9/18/2023 0 Comments Frozen waterfall 2021![]() ![]() Back in town, I thawed my frozen limbs and achey muscles in natural hot springs at Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs ( doubles from INR 9,932) and sipped a Box Canyon Brown Ale from Ouray Brewery. Thankfully, Ouray offers plenty of ways to burn off an adrenaline rush. A rooftop gathering at the Imogene Hotel, in downtown Ouray. I let out a big whoop of accomplishment, then realised I had to lean back, push off the ice, and get lowered down, which was almost scarier than climbing up. But Calhoun coached me towards secure holds, and I discovered that, when I found the rhythm of two kicks and two swings, the climbing became meditative. Halfway up the 21-metre face, I considered calling it quits. The last thing I wanted to do was let go of one hand, but Calhoun encouraged me to occasionally shake out my arms to keep my blood flowing. Icicles crashed down nearby-a reminder that ice is anything but predictable. Taking a deep breath, I swiftly kicked my right boot up and into the wall, followed by the left, sinking the razor-sharp blades of my crampons into the ice like fangs. The pick planted with a reassuring thunk, locking into the ice. The group cheered me on as I swung my ice axe overhead, remembering to initiate a sharp downward movement from my elbow and add a flick of the wrist to nail a secure hold. Soon it was my turn to ascend Pic of the Vic, a near-vertical, 40-metre ice wall, my most challenging climb yet. I volunteered to climb first as a partner belayed me by staying on the ground to hold tension in my safety rope.īy day two, we’d graduated to steeper walls. From below, pillars and cauliflower-shaped ice formations, which shimmered blue and white, were so captivating that my nervousness shifted to curiosity. Our grip had to stay relaxed to avoid cutting off blood flow to the fingers, which can result in a painful phenomenon known as the screaming barfies. In an area called the School Room, Chapko demonstrated how to kick our crampons into the ice, then swiftly swing one ice ax at a time overhead. A 30-minute hike from the entrance of the park to the bottom of the gorgeallowed us to practise walking in our crampons, which turned our feet into wolverine claws. Some had ice-climbed before others, like me, were complete newbies. Pastries in the window of Artisan Bakery & Café, on Ouray’s Main Street.Įarly on my first day in town, I was joined by three other Denver-area women in their 30s and 40s for a two-day beginner’s clinic. In winter, Ouray, with no ski resorts, turned into a ghost town. When that industry dwindled, the community relied on summer hikers and off-roaders to keep businesses afloat. ![]() Founded in 1876, Ouray was sustained by mining for a century. ![]() Ouray Ice Park has undoubtedly helped popularise the sport of ice climbing, but many would argue it has also helped save the town. It’s part engineering feat, part natural sculpture garden. A mostly volunteer team of “ice farmers” carefully grooms its 100-plus climbing routes using excess town water fed through a system of 300 sprinklers and spouts. The events are centred around Ouray Ice Park, the world’s first man-made ice climbing park, and one of the largest, spanning one and a half kilometre of the Uncompahgre Gorge just outside of town. Elite athletes go to compete, while enthusiasts and curious novices partake in a long weekend of educational clinics, gear demos, and nightly outdoor parties. On a frigid January weekday, I drove five and a half hours from Denver to join climbers from around the globe at the annual Ouray Ice Festival. A climber rappels down a gorge at Ouray Ice Park, in Colorado. ![]()
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