06 Jan Ouray Ice Fest held this weekend
(Above is a local clip from the 2009 Ice Festival.)
The first time I ever swung an axe at ice, I was surprised. It felt good…really good. It was so different from rock climbing; instead of my hand fumbling, fingers aching, trying to find something to hold onto, the axe made a nice “clink” sound, sticking perfectly into the ice and giving me purchase. I felt like a superhero as I picked my way to the top of the frozen waterfall, right axe, left axe, then moving up with my feet, digging in with the teeth of my right crampon, then the left. It was oddly meditative and beautiful, despite the exertion and the cold. Why, I wondered, isn’t everyone doing this?
I guess because not everyone lives an hour drive away from the Ouray Ice Park. The park is a one-of-a-kind amenity, with easy access to multiple routes of varying difficulty in an extremely safe environment. The park is “farmed” ice, and although the climbs are not created organically by nature, the mile-long gorge that houses 168-plus climbing routes is one of the most dazzling, ethereal sites you can imagine when it is encrusted in glittery, blue ice. And you can see it for yourself this Jan. 6-8, when the 16th Annual Ouray Ice Festival celebrates ice climbing and welcomes some 3,000 people to the tiny town just over the pass from Telluride.
The Ice Festival has grown over the years. It started with about 20 people and a handful of sponsors, according to Ouray Ice Park executive director Erin Eddy, but now it boasts more than 30 major industry sponsors like ASOLO, Patagonia and North Face, and the instructional clinics and kids climbing college that were added to the Festival in 2002 attract 500-plus participants. “We offer numerous beginner clinics and you can demo all the equipment you need to climb—for free—at our vendors tents. For only $40 you can go out with some of the best mountaineers in the world and spend two and a half hours learning to climb,” says Eddy.
Eddy acts as the director of the non-profit organization that operates the Ice Park on behalf of the town of Ouray. The recreation area employs five people and brings together 200 or so local volunteers during the Festival, and Eddy says it’s a labor of love. “The event takes a year of preparation and all builds to a frenzy this week. It’s almost a letdown each year because it’s so much fun but it only lasts for 3 short days,” says Eddy. “It’s really cool to run something like this. I have one of the most unique jobs in the world."
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