Rappel Ice Routes with Confidence by IFMGA Guide Pat Ormond V-Threads are a great way to rappel ice routes without having to leave gear if good fixed anchors don’t exist. They are strong, quick, and easy. With minimal practice, you can get it right first try every time. [fancy_numbers variation=”deepblue”] I look for the best…
Senior SJMG Guide Mark Miller AMGA Certified Rock Guide Mark is one of the original SJMG guides working in Ouray. He has been teaching ice climbing longer than any other active guide in Ouray. Well known for his calm and no nonsense approach to ice instruction, Mark is one of our most requested guides. A…
Classic San Juan Backcountry Ice Recently one of our guys and guests climbed some cool stuff up in the Skylight/Camp Bird area just minutes outside of Ouray. Check it out! [vimeo url=”http://vimeo.com/82232322″ width=”600″ height=”400″ title=”0″]
Essential Technique for the Ouray Ice Park In the video below, SJMG Guide and AMGA Certified Rock & Alpine Guide Dawn Glanc covers the steps involved in quickly and easily transitioning from belay to a raise for a climber who needs assistance ascending. The techniques shown in the video are particularly useful in areas like the…
Belay with Confidence in the Ouray Ice Park With the Ouray Ice Park set to open this weekend (Saturday December 14th, 2013), we thought it would be a good time to cover some important considerations to take into account when establishing your belay stances and anchor systems while down in the canyon. In the video…
Techniques to Manage Lowers and Top Belays With ice climbing season already in full swing here in the San Juans, and the opening of the Ouray Ice Park just around the corner, we thought it would be a good time to cover a few essential techniques for managing lowers and top belays. As guides who…
A bunch of early season snow has inspired me to work on a project I have been wanting to do for years – an online primer course of avalanche awareness skills for skiers and climbers. I imagine this course will cover a wide variety of topics but I thought it made sense to start with…
Techniques for Efficiency With backcountry ice climbing here in the San Juans and around Colorado already in full swing, we thought it would be a good time to highlight this video – Belays & Transitions for Multi-Pitch Ice – offering a few tips and tricks for increasing your speed and efficiency on multi-pitch ice routes.…
Yesterday Thad and I decided it was finally time to get out and start swinging the ice tools. We headed up Camp Bird Rd. outside of the ice climbing mecca of Ouray, Colorado and climbed the classic route ‘The Talisman’. It may be in fat condition right now but it still offers quite a pump! On…
Ivan and I were able to make it up into Yankee Boy Basin this week to do some winter mountaineering. We enjoyed perfect Colorado weather the whole trip and were able to summit Mount Sneffels (14,150′)!
Registration Now Open! The 2014 Ouray Ice Festival Clinics are now available for purchase. Click on this link to go to the Clinic Schedule and Shopping Cart. In association with the Ouray Ice Park, Inc., we’re proud to offer the most unique ice climbing clinic schedule in North America. This year is one of the…
An Early Season Climb of The Ribbon Wow! We are feeling grateful in the San Juans! Based on the wet September and the cycles of snow, cold night time temperatures, and sunny days in October, the ice flows are really shaping up beautifully. Hopefully, this pattern continues, and then solidifies into an epic winter with…
Saturday, Tim and I were able to get out and climb Snowdon. Although it’s still fall in Durango, it most definitely is winter above 10,000′. I’m pretty sure I can speak for both of us when I say, that we were thankful for every layer we brought. Enjoying the crisp morning! Snowdon still a…
Essential Equipment for Ski Touring An often overlooked, but critical piece of backcountry safety equipment, is your repair kit. After blowing up a ski binding, try post-holing chest deep several miles back to your car in the dark and you will know what I mean. The following is a very basic repair kit that you…
The Best Recipe for Early Season Ice Conditions Around the middle of October and as the temperatures in the high country start to drift towards the teen’s at night, we start thinking about how ice conditions are shaping up on all the area’s classic backcountry routes. The foundation for a good early season ice year…
With a couple of big storms in early October we have laid down a nice base for decent early season turns. I don’t feel like it is a a real ski season unless I get started in the early fall. Skiing this time of year can be surprisingly good, but there are a couple of…
Clothing Systems for all Conditions As always, the gear your choose can make the difference in all the ways you envision as you’re planning your next trip or adventure. Increased efficiency, a lighter pack, maximum versatility and not to be overlooked – impeccable mountain style. Our partners at Outdoor Research offer the best and most…
Current Snow Levels in the San Juans A few of us have been out and about in the San Juan Mountains during the last week – including Chicago Basin in the Weminuche Wilderness. Recently the area has experienced a few significant storms that had a decidedly winter component to them. Below average temperatures and above…
100% Success on the Kautz Glacier [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”right” alt=”View of the Tatoosh Range” title=”Mt Rainier” height=”263″ width=”320″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rainier13.jpg[/image_frame] [image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”right” alt=”Cramponing up at the Nisqually” title=”Mt Rainier” height=”263″ width=”320″]https://dev.mtnguide.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/rainier12.jpg[/image_frame] Earlier this summer, July 28 – August 1 to be exact, myself (Nate Disser) and Dave Ahrens successfully led 4 climbers to the summit of…
Trailer Video Recently a few of us headed out into the Weminuche Wilderness for a climb of the inspiring Wham Ridge on Vestal Peak. Vestal Peak is one of our most popular offerings in the San Juan Mountains during the summer in part because it qualifies as one of the most difficult of Colorado’s Centennial…