Trip Report
Ouray Ice Trip, Dec 15-17, 2012
Wednesday December 19, 2012 9:54am
I had booked a trip to the Ouray Ice park with a buddy for the first weekend they'd be open this year and was getting super psyched to go. All plans were rolling smoothly, until:

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Ice park delayed opening!
Ice park delayed opening!
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Oh Shit! What are we to do? No easy top ropes within a 5 min walk from the car? No retreat to the hot tub if it got too cold in the canyon? Would we HAVE to pack a lunch?!? WOULD WE DIE?

We thought long and hard (4 seconds), and then decided to man up, buy some ice screws, and hit the "real" ice. It ended up being a super fun trip in the end. Much more adventure than rolling up to the ice park, climbing all day, and rolling back to the hotel. The climbs that we did, we earned. I'm hooked!

We did alot of walking around (them San Juans is BEAUTI-FUL!) to look for ice. Ended up on some routes, no idea what they were called, or rated. Even did some dry tooling! Mostly a rock-type-of-guy, I think I could really get used to these huge hooks on my hands! Maybe the novelty wears off, but I doubt it.

Bottom line: The ice is IN if you want it. So go climb it!

Here are the photos:

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Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Look Ma, Ice!
Look Ma, Ice!
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Credit: fat-n-sassy
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A shot of the park as we drove up camp bird road.  Looks ready to me!
A shot of the park as we drove up camp bird road. Looks ready to me!
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Rock climbing!  (sort-of)
Rock climbing! (sort-of)
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Gonna die!
Gonna die!
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Rapping a really fun route up on camp bird road.  There were fixed dra...
Rapping a really fun route up on camp bird road. There were fixed draws on the roof (right of frame), suggesting a mixed route up that super delicate ice and then out a HARD looking roof. Ya'll is CRAZY, whoever be climbing THAT!
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Credit: fat-n-sassy
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Hitchin'!  Fellow climber offered us a ride in his truck back to our r...
Hitchin'! Fellow climber offered us a ride in his truck back to our rental car. Thanks climber!
Credit: fat-n-sassy
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  Trip Report Views: 2,320
fat-n-sassy
About the Author
fat-n-sassy is a social climber from San Francity, CA.

Comments
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Dec 19, 2012 - 11:06am PT
Awesome!!! Can't wait to climb more ice!
Bargainhunter

climber
  Dec 19, 2012 - 11:22am PT
Thank you for sharing! Inspirational pics. After seeing this and Ed Hartouni's excellent report from a previous year, I really need to go get some laps in there. How late in the season does the ice generally last there?
philo

climber
  Dec 19, 2012 - 11:24am PT
Fabulous! Way to make iced lemonade.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Dec 19, 2012 - 11:26am PT
Nice report! The Ice Park is usually open until mid-March.
Dirka

Trad climber
Hustle City
  Dec 19, 2012 - 12:15pm PT
great pics!
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Dec 19, 2012 - 02:51pm PT
Not sure what’s up with this Burchy guy, but he has a lot in common with Part Time Communist and her stalker to NZ.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Dec 20, 2012 - 11:17pm PT
Ice is nice!
SCseagoat

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
  Dec 21, 2012 - 12:01am PT
Very very nice....been jonesing to get there.....

Susan
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
  Dec 29, 2012 - 05:07pm PT
Very very nice....been jonesing to get there.

it's a fun place, can't wait to go back
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  May 11, 2019 - 01:53pm PT
hey there,say, zbrown, ... this made a NEAT BUMP! for thread...


say, fat-n-sassy... this was a neat share...
nice lookin pup-dog, too, :)


:)
zBrown

Ice climber
  May 11, 2019 - 09:02pm PT

I like Ouray

Hi neebee

I been there

Done that so to speak

Go