ICE REPORT (last updated: 02/03/2009)
Summit County
Lincoln Falls is pretty beat-up and not receiving much attention. Less ice than usual this year.
Lincoln Falls is pretty beat-up and not receiving much attention. Less ice than usual this year.
| Candlestick | 11/13 | Forming but not climbable yet. |
| Glenwood Ice fall | 11/26 | Glenwood Iccefall is very thin and possibly could be climbed by an experienced party. There is ice from top to bottom but it is thin and stilll in the process of forming. My guess is with another week or two of cold temps and some snow the ice will be completely formed and thick enough to protect the climbing with long screws. Meanwhile, be careful!! |
| Mt Lincoln Ice | 11/13 | Mount Lincoln ice is IN. The lower flow, Scottish Gully etc is in good shape. The Upper flow is a little weak but there is one good pillar on the right with potential for more on the left. The water flow is not what it usually is so please be gentle so as to not knock down more ice than necessary. The mixed climbing right now is very good. |
| Tony's Nightmare | 11/13 | Not IN yet. |
Front Range
Very little ice. Nothing in the Boulder area. Moffit Tunnel has ice but nothing in the Hesse Chimney. We're having a very dry season.
Very little ice. Nothing in the Boulder area. Moffit Tunnel has ice but nothing in the Hesse Chimney. We're having a very dry season.
| Flatirons other places | 10/26 | Nothing has formed still too warm and no moisture |
Clear Creek Canyon
There is some ice in the usual places but not as much as last year at this time. Lots of people and the ice is very chopped up. The ice is beginning to restore itself with the recent warm temps.
There is some ice in the usual places but not as much as last year at this time. Lots of people and the ice is very chopped up. The ice is beginning to restore itself with the recent warm temps.
| Coors Light etc | 10/26 | Nothing yet. Still too early |
Boulder Canyon
Boulder Canyon is dry. Better to not expect too much ice here this season since the water level in the pipes is low and the holes have been repaired.
Boulder Canyon is dry. Better to not expect too much ice here this season since the water level in the pipes is low and the holes have been repaired.
| Castle Rock Climbs | 10/26 | Nothing yet. Too early. Maybe in mid-December |
RMNP
Black Lake slabs and West Bench routes are IN. Loch Vale has less ice than usual and is seeing a drop off in traffic. Grace Falls is IN. Jaws has NOT formed. The Squid has NOT formed. There is some ice in Jewel Lake area. Most alpine gullys have lots of snow but not ice. Lots of windpacked snow!!
Black Lake slabs and West Bench routes are IN. Loch Vale has less ice than usual and is seeing a drop off in traffic. Grace Falls is IN. Jaws has NOT formed. The Squid has NOT formed. There is some ice in Jewel Lake area. Most alpine gullys have lots of snow but not ice. Lots of windpacked snow!!
| Alexander's Chimney | 11/13 | Alexander's Chimney conditions are a little thinner than has been the case the past two years but there is still enough ice to justfy the long walk in there. The first two pitches have abit more ice than usual with rock gear being the primary protection for pitch #1 and screws for pitch #2. The pitch exiting the chockstone is thin on ice but BIG on excitement. Carry a couple of .7 cams and maybe a #3 cam for the exit. The upper part of this poitch is ice with cams and nuts protecting it. The last pitch is all rock. |
| All-Mixed-Up | 11/19 | Went into All Mixed Up yesterday (Nov. 18th) and found that it had changed alot in one week. High temps and many ascents have taken their tow. Pitch #1 is in pretty good shape, all screw prtected. Mostly 13cm with 1 or 2 16cm. Pitch #2 is interesting. Either take the melting curtain to the right (3/4 TCU protection, maybe .5 cam)onto a short steep ice step and conectice patches and rock until the belay at about 65meters. The last pitch is still in good shape but it too is melting out fast. Not much snow on the approach hike. SNEAKERS!! |
| Dreamweaver | 11/13 | Dreamweaver is getting climbed and is OK shape. There is still more snow than ice on this climb but it is still fun and seeing ascents almost every weekend. After this latest storm it might just be deep snow. We'll have to wait and see. |
| Field's Chimney | 10/26 | Not much ice in this climb at the moment. Maybe with some more snow we'll be good to go. |
| Flying Dutchman | 11/13 | This climb is completely IN. This route has probably been seeing people climb it for at least two months. The ice is abit chopped-out and now with the new snow there will be some step-kickin' involved but it's still a good introduction to snow/ice climbing. |
| Hallett's Chimney | 11/13 | So far the climb has not yet come in. We'll probably have to wait until late Spring. |
| Hidden Falls | 02/03 | Hammered and getting more beat-up every weekend. |
| Jaws | 11/13 | Nothing yet. |
| Loch Vale area | 11/13 | Not enough ice yet to justify the "short" walk. Right now the people who are going there are dry-tooling or M-climbing. There is thin ice on a couple of routes but it's about 60% what it ws this time last year. If you do go and climb the ice please be gentle. |
| Martha | 11/13 | Martha is dry and will probably not come in until later this season |
| Mt. Lady Washington | 11/13 | Nothing yet. Maybe after this last big snow storm. Ice will generally form on this East face a few days after a snow storm. Generally you have to be quick to catch it but it's definately a ggreat climb, sometimes with three pitches AND the approach is usually 90-120 minutes. |
| Necrophilia and Deep Freeze | 11/17 | Necrophilia came in about one month ago (Oct.. 15th) but has dried up and left. Deep Freeze is getting climbed and in good shape. A WI3 section of ice leads to the main pitch which requires about 25 feet of well-protected moderate drytooing to the icey dagger of Deep Freeze itself. The ice is in nice shape, not too brittle and the crux is just below the top. Bring mainly mid-sized cams and 13-16cm screws. |
| Notchtop | 11/16 | Went up into RMNP yesterday (saturday, Nov. 15) and climbed the NE face. We found the hike into the cirque to have only about 4 inches of snow on the trail with the occasional snowdrift. The snow on the lower part of the face seemed very safe and stable. It's all wind-packed and dense from all the heavy weather and winds of the past few weeks. The crux on the first pitch was sparsely protected with cams (Camelots #.75-2) and a couple of small nuts. The ice that was formed was not terribly well-bonded but enougth to make the mixed climbing a little easier and interesting. The middle part of the climb is easy and we moved together until the last pitch which was 80 feet long and WI3. The upper part of the route is packed snow and there aren't any cornices. We rapped the route using one v-thread at the top and three rock anchors. All rappels were 60m and with double ropes. |
| The Smear of Fear | 11/13 | The Smear never came into shape very well this season. We may have another shot at it in the Spring. |
| The Squid and Calamari | 11/13 | Not yet. |
Vail Ice
Most of the usual routes are IN but most are a little leaner than usual. The Designator is pretty easy on the right side. The left is still getting led and it's abit steeper and interesting. The Fang has finally come into climbable shape (Feb.1, ). It will probably get climbed this weekend if temps stay mild. Booth Creek side has about 4-5 pillars that are climbable but so far no one has broken a fresh trail. Two new mixed routes in the Amphitheatre. A fun (M6/7) route as you first walk down from the RD. A bit lower angle than what we have come to expect from FAs and then another one that looks to be M7/8.and close to Fatman.
Most of the usual routes are IN but most are a little leaner than usual. The Designator is pretty easy on the right side. The left is still getting led and it's abit steeper and interesting. The Fang has finally come into climbable shape (Feb.1, ). It will probably get climbed this weekend if temps stay mild. Booth Creek side has about 4-5 pillars that are climbable but so far no one has broken a fresh trail. Two new mixed routes in the Amphitheatre. A fun (M6/7) route as you first walk down from the RD. A bit lower angle than what we have come to expect from FAs and then another one that looks to be M7/8.and close to Fatman.
| Rigid Designator area | 12/03 | The Rigid Designator is about 10 feet from touching down. The Fang is about 2/3s of the way down. There is a new mixed route to the right of Godzilla. Name is unknown but it's reputed to be M9. All this as of Dec. 4th, 2008 |
Ouray Ice Park
I'm told the ice park is getting back into decent shape and is very user-friendly with all the melting and freezing. This is still the most concentrated place to climb ice this seson in Colrado. Get in the Lead Area and stretch your comfort zone..........
I'm told the ice park is getting back into decent shape and is very user-friendly with all the melting and freezing. This is still the most concentrated place to climb ice this seson in Colrado. Get in the Lead Area and stretch your comfort zone..........
| Ouray Ice Park Climbs | 11/13 | The official opening of the Ice Park is Dec. 13th. Nothing yet. The ice is forming up nicely |
Ouray
With al the warm temps, climbs that are in the shade are getting really fat. Anything that is in the sun has probably melted away. The Skyliht area is really good and fat but begins to melt and run with water by 2pm. Best to get on the routes before 9am. BBB and the Ribbon are still not in. The Talisman is still pretty dry. Most of the ice in the Engineer's Pass area has gone bye-bye.
With al the warm temps, climbs that are in the shade are getting really fat. Anything that is in the sun has probably melted away. The Skyliht area is really good and fat but begins to melt and run with water by 2pm. Best to get on the routes before 9am. BBB and the Ribbon are still not in. The Talisman is still pretty dry. Most of the ice in the Engineer's Pass area has gone bye-bye.
| Ames Ice Hose | 11/26 | As of Nov. 25, the AmesIce Hose is IN and getting climbed Pitch #1 The ice is thick enough to accept 17cm screws. The ice is pretty forgiving and about WI5-. This pitch is easier now than it has been for the past two seasons. Pitch #2 The ice is narrow but is safely protected with screws and rock gear. I used a yellow C3, Camelots #.5 thru .2. Rated about WI4, M4/5 The last pitch is WI4 and also narrow but well protected with 17cm screws. The usual enduro pitch. Two 70m rappels get you down. Get on it while the approach is easy and dry!! |
| Climbs in the Ouray Area | 10/26 | Nothing has formed yet. Still drier than last year. |
Silverton Area
The usual suspects have formed and are seing some action. Check avi conditions for recent levels of danger.
The usual suspects have formed and are seing some action. Check avi conditions for recent levels of danger.
| Stairway to Heaven | 11/13 | Not formed yet. We're still missing a few pitches. More snow necessary. |
| Whore House Hose | 11/13 | The ice is thin and there are some rocky bits. This is climbable but perhaps best to leave alone for a week or so or until the ice thickens things up some. |
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