You’ve never seen the Ouray Ice Park like this.
Filmmaker and longtime resident of Colorado’s Western Slope Barry Stevenson knows how to capture the Ouray Ice Park in all its glory. From full bore Rocky Mountain blizzards to sun-shiny days, and during the world famous Ouray Ice Festival, Stevenson has watched the renowned ice climbing mecca grow from a tiny idea thought to be unheard of to one of the city’s and region’s biggest attractions.
“I grew up in Montrose before the Ice Park,” Stevenson siad. “I never even heard of ice climbing until my parents started telling me about this crazy idea to “farm” ice. The Ice Park is such a great story.”
Stevenson is now well acquainted with the city of Ouray, the park and it’s supporters. Here, ice climbing is so prominent that even a city council member, Dawn Glanc, is also a professional climbing guide.
A full-time, four-man team of ice farmers is tasked with the relentless challenges of operating an astounding system of irrigation and “extreme plumbing” that borrows water from the city’s reservoir and temporarily disperses it along the walls of more than a mile of the Uncompahgre Gorge, holding it in place as as long as the winter will allow. These ice farmers are used to frigid weather, pre-dawn hours and hordes of people they often have to work around. Administration and ambassadors help with guests and events help fund the while thing. That’s right, it’s free.
As they say around Ouray, get you axe in gear, and head to the Ouray Ice Park.
Guide services: Learn from one of the most acclaimed guide services in thew world. San Juan Mountain Guides
Woman’s specific: focusing on women’s empowerment through mountain sports. Chicks Climbing and Skiing
Gear: the one and only gear shop in Ouray, chock full of the coolest mountaineering equipment you could dream of. Ouray Mountian Sports
Grub: step up and order. We like the green chili burger. Maggie’s Kitchen
Hot Springs: Ouray and vicinity is loaded with natural hot springs, perfect for soaking after freezing on thd ice. Ouray Hot Springs, Orvis Hotsprings
