full circle

The Ouray Ice Festival was a lot of fun. As always, it was another meaningful time spent with friends in a beautiful place. Despite the often hectic schedule of clinics, booth responsibilities, and parties, the OIF is just another one of those worthwhile experiences in my life. I'm waiting for my flight out of Grand Junction so I'm killing a bit of time, so here is a recap of the event.


My final clinic on Sunday at the Trestle area was an intermediate/advanced ice technique topic. To make a long story even longer I'll start from the beginning! While in Kalymnos, Heather and I met this wonderful lady from SLC named Karen. One night while talking, Karen and I ended up on the subject of the Ouray Ice Festival. Last year i was deeply moved by an aspect of festivals i had never seen before. During the evening events and slide shows, i noticed a woman signing for a few deaf individuals. This was really something special i thought and at one point i even wiped a few tears from my eyes. Well, come to find out the woman who was signing was Karen. Small world, eh? Karen and I talked about clinics for the 2008 Ouray event and i was really excited for an opportunity to help instruct her friends. I also found out during our conversations that one of the guys she helped during the 2007 event lost his life in an ice climbing accident sometime after the festival.


Karen and her two friends JJ and Darrel (who are both deaf) were able to sign up for my clinic on Sunday afternoon. I was really excited and nervous at the same time since i didn't know what to expect. Typically you can talk with the clinic participants while they are climbing to help them with certain aspects of their climbing. Not so with someone who can't hear! I could go on for pages about those afternoon hours and all of the great things that happened, but I'll just say it was one of the best clinics I've ever taught. It stretched my teaching and guiding experience, taking me to a new and great place in my heart and mind. Karen helped me communicate on the ground and both Darrel and JJ make it very comfortable for me to try my own methods of signing and communication. Our clinic also included Dustin and Keith who, like me, shared a really great experience. In the end, the six of us just went climbing, strengthened the deep meaning of partnerships, and just had a blast.



Earlier in the event i received what was said to be the largest clinic tip in the history of the Ouray Ice Festival, but it does not come even close to the value in seeing Darrel and JJ get to the top of our route at the Trestle....

the faces of Ouray

One of my favorite aspects of climbing events are the many great people i get to spend time with. Some are long time friends. Others are clinic participants who often become good friends also. Here are a few of my favorite faces. Every great experience needs the perfect summit shot...

coloring inside the lines

My good friend Will Mayo on the Qualifier Route.

Ouray is candy for ice climbers

I arrived in Ouray yesterday afternoon. My flight to Grand Junction went fast and the drive from GJ to Ouray was pretty casual despite the foul weather. To be honest i haven't been that excited about this trip to Ouray. Too many things back home occupying my time so i just haven't had the chance to get excited about it.

After arriving in town, I tossed my stuff onto the floor of the condo, quickly changed and headed to the bridge area hoping to connect with anyone. I didn't have a whole lot of time so i ended up soloing two routes and was able to get a belay from another group on a fun WI-6 pillar. In one hour from the condo and back, i climbed 450 feet of ice! Being an ice climber in Ouray is like being a kid in a candy store with all the money you want!!

It's a bluebird day today, and i don't think I'll have any time to climb despite an invite from some friends Heather and I made while in Kalymnos back in October. Who knows, maybe I'll take a long lunch and get a few more routes in.

5.12d!!

It may not look like much to some of you, but to most of us here in the Upper Snake River Valley, this is light years ahead of the gym climbing curve! It is 25' of climbing from the back of the cave to the top of the feature with a total height of 14.5'. Once the obvious unfinished side wall is framed in and sheeted, you will have the option to start on the right wall, cross the overhang and top out on the other side also. So it's not gonna be just strait up and out the overhang. It's gonna offer so much more!

I'm off to Ouray, Colorado until the 15th. Part of me wishes i didn't have to go so i could finish up the remainder of the work. However, the other part of me really needs a break and ice/mixed climbing in Ouray will be just what the doctor ordered.

getting close

Several of us have been working night and day to get the new terrain built at the Sticks and Stones gym. We are getting close. I am looking forward to getting it done so i can sleep. If I'm not at the gym framing with friends, I'm at home figuring out how to rework the unsuccessful ideas. This usually consumes me late at night.

I'll wait to try and explain what we're building when i can add a photo to help. As it stands, the new terrain is one massive cave feature that will offer up to twenty some odd feet of steep bouldering. Basically... IT KICKS BUTT! Likely the bouldering crowd will think it's too long since it will offer more than six moves. What do you expect from someone who prefers to climb routes when it comes to building bouldering terrain!

I haven't had time for anything else. The gym needs to be finished by the time i leave for Ouray on Monday. It's looking like it will, but it's still gonna take some long days.