UKC

Good morning all,

The next ice climbing trip has been booked. This time we are off to Ouray Ice Park and are hoping to put the last 3 years of courses to work and climb ourselves without a guide.

With that being the case, we now also need to buy ourselves a new rope suitable for ice climbing. Ideally we are looking for a 70m rope which is light and obviously dry-treated.

Anyone ever been to Ouray before? If so, which rope did you use? Anyone any general recommendations on a single 70m dry-treated rope?

All answers appreciated.

DB

In reply to Davey_HB:

I went several years ago to climb in the park and used a pair of 60m dry treated half ropes. If I was going tomorrow I'd still go for half ropes and would be using my nice icelines.

Enjoy, it is a great place with some nice cafes for post climb refreshment. Note if you want to do some of the routes away from the ice park they you are likely to need a 4x4 to access some of the tracks.

Marq

In reply to Davey_HB:

I'd be inclined to take a pair of 60m 8.5mm doubles. That way I could use one as a single while TRing stuff in the park. (a lot of the park is aimed at TRing with chains at the top. Use both leading the longer routes in the Pic'o'the Vic area and then take both out into the back country.

I can recommend doing 'The Ribbon' (don't follow another party on this) and taking a drive over to Telluride and doing 'Aims Ice hose' and Bridalvail falls.

In reply to Davey_HB:

If you are planning on leading then half ropes are the way forward. Huge advantages for ice climbing and multi-pitch.

If you only plan to top-rope, or do a small amount of leading, then any 70m dry treated rope will do. Mammut infinity 9.5 perhaps. Dmm also do a bunch of dry treated 70m ropes.

I was also under the impression that there are a lot of ropes in place at the ice park(?), someone can surely verify this. But maybe that's only during the festival.

In reply to George Fisher:

I think you means a pair of half ropes rather than doubles. Doubles have to be paired together at all times. Both ropes through every bit of gear.

In reply to neilwiltshire:

Yes I do mean half ropes.

Although I'd call doubles 'twins' in that case.

In reply to George Fisher:

Have climbed in and around Ouray many times. If you intend to only lead in the Ice Park use half or twin ropes. Some are rated for both uses. Golden Dry is superb, ropes will stay dry and pretty much weigh the same at the end of the day. Some of the back country routes can get wet, top pitches of Gravities Rainbow and Stairway to Heaven spring to mind.
Although in the newer guides some routes such as Whorehouse Hoses have a seventy metre first pitch they can generally be climbed and abbed off with a sixty metre rope. (with care, a high bottom stance and rope stretch)

If you want to second in the Ice Park it may well be worth considering a 50m rope as well and just lowering the climber into the gorge and then belaying them back up, quicker, less faff and safer than standing at the bottom.
Hope this helps.

In reply to Davey_HB:

Hi Davey,

I live here in Ouray. For climbing in the park 60m works fine top roping. I use a 10mm rope for durability. for leading anything else in the area, and you should check out all the great climbs outside the park, 70m half ropes are highly recommended. most routes you need to rappel off.

one other recommendation is to buy a 20m section of 9 or 10 mm static line for setting up your anchors in the park. last year many trees had to be removed for beetle infestation and concrete anchor pads were installed. a short static rope makes setting up TR anchors clean and easy.

once your here feel free to stop my shop, alpine Luddites, www.alpineluddites.com, if you have questions. Ouray mountain sports, our local gear shop, is also a great place for information once your here.

jc

In reply to neilwiltshire:


Half ropes = double ropes

Twin ropes are the ones to be clipping both every runner, per Geore Fisher's reply.

Hopefully justifiable pedantry.

In reply to Davey_HB:

Thanks all for the advice. Its appreciated.

I think we are currently talking about opting for the 70m Dry Edelrid Anniversary rope. We are just looking now to see where we can get it @ the best price.

Neither of us have climbed using 1/2 (twin) rope system before so not sure we want to make our first time doing it on ice. We think we should be able to top rope and lead in the park with the rope mentioned above. We do plan on going outside of the park for a multi-pitch climb but our current thinking on this will be to use a guide for that day and hope that they have ropes that we can use for that climb.

JC - We will be sure to stop by the shop and say hello. Now that I know you are in the Ouray area, do you have any recommendations of a guide that we could use for a day outside the park? We have priced some ourselves from here but are finding them quite expensive due to what we are used to paying in Europe (and even Canada last year). I guess though this is not helped by the falling £ to $ rate.

DB

In reply to neilwiltshire:

I think you've got that the wrong way round. Half and double are interchangeable terms for the same thing. You mean twins which have to be clipped together through each bit of gear.

Edit Seems everyone agrees and has already said it. Even UKC agrees!

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=376

In reply to Davey_HB:

No idea on your intentions for your climbing in general but I'd say that for any trad and winter aspirations, a pair of dry treated 60m halves (my preference is for Beal ropes so Cobras or Icelines) are a good investment. A 70m single will be limited to mainly sport use when back in the UK.

In reply to Blimey:

>> If you want to second in the Ice Park it may well be worth considering a 50m rope as well and just lowering the climber into the gorge and then belaying them back up, quicker, less faff and safer than standing at the bottom.


And warmer!

I seem to remember it was -15o to -20o at the bottom of the gorge on some of the days we were there. Jumping up and down belaying was the norm and one of the team had those gel heat pads in his boots!

In reply to Davey_HB:

The San Juan Mountain Guides have the concession for the ice park, or did as of Feb 2016. I know some of them personally and they would be a good choice to go and do a back-country route as they have there ear to the ground as regards conditions. They have a base on Main Street.
The ice park is quite a benign environment and not an indicator as to what is going on elsewhere.
The tip about approximately ten metres 10mm static for anchors very useful.

In reply to Davey_HB:

DB,

There are a number of guides services. I highly recommend: http://www.peakmountainguides.com/ All of their guides are AMGA certified. also Steve House & Vince Anderson at: http://www.skywardmountaineering.com/

JC

In reply to Davey_HB:

Some ideas for Colorado

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1678

So - Things have moved on.

We purchased the 70m Dry Edelrid Anniversary rope at a good price - We have just today also booked for our multi pitch climbing day out of the park with Kling Mountain Guides (www.klingmountainguides.com)

3 months to the day until we go so starting to look forward to it now.

DB

In reply to Davey_HB:

Kling is a good service too. I forget they guide here too. well every guide service offers trips here. The ice is here and stairway to heaven has already come in . one of the longer routes at 1200 ft above silverton. Ice park planned opening in 10 days, 17th.