rhyang wrote:The first year I went we found ourselves rapping down into the canyon next to a Chicks With Picks group, led by expert female ice climbers. Kind of cool listening to them teach.

That's funny. The first time I went to Ouray, they were climbing next to us as well as staying in the room below ours in the hotel. My wife still doesn't believe that it was a coincidence.

anita wrote:chief: isn't there like one ice climbing area in CA?

There's almost twice that many!

Actually, there are a lot of spots if you are willing to work to get there. There are only a couple that I know of that are close to a road.

mconnell wrote:

anita wrote:chief: isn't there like one ice climbing area in CA?

There's almost twice that many!

Actually, there are a lot of spots if you are willing to work to get there. There are only a couple that I know of that are close to a road.

Shhh !! Ice in California sucks !

mconnell wrote:

anita wrote:chief: isn't there like one ice climbing area in CA?

There's almost twice that many!

Actually, there are a lot of spots if you are willing to work to get there. There are only a couple that I know of that are close to a road.

Willing to work to get there, and ready to go when you're buddy calls and says the ice is in... Sucks to have a day job.

rhyang wrote:

mconnell wrote:

anita wrote:chief: isn't there like one ice climbing area in CA?

There's almost twice that many!

Actually, there are a lot of spots if you are willing to work to get there. There are only a couple that I know of that are close to a road.

Shhh !! Ice in California sucks !

Rob's not being honest here. The ice in California is MUCH better than anything you can find in Colorado. Everybody should head to California to find out!

In the Cali high country there is stuff, but you need to find it. Yosemite has stuff that is very transitory but you need to be careful since SOME of the stuff comes crashing down as fast as it forms - with the exception of the multipitch by On the south rim of the valley and is obvious. There is also some ice at Lovers Leap, though I did an Osman (I think Crawford) route that wasn't being farmed and it consisted of 2" thick detached ice (thankfully next to a tcu crack)

I ran into a group of Cali climbers in North Conway last spring - granted the season was coming to an end and some climbs were out they said they were having a lot of fun and it was worth the plane tickets - considering how rotten the ice was that day, I came to a conclusion that ice in Cali is pretty rotten or hard to get to...

[quote="JHH60]Willing to work to get there, and ready to go when you're buddy calls and says the ice is in...[/quote]

Anyone willing to be my buddy and call me when the ice is in?

Ouray is good for instruction, easy access, fresh ice everyday, etc., but if you're looking for a wilderness experience at all you won't find it there. If you want long ice routes that are very committing, then I would definately say the canadian rockies are the place to go.

If you're looking for a place to get away from people, but don't want to commit to the long, cold trips up in Canada, I would recommend heading to Montana. Hyalite Canyon, just outside of Bozeman, has an immense collection of ice for the amount of area it is contained in. Everything from one-pitch WI3 to toprope mixed to huge, difficult multipitch routes are available. The best part is, you will probably see only one or maybe two parties while climbing here. No lines, easy access, great quality climbs - and also, this was Alex Lowe's home. There's other areas nearby - Pine Creek, for example - that offer more great climbs, and are even less used than Hyalite Canyon. There are two guiding companies run out of bozeman, one by Ron Brunckhorst himself. Not many people put Montana on their list of places to go, but it really should be. Word just hasn't gotten out yet.

jmines713 wrote:Ouray is good for instruction, easy access, fresh ice everyday, etc., but if you're looking for a wilderness experience at all you won't find it there. If you want long ice routes that are very committing, then I would definately say the canadian rockies are the place to go.

If you're looking for a place to get away from people, but don't want to commit to the long, cold trips up in Canada, I would recommend heading to Montana. Hyalite Canyon, just outside of Bozeman, has an immense collection of ice for the amount of area it is contained in. Everything from one-pitch WI3 to toprope mixed to huge, difficult multipitch routes are available. The best part is, you will probably see only one or maybe two parties while climbing here. No lines, easy access, great quality climbs - and also, this was Alex Lowe's home. There's other areas nearby - Pine Creek, for example - that offer more great climbs, and are even less used than Hyalite Canyon. There are two guiding companies run out of bozeman, one by Ron Brunckhorst himself. Not many people put Montana on their list of places to go, but it really should be. Word just hasn't gotten out yet.

A wilderness experience would be great, as would be getting away from crowds, etc., but my top priorities would be 1) relatively predictable conditions, 2) access to at least adequate ice lines (=> big queues of climbers would be a problem), 3) availability of good instructors, 4) relatively uncomplicated logisitics. My intent is to work intensively on basic skills in the WI3-4+ range so that I can start doing more interesting climbs, in more interesting places, with a competent buddy who is not a guide.

Thanks everyone for input so far.

JHH60 wrote:A wilderness experience would be great, as would be getting away from crowds, etc., but my top priorities would be 1) relatively predictable conditions, 2) access to at least adequate ice lines (=> big lines would be a problem), 3) availability of good instructors, 4) relatively uncomplicated logisitics. My intent is to work intensively on basic skills in the WI3-4+ range so that I can start doing more interesting climbs, in more interesting places, with a competent buddy who is not a guide.

Thanks everyone for input so far.

That's what Ouray was invented for.
One other thing, try to hire Dawn Glanc as a guide. She's great. I think she's with American Alpine Institute.

Kinda on the same suject and not trying to hijack the thread, but has anyone gone to the Ice festivals in Cody, Wy, or Bozeman, Mt? how would those be for basic instruction.

JHH60 wrote:

jmines713 wrote:Ouray is good for instruction, easy access, fresh ice everyday, etc., but if you're looking for a wilderness experience at all you won't find it there. If you want long ice routes that are very committing, then I would definately say the canadian rockies are the place to go.

If you're looking for a place to get away from people, but don't want to commit to the long, cold trips up in Canada, I would recommend heading to Montana. Hyalite Canyon, just outside of Bozeman, has an immense collection of ice for the amount of area it is contained in. Everything from one-pitch WI3 to toprope mixed to huge, difficult multipitch routes are available. The best part is, you will probably see only one or maybe two parties while climbing here. No lines, easy access, great quality climbs - and also, this was Alex Lowe's home. There's other areas nearby - Pine Creek, for example - that offer more great climbs, and are even less used than Hyalite Canyon. There are two guiding companies run out of bozeman, one by Ron Brunckhorst himself. Not many people put Montana on their list of places to go, but it really should be. Word just hasn't gotten out yet.

A wilderness experience would be great, as would be getting away from crowds, etc., but my top priorities would be 1) relatively predictable conditions, 2) access to at least adequate ice lines (=> big queues of climbers would be a problem), 3) availability of good instructors, 4) relatively uncomplicated logisitics. My intent is to work intensively on basic skills in the WI3-4+ range so that I can start doing more interesting climbs, in more interesting places, with a competent buddy who is not a guide.

Thanks everyone for input so far.

The road is plowed to the trailhead in Hyalite now, so approaches are minimal. You can be climbing ice 20 minutes from the car. Guides are starved for clients up here because most of the locals are climbers. Logistics are easy, we have a decent airport, rent a car, meet the guide, climb all day, pick a bar to have a drink, repeat. Unless you come in October or November, conditions are usually pretty good. After Christmas things start to fatten up. There are some climbs that require an hour or so hike (depending on your conditioning), but you could spend 3-4 days close to the trailhead before heading up to tackle a monster before you leave. Ouray IS the destination ice climbing area, and it's got it all, but Hyalite would be a great alternative. Montana is cooler than Colorado anyway!

A few issues back I read Wyoming has some exciting bc fa's waiting to be found all over the western half of the state. I'll have to dig up that alpinist. I have a few days of vacation set aside this year to head that direction.. We will see what comes of it