New West Living Magazine | January 2003
Climb On!
The allure of Big Ice turns Ouray into a hot spot for climbers
Stories by Cat Coughran
Sheer walls of crystal blue ice flow down the sides of the Uncompahgre Gorge during the frigid winter months.
The icy precipices, like frozen waterfalls, create not only a scenic spectacle, but also a powerful attraction to the climbers who dare to scale them. And nearby Ouray, once a sleepy little Western Colorado mountain town, is gaining international renown as a winter sports destination.
Ice climbing enthusiasts have been coming to Ouray since the 1970s to challenge the Uncompahgre Gorge just south of town.
The gorge, also known as Box Canyon, offers what an early group of enthusiasts recognized as a unique combination of assets: an easily accessible, narrow gorge with an abundant source of water and, most important, a benevolent landowner who was willing to allow recreational access to the area.
Thanks to a Colorado law that provides very restricted liability for landowners who allow access for recreational purposes, Ouray County insured landowner Eric Jacobsen and Ouray Hydroelectric under its insurance umbrella. Jacobsen in turn leased to the county the use of the land for recreational purposes for $1 a year until 2008. That laid the foundation for the Ouray Ice Park.
In the fall of 1994, Bill Whitt, Gary Wild, Mike O’Donnell and a small band of volunteers started farming ice in the gorge. Their results were better than expected: Long, steep flows of ice on previously blank rock. The Ouray Ice Park was born and news of its birth spread quickly through the ice climbing community. By that winter, many climbers came to Ouray to test their skills on the ice.
Ouray Ice Park Inc. officially opened in 1995 as the world’s first park devoted exclusively to the sport of ice climbing. Over the next two years, a volunteer work force using donated materials and capital created a nonprofit corporation, Ouray Ice Park Inc. (OIPI).
By 2000, however, OIPI faced some big challenges. As members of the original board began to tire, the park was faced with two problems: Bringing new enthusiasm to the board and raising $40,000 to replace and upgrade the ice making system.
Enter Erin Eddy. A self-proclaimed ex-ski bum from Durango, Eddy had moved to Ouray as the new owner of the Riverside Inn. He was enlisted as chief fund-raiser for OIPI and given the challenge of raising the money needed to fix the park plumbing.
In July of 2000, Eddy still was $20,000 short of the gaol and time was running out on the project. At the last minute, an anonymous donation of $20,000 kept the park from shutting down.
Eddy now serves as the president of the seven-member OIPI board and chairman of the Ouray Ice Festival Committee.
Today, Ouray Ice Park attracts hundreds of climbers and spectators each winter. Lookout platforms positioned on the sunny side of the canyon offer thrilling views of climbers as they make their way up the ice.
Ice climbing has been a huge boon to the winter economy in Ouray. Known mostly as a scenic summer destination, Ouray used to go into a kind of hibernation during winter.
Eddy says that before OIPI became so popular, an average of two rooms a week in his inn were booked during the winter. Now, he averages a dozen rooms per week.
Other hotels, restaurants and shops benefit from the increased winter traffic as well. According to the Ouray Chamber and Resort Association, the town has enjoyed a 10 percent increase in winter business over the last two years.
As it has always been, climbing remains free at OIPI. But memberships and donations keep the ice flowing.