as being the premier gathering of its kind, with familiar faces returning annually to climb, socialize, test out the latest equipment, or watch the pro's try to scratch their way up the latest competition route.

Ouray Ice Park Guides

General Ice Climbing Guides