The Ice Season Is Here

There’s something about the hit or miss nature of ice climbing that makes it appealing. In rock climbing, you never show up to the cliff hoping the route is still “in.” (Could you imagine hiking up to a tower, “Oh man, the splitter isn’t there today, we’re hosed!”) With ice, conditions are everything. Is it formed up all the way? Is the ice plastic, brittle? Is it thick enough to take good pro?

We got out for an early season mission on Saturday and it was one of those magical days where it all came together perfectly: hundreds of feet of ice in a stunning location with good friends, laughing and enjoying it the whole way. A couple photos from our ascent:

(As for the rest of the Crystal River Valley, the ice is as good as it’s been this early in years, with many climbs already in decent shape.)