Multipitch ice climbing in the San Juan mountains
The town of Ouray, Colorado attracts ice climbers from around the world each winter due to the concentration, accessibility and quality of ice and mixed climbing routes at the Ouray Ice Park. Skyward Mountaineering offers guided ice climbing on the backcountry multipitch routes around Ouray as well as the surrounding backcountry areas, such as in nearby towns of Telluride and Silverton adding dozens more classic ice climbing routes. Nestled into the rugged San Juan mountains of southwest Colorado, with natural hot springs for après-climb relaxation, nearby resort skiing at Telluride, backcountry touring on Red Mountain Pass and a charming historical downtown, Ouray is the perfect basecamp destination for a winter ice climbing vacation.
Whether you want to sample several classic ice climbing routes with a guide, learn efficient multipitch systems for ice climbing on big routes or climb a challenging ice or mixed climbing route on your tick list, Skyward Mountaineering guides are committed to supporting you in achieving your ice climbing goals. Founded in 1996, Skyward Mountaineering has been the longest continuously owned and operated guide service in the San Juan mountains and we remain a small team of highly trained and passionate ice climbing guides.
Ice and mixed climbing ranging from WI3 to WI6 and M3 to M7
Previous toprope ice climbing experience required. It is also possible to spend a prep day in the Ouray Ice Park
Full day (8 hours). All trips are custom bookings
Ephemeral Frozen Waterfalls
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The Ouray Ice Park is undoubtedly the draw for many ice climbers, but the Ouray backcountry ice climbing routes are a great way to escape the crowds and put your ice climbing movement and multipitch systems to the test. In addition to instructional focused ice climbing in the Ouray Ice Park, we offer private guided ice climbing in Ouray.
Due to the lower elevation of Ouray (7,800 ft) it is common for routes to be highly seasonally dependent and may even come in and out of condition based on current cloud cover and temperatures, be prepared and flexible to seek out a rare classic if conditions line up.
Here are some of our favorite ice climbing routes that we guide in the Ouray backcountry:
Skylight Area (multiple routes from WI3 - WI5 and M4 - M8)
Dexter Slab (WI3+, II)
Gravity's Rainbow (WI4, II)
Cascade Falls (WI4, III)
The Ribbon (WI4, III)
Talisman (WI6, M6, III)
Birdbrain Boulevard (WI4, M6, IV)
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At an elevation of 9,800 ft the ghost town of Eureka, Colorado is only a 10 mile snowy drive from the small mining town of Silverton and is home to a valley with world class ice climbing on either side of the cliffs above. It is common for high avalanche conditions to make this zone inaccessible throughout much of the winter, making it particularly rewarding when we are able to climb and explore in this incredible area.
Due to the higher elevation this is often one of the first backcountry waterfall ice climbing areas to reliably form in the state of Colorado. Skyward Mountaineering offers guided ice climbing in Silverton and Eureka in the winter as early as the first days of November with good conditions often persisting well into the spring with ascents possible through late April!
Here are some of our favorite ice climbing routes that we guide in the Eureka area:
Second Gully (WI3, III)
Captain Roos (WI4/5, III)
Stairway to Heaven (WI4, III)
The Calling (WI4, M4, III)
Hoser’s Highway (WI5, M5, IV)
Dukes of Hazzard (WI5, M6, III)
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Bridal Veil Falls is a unique 400+ foot WI5+ ice climb in Telluride, CO. Three pitches take you through winding paths of clear tubes of steep ice, overhanging chandeliers and sometimes even tunneling terrain. The powerful hydraulics from the scenic power station above create a unique climb every winter, reliably forming by mid-December. This route is not to be missed for ice climbers ready to test their steep ice climbing abilities.
Depending on conditions, the route may be 3-5 pitches in length depending on the wandering nature of the route, and culminates at the power station. We rappel the route with multiple free-hanging abseils retracing our steps down the route. After a full day of difficult ice climbing, we often opt for a celebratory late lunch in downtown Telluride.
Bridal Veil Falls was first climbed in 1974 by Jeff Lowe and Mike Weis (with pound-in Snarg ice pitons and wooden straight shaft Chouinard piolets) and is one of the most iconic climbs in the region. Sitting atop the impressive frozen waterfall is a hydroelectric power station, built in 1907 to provide AC power from Blue Lake above to the Smuggler-Union mine in the cliffs below - it is one of the oldest power stations in the world!
