Combining the long weekend with a couple of days of vacation, me and Karen headed to Colorado in search of ice to climb.

After flying into Denver late on Friday night and renting a car, we drove to our hotel and got a couple of hours of much needed sleep. On Saturday morning, we headed to Vail, and entertained ourselves there. Karen started us up Spiral Staircase and then I took my turn on the Rigid Designator (WI 4/5). The Fang (WI 5/6) was busy all day long, and the huge roof that had formed on top of it was too intimidating for us to try anyway. Afterwards, we went for dinner and drove the rest of the way to Ouray, arriving at midnight.

On Sunday, we went up Camp Bird road and climbed a number of the climbs there, while it was dumping snow. I don't remember the names, but Choppo's Chimney was fun, and we followed it by toproping a climb to the right of it, which had an M5-M6 start, followed by brittle vertical ice, ending with a 5-6 foot section of 110/120 degrees overhanging ice. We were thinking about leading it, and the toprope laps answered our doubts - it was hard! It was dumping snow the whole day and belaying was somewhat cold. In the evening we tried to meet up with some friends, but plans didn't work out. Instead we soaked in the excellent city hot springs, and ate delicious mexican at Buen Tiempo. A day of climbing finished with Mexican is always proper, indeed!

The question was what to do next... we wanted to go to Silverton and do some of the long climbs there, but the avalanche danger was too high, given the recent dump we got. It seems most of the climbs there are early season anyway, which bummed us out a bit, as we both enjoy the longer, alpine type of climbs more. Telluride suffered similar problems, and was just too far of a drive for questionable climbs. With that out of the way, our options were quite limited.

Still being the long weekend, we avoided the ice park on Monday as well... in fact, the park remained extremely unappealing to me. We hiked up to Bride Vail's falls (an hour of breaking trail), only to find it was completely in the sun, and it was too warm to climb it. Ah, that's why there was no trail up to it! We bailed and then went up to Camp Bird road again, climbing Skyladder, one of the best climbs there. It was ridiculously warm, so warm that I did the first pitch without a shirt on. Karen got the real pitch... damn it! We kept fighting about who gets to lead, so we had to settle on alternating.

The next day (Tuesday) saw us in the ice park - it had emptied out from the weekend crowds, and we did a number of nice lines there. The quantity of the ice there was nice, and there were certainly some challenging lines, but the gym spirit of the place sucks. Yes, we are elitist I guess. And Canada has spoiled me. At the end of the day, we visited our favourite mexican restaurant again, and then drove to Glenwood Springs, where our next hotel was. During the late night drive, we stopped by Rifle, and drove through the Rifle Mtn Park to look at the ice climbs there. Some great looking climbs, but again, too warm temperatures... the ice was melting in the above freezing temperatures, even at night!

Our flight was on Wednesday night, so in the morning we stopped by in Vail again, on our way to Denver. Karen gave The Fang a try and stopped in the cave that had formed. The huge roof there was very intimidating, and I didn't want to risk it either. So I did the Rigid Designator again... In the meantime some local guys did the Fang and we watched... he took a different line on the right side. Oh well, it'll be another time for me.

Great trip!

Movie of mixed climber (10s) and Fang roof (1min?)

	Sunny Colorado	The Fang in Vail	Another shot of the Fang in Vail

	Vail, CO	Climber on The Fang	The Fang

	The Fang		Rigid Designator

	Karen on Spiral Staircase	focused...	putting in a screw

		climber on Rigid Designator	me on the Rigid Designator

		me climbing

	climber on a mixed route behind The Fang	resting on a spur

	The Fang from behind

	a close-up of the roof formed on The Fang in '08	appealing climbs across the valley	more appealing climbs

	no comment	we were laughing in the beginning when we saw this, but they were serious.	Approach on Camp Bird road next to Ouray

	parking lot with our rental truck		it's a snowy day.

		mixed climb next to the road	hard mixed routes on the left

	climbers on Skylight (upper chimney)	Choppo's Chimney (left) and unknown hard climb	it's starting to dump hard, but we will climb..

	Karen starting	cold at the belay	rappelling in the dumping snow

	this weather made us wish we had our skis	but i'm still happy as a pig in a sty!	Karen

	me leading on Choppo's Chimney (WI 4-5)	pulling the ropes by running downhill :)	we toproped this one... M5-M6 start and good section of 110-120 deg overhanging ice at the top

	weather is clearing :)	hiking back to the car	the moon

		the Ouray Ice Park	Ice Park

	town of Ouray, CO	Our hotel, showing the spectacular position of Ouray	Cascade Falls, too much sun to climb it this day

	Bride's Vail (WI 5), which we backed off of - too damn warm!		Back to Camp Bird road - much warmer day...

		too warm!

		suntanning while i'm putting the gear on	upper section of Skylight

	i'm too sexy to climb with my shirt

	and too sexy to belay with a shirt... it really was that warm! Hawaiian ice climbing belay.	Karen leading	enjoying the chimney

	almost atop the chimney	nice view	looking down the wet chimney while i'm seconding

	Ouray Ice Park - sprinklers?? WTF!	Enjoying the sunset in Ouray	Sunset in Ouray

	Sunset in Ouray	Karen's helmet :)	Colorado is all about private property... another wtf.

	mixed climbing :)	i changed my mind on the mixed part :)	Karen leading in the ice park

	almost on top	me leading a sweet but short pillar in the park	on the pillar

	placing another screw on the vertical pillar	Karen in front of the pillar we just climbed	Karen doing another line

	hi there!		Karen jugging up the Himalayan fixed ropes :)

	me leading an extremely rotten chandeliered climb in the ice park.	the door to the Ouray ice park	there are rules? not my place :)

	the roof of our favourite (and only) Mexican restaurant in Ouray - Buen Tiempo	Vintage coffee roasting machine in Ouray	impressive!

	Ice climbs in Rifle - we were ice hunting at 11pm... too warm and they were falling apart.	Back to The Fang	It was Karen's turn to lead :(

	enjoying the featured climbing	coming around to the front	Karen is cruising it

	Almost at the cave, our stopping point	local climber on The Fang

	he took the right side of the roof	nearing the roof on the right	time for a screw

	about to launch up the roof		pulling up over it

	our consolation climb again...	soccer field in Vail - haha, nice