Ice Climb in Ouray, CO and the San Juan Mountains
Guide Matt Wade works as an employee of American Alpine Institute to offer ice climbing courses in Ouray, CO and the surrounding San Juan Mountains. Matt has spent many seasons teaching ice climbing in this area and he has a refined knowledge of the techniques for efficient movement, as well as strong aptitude for teaching those techniques to you. After spending time with Matt on the ice you will have a complete understanding of how to swing the tools, kick the crampons, position your body for balance and control, and progress smoothly up the ice with grace and poise! You'll also have a blast experiencing this outstanding winter sport! For those seeking advanced skills, Matt will make sure you gain techniques for continued improvement in areas such as lead climbing, anchor building, and multi-pitch climbing systems for the backcountry. With many seasons of teaching ice climbing, as well as personal ascents of some of the most challenging multi-pitch ice climbs in the surrounding backcountry, Matt has the experience and training to help you enjoy this sport and improve your skills.
2-day Introduction to Ice Climbing Sample Itinerary:
Day 1:
No experience is required to join the Introduction to Ice Climbing Course! We have had great success and lots of fun working with many people who have never climbed before. We begin by meeting you at your hotel to have introductions and to give you a warm welcome to Ouray! After getting fitted for boots and properly packed for the day, we'll make the short trip to one of the nearby ice climbing destinations. With Matt's guidance and instruction you will learn how to walk in crampons, swing the ice tools, and “build a triangle” with your body for optimum balance on the ice. When we need a break from climbing we’ll discuss anchor building with ice screws, natural anchors, fixed artificial anchors, and “V-threads”. We’ll teach you the SRENA acronym as a tool for remembering the qualities of a safe anchor. The remainder of the day will be spent learning skills for steeper ice climbs including the two-tool and zig-zag techniques.
Day 2:
As a way to improve your comprehension of anchor building from the previous day, we’ll have you construct the anchors for today’s climbing. With the oversight and feedback of your instructor you will gain valuable insight into building top rope anchors, a vital skill for anyone interested in climbing on their own after the class. Once our anchors are built we’ll take a few warm up laps to get refreshed and ready for the day. Today we’ll refine your movement for steep ice by offering focused feedback as you climb. Some of the details we focus on include proper orientation of your elbow and arm while swinging the tool, proper placement of the front points perpendicular to the ice, and proper execution of hip movement while progressing up the ice. It all sounds technical, but it will make perfect sense once we guide you through the steps. By the end, you’ll be ice climbing gracefully and without fatigue, and smiling the whole way! When we need a break from climbing we can do a rappel, build additional anchors for practice, discuss other questions you have about climbing, or just relax to take in the splendor of the environment. During the afternoon, we’ll visit one of the classic routes in the area so you can apply your new skills to a great challenge. You may surprise yourself at what you can do now!
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3-day Advanced Ice Seminar Sample Itinerary
Day 1:
We'll begin by meeting you at your hotel for introductions and a warm welcome to Ouray! After a gear check and a review of the plan for the day, we’ll make the short trip to one of the nearby ice climbing destinations. Depending on your previous experience and interests for the course, we will select a location to begin refining your climbing technique. Focusing on body positioning and movement, we will offer suggestions and feedback to get you climbing efficiently and with minimal fatigue, two key fundamentals for longer and steeper climbs. We’ll spend the day sampling some of the finest ice around while “dialing in” your economy of movement.
Day 2:
This day will be spent learning systems and techniques for leading and following. We will address body positioning for placing and removing ice screws, choosing safe locations for belay stances, and rope systems for multi-pitch ice climbing. We will begin discussing strategies for lead climbing and we may coach you through some "mock leads" to develop your lead climbing mechanics.
Day 3:
On this final day we may do a tour of the awesome ice climbing close to town, focusing on lead climbing and multi-pitch systems, or we may venture into the backcountry to climb one of the area's classic multi-pitch ice routes such as Slip Slidin' Away (WI3), Horsetail Falls (WI4), Slippery When Wet (WI4), or The Ribbon (WI4). We'll get some air under our boots and tackle a good challenge! Whether around town or in the backcountry, the climbs we choose will be an excellent way to apply the full complement of skills learned during the previous days of the program.
*Matt Wade is an employee of the American Alpine Institute, an authorized and permitted guide service for the Ouray Ice Park. To reserve a trip in Ouray with Matt, please contact the AAI office at 360-671-1505 or info@aai.cc. These ice climbing programs are located on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, & Gunnison National Forest under special use permit from the Forest Service, USDA. American Alpine Institute is an equal opportunity service provider.*
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