The Ouray Ice Park, a destination for ice climbers, will reopen this winter after a March rockfall caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in infrastructure damage.
According to Operations Manager Pete Davis, crews have been working since the spring to rebuild a trestle bridge and water distribution system, which were destroyed when 12,000 pounds of rock unexpectedly fell from the walls of the Uncompahgre River Gorge where the park is created each year.
The bridge also held a penstock that funnels water from a dam further up the gorge to the Ouray Hydroelectric Power Plant. Both fell more than hundred feet into the river after being knocked down by rock, Davis said.
The Ouray Ice Park, which boasts 150 routes along a 1.7-mile stretch of river gorge, is free for climbers to use and managed by the nonprofit Ouray Ice Park, Inc. And because the town doesn’t have a ski resort, the park is largely regarded as the backbone of the winter economy, attracting 22,000 climbers last season, according to Peter O’Neil, executive director of Ouray Ice Park, Inc.
Initially, O’Neil worried the park may not open for the 2021-2022 season, but an outpouring of community support quickly eased the uncertainty. In March, the nonprofit launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to rebuild and hit its initial $50,000 fundraising goal in 24 hours. By May, supporters showed up to the tune of more than $100,000 helping cover the park’s share of repairs, O’Neil said.
Some of the money also went to building a trail to circumvent the bridge in case it couldn’t be rebuilt by winter. That way avid climbers could still access the School Room, one of the park’s original routes.
“It’s an iconic part of the park,” O’Neil said. “Lots of people come to climb in the School Room.”
Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post
A new bridge (pictured) was recently flown in and installed to replace one taken out by a March rockfall. Crews have been working since the spring to rebuild, repair and replace the Ouray Ice Park’s damaged infrastructure in advance of the 2021-2022 winter season. (Tiney Ricciardi, The Denver Post)
Preparing for winter
Construction is moving swiftly, however. A replacement bridge was recently flown in by helicopter and installation is expected to be completed soon to get the hydro-plant back up and running, the operators said. The next step will be reconnecting the Ouray Ice Park’s water system, which Davis likens to an irrigation system, and saturating the area by dripping water down the north-facing cliffs.
Saturation typically begins in mid-November and ensures the ice will have a solid foundation on which to collect, Davis said. Once saturation is complete and the weather is cold enough, the park’s ice farmers will turn on water spigots nightly to begin creating the signature sheet of climbing ice.
The Ouray Ice Park typically opens in mid-December and closes in late-March. (Official season dates have yet to be announced.)
“Once we get the temperatures right, we kick on the water, then you can build the entire park in one week pretty much, conditions permitting,” Davis said.
Farmers run about 250 gallons of water per minute and ice typically grows to 10 feet thick or more, Davis said. To keep it stable enough for climbing, ice farmers will continue to water the cliffs on nights when it’s cold enough. However, because the Ouray Ice Park shares its water supply with its namesake town, it has to do so carefully.
If the municipal reserve reaches below a certain level, the park is not permitted to run water, O’Neil said, because it’s then only for the town to fight fires and flush toilets, among other necessities. That’s why Ouray Ice Park, Inc. is working to secure a new water source to sustain and even expand the park in future years.
“It’s always a pinch,” Davis said. “We can’t run every sprayer in the park every night.”
The rockfall may have been devastating, but O’Neil noted several silver linings. For one, the fall and bridge collapse happened after hours when the park was empty, so no one was hurt. And the event raised awareness about the park, hopefully inspiring new outdoors enthusiasts to visit and existing fans to donate, he said.
“It’s like public radio — it’s not really free,” O’Neil said. “You want good public radio, you gotta join as a member. If you want good ice, if you want to support Pete’s operation and the farmers, we need support.”
Want to visit?
The Ouray Ice Park is hosting three events this winter to promote the area and the sport.
The first is called All In Ice Fest (Jan. 7-9, 2022), a new event that aims to welcome people of color, athletes with disabilities and those part of the LGBTQ+ community into ice climbing with beginner clinics and gear demonstrations. The second is the annual Ouray Ice Festival (Jan. 20-23, 2022), which in addition to clinics and gear demonstrations, hosts a professional climbing competition. Lastly, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation is bringing a competition there (Feb. 3-5, 2022) along with some of the world’s best climbers.
Anyone looking to use the park outside those dates is welcome to do so for free, O’Neil said, though he recommends hiring a local guide to those who lack climbing experience.
