Gear Review: La Sportiva Extreme Evo Lt. GTX

As I was running down the Barr Trail after hiking up The Incline to break these in two things were clear:

1. I was running in mountain boots.
2. I love these boots.

To be fair I have been climbing in a pair of Nuptses for the past eight or so years so anything was an improvement. If you aren't familiar with these boots they're synthetic double boots that are meant for high altitude and winter climbing. When I bought them I had high hopes that I haven't completely gotten around to yet but after walking around in the hot Colorado sun in June I decided I needed another pair of boots. The Nuptses are great boots but they're pretty much overkill for anything in the lower 48 states.

So back to the Evos, these boots are a vast improvement over any other boot I've had on my feet from other single boots to double plastics these things climb great and are a dream for approaches. I will note that they are a bit on the cool side and some people have told me the toe box is too narrow for them. Boots are so personal so it's always best to try them on first before laying down the cash.



Evos on the left.

Technical Details:
La Sportiva calls it the "silver bullet" for ice, mixed, and cold weather alpine. I'd say being great for two out of three ain't bad and the third depends on how cold and your desired level of comfort.

Weight: 30.51 oz., less than 2 pounds!
Lining:  Gore-Tex® Insulated Comfort Footwear
Upper: Water-repellant Cordura® with Idro-treatment/ Flex Tec 2/ Water-repellant Lorica® with Antiacqua™ external coating/ Double Vibram® rubber rands
Insole: 9mm insulating Ibi-Thermo
Midsole: 6-7mm HP3
Sole: Vibram® Lavaredo (Sticky Supertrek Rubber)
MSRP: $420.00
Where to Get It: La Sportiva doesn't do sales direct through their site so you'll have to buy them online or better at a local retailer like Wilderness Exchange in Denver, which also sells gear online.

First Impressions:
So I was super excited about these because they are a really lightweight boot that accepts automatic crampons. I've been clunking around in double boots for ages and was really excited to see what it was going to feel like to not have five pounds hanging off my legs. So after walking around the house for a couple days I called up a friend to see if he wanted to run up The Incline, our local training hike to fully test them out and break them in. As I said above, when we got to the top I ran down. I ran in mountain boots. As stupid as that sounds they were actually pretty comfortable. Something to keep in mind is that I don't have difficult feet. No bunions, bone spurs, or any of the many annoyances that often cause people great trouble finding boots. These fit me right out of the box and were good to go.

The next test was to see how they actually climb. I've been doing a lot of skiing recently so I haven't gotten to test them too much til a couple weeks ago during a linkup of Dreamweaver and Martha's Couloir in RMNP. This is a little over 6 grand worth of elevation gained and lost with a little over nine miles of hiking. Kind of a big day. I figured if I could do that then these boots were pretty solid. I had intended to also climb The Flying Dutchman which would of added in another couple grand of ascent and descent but it was late in the day and I'm out of shape for alpine climbing.

Aside from getting lost because I was looking down at the snowshoers tracks instead of paying attention to where I was going the boots did great. Greater ankle flexibility allowed for more flat footing on the snow which kept my calfs from burning out early on and the lighter weight allowed me to take my time and not feel like I had cement shoes trying to pull me off the ice.

Comfort & Fit:
These are super comfy. Even after running in them and climbing for thousands of feet I still had something left to give. They are stiff though like any other mountaineering boot. I did notice on the walk down that my toes and ankles were starting to get sore. I think this has more to do with doing a lot of climbing than it does with the boots themselves. I don't find myself walking ten miles in anything and feeling like daisies.

One thing I will say is that these boots run a little cold. If you're planning a lot of winter climbing I'd say consider having a backup plan if your toes get cold at least until you get to know how cold your feet will get in these. Slogging up Mt. Lincoln one day in brutal winds and below zero temps I was wishing I had my other boots. If I would of stopped for any significant amount of time I would of had to turn around or lose my toes because I was doing all I could just to keep the blood flowing. So I would call these light four season boots and they are call Evo Light. I don't think the designers intended them for brutal, sub zero, high altitude conditions so be careful subjecting yourself to that. Spring climbing and nicer winter conditions, which are pretty common in CO they are great.

Fitwise these work well for me. Like I said though I don't have difficult feet. I've heard and read many complaints about the narrow toe box being uncomfortable. If your toe area is wide these may not fit you very well. These also feel like low top tennis shoes compared to my bigger boots. I've tried on several pairs of single boots and this is pretty common so if you're used to climbing in plastic boots or some other double boot it will feel strange at first.

Pros: Very lightweight and comfortable for those with easy to size feet.
Cons: Lightweight can mean cold. Some have complained of narrow toe box problems.
Score: Thumbs up! For a lightweight boot they're still reasonably warm.

Traction & Stability:
These are made for a variety of terrain and they do great. On wind packed snow they had plenty of traction to where I never slipped too much. Because of their lightweight I felt much more agile on scree and boulderfields but that lightweight can be a drawback when kicking steps both up and down hill. It sucks to lift that heavy boot up but I really had to kick pretty hard on some hardpacked snow coming down from Mt. Lady Washington. Of course I could of just put my crampons on but I was feeling lazy and there weren't really any consequences should I of fallen.

Stability is good as well. I find myself tightening and loosening the laces depending on what I'm doing. For climbing and upward movement I crank the laces tight to hold my ankle more stable and for general hiking or downhill movement I loosen the top hooks to get more ankle movement. This is a big contrast from my previous boots where I felt like my leg would break anytime I didn't go where the boots wanted me to.

Pros: Ankle stability feels very adjustable, lightweight and grippy. Great for flatfooting as well as steeper ice.
Cons: Can get tiresome to kick steps without much weight behind it. Not as stiff for ice climbing.
Score:Thumbs Up! This is a good boot for the quiver that doesn't feel like cement shoes. It's a good balance in stiffness for ice and mountaineering.

Breathability & Water Resistance:
I haven't had any issues with water penetrating through the upper directly. Despite walking on some wet slushy snow late in the day. When I first took the boots out to Hessie Chimney I did quickly realize that I needed to buy gaiters. Where the cuff on my old boots was very big and held my pant legs in place that was not the case with the Evo Light. Postholing through powder for three hours left my feet soaked and frozen so you need to have a system for keeping snow from coming in the top of the boot.

Breathability wise these have worked great for the warmer weather I've been climbing in. While my feet have been plenty warm I didn't feel like they were sweltering and adjusting the socks I've been wearing has been helpful in maintaining comfort. So far my feet have been perfectly dry when I've been smart about keeping snow out of the boots.

Pros: Waterproof and breathable. Work well for spring and summer alpine.
Cons: Like most boots it would be nice if they had a system for integrating the pants and boots so snow can't get in around the ankles.
Score: Thumbs Up! If LaSportiva would integrate their apparel with their boots I could see that being pretty sweet.

Short Term Durability:
So far I've been satisfied with these boots. Mountain boots are built to last and these are no exception. While anything that is marketed as lightweight is generally going to trade some durability for weight I have seen nothing to suggest that I won't get many years of use out of these boots.
Pros: They seem to take a beating and keep on running.
Cons: None that I've noticed as of yet.
Score: Two Thumbs Up! These boot seem pretty bomber.

Long Term Durability:
Check back at a later date to see how long these boots lasted.

Overall:
I really like these boots. They've seen a fair amount of ice and snow over the past couple of months and I'm pretty excited to see how they work out for next ice season. It seems like these are a pretty good all around boot but they don't really specialize in anything.

I don't think there is a way to have an all around boot that can cover the ground between extremely sticky climbing shoe and comfortable high altitude winter warmth. I think these boots handle a range of tasks from easy climbing and hiking to ice and snow climbing pretty well.

Pros: Handle ice and snow well. Lightweight but seemingly durable. Very comfortable and stable thru adjusting the laces.
Cons: It'd be great if these integrated with pants better for a nice waterproof cuff.

Overall Score:
Thumbs Up! This is a very comfortable, high performing boot. If they could defy physics to make it a do-everything boot then it wouldn't have a competitor. Since that's not possible they could at least make it integrate better with pants for better waterproofness at the cuff.
 

A Couple Helpful How To Videos

A lot of climbers get confused when reracking slings on their harness or they'll get everything tangled up. Often when we have clients on guided rock climbing trips we'll spend a good deal of time on this at the beginning of the day but if you need some tips or just a way to refresh your memory here it is:

 

Many newer climbers also have a hard time coiling their rope. So here is another video to help you learn how to do that more efficiently. These are the first how-to videos we have done so if you enjoyed it please let us know. If there are things you'd like to learn just leave your ideas in the comments below. Here's the video:

Gear Review: Black Diamond Axis 33

After pulling up to the top of the First Flatiron, three other climbers in tow I realized I'd been carrying everybody's shoes and water for the day without really noticing. Generally I carry a little 18L bullet pack and there's always a gaggle of shoes hanging off harnesses and people skimp on water so they don't have to carry it but here I'd found a pack where I could carry the groups equipment inside the pack, still tilt my head to look up, and was pretty comfortable doing so. Black Diamond's Axis 33 is a pretty nice pack. With a few tweaks it could be the ultimate climbers day pack.

Technical Details:
First a little about this pack. Black Diamond markets it as a "zip-top, guide style alpine pack." Hey what do you know, I'm a guide, I climb alpine routes!

Zip style packs differ from common top loading packs where you clip the top shut over the main compartment of the pack. Now some details, all for the medium size.

Weight: 3 lbs. 7 oz.
Volume: 33 L
Material: 400 d Velocity fabric and 420 d welded abrasion
Colors: Coal/Sulfur
Fancy Stuff: Includes BD's ergoACTIV and SwingArm shoulder straps, three point suspension for hauling, removeable crampon patch and helmet holder, and ice tool holders. These are included on all sizes.
MSRP: $159.95
Where to Get It: www.blackdiamondequipment.com


First Impressions:
After pulling this pack out of the box the first thing I noticed that it feels pretty rugged. For a 33 liter pack it also seemed about as heavy as my stripped down 50 liter Gregory Alpinisto. For the most part this is what I'm comparing it to because it's the pack I carried before it and am very used to. In most respects I think it is better, but in a few personal preference categories not as much. I purchased it in the Sulfur color which is basically a bright yellowish green. Unless you're trying to be some sort of ninja I'd suggest that over the coal which is basically black.

Comfort:
This pack carries nice. I've never had the ergoACTIV or SwingArm features on any of my packs so I wasn't sure how I'd like this and at first I wasn't even sure that it made a difference because the effect is subtle enough to not be noticeable unless you use different packs in back to back days. After a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park I noticed that while my Alpinisto felt uncomfortable on my shoulders while climbing and I felt off balance a lot with the Axis pack on the pack got out of my way so to speak when reaching above my head. Also because the hib belt rotates a little when you move the momentum of the backpack doesn't throw you around as much because of the slower transfer of momentum.

This does have a downside though. the mechanics of the the ergoACTIV system do seem to add some bulk on the hipbelt right around the spine. The hub of the hipbelt sticks out quite a bit and I've noticed that this can get a little uncomfortable with heavy loads for long distances which are not the homerun zone of this pack but nevertheless the comfort zone could be expanded with some re-tooling of this spot. I've noticed this in plenty of other packs and this pack has been pretty good in this regard given that it's marketed as a technical climbing pack.

The vented back panel does alright. This pack has the same problem as all internal frame backs in that it sits right on your skin so it's sweaty on your back. Because of this padding that manufacturers are adding to backpanels it makes me wonder why they still include frames. This is one thing I think that could improve the comfort of this pack is making the frame and framesheet removeable. This could just be me though. It seems like most people want these items despite the fact that this would make the pack probably a pound lighter.

Pros: Pack moves well with your body on technical terrain and when boulder hopping. Padding is thick but doesn't interfere or rub on skin.
Cons: Hipbelt hub sticks out too much and although the belt is removeable because this hub is integrated into the frame system those aren't removeable.

Score: Thumbs Up! Good comfort.

Carry and Capacity:
This pack is a bevvy of carrying options and despite it's limited capacity it makes up in additional carrying options. I was a little unsure of the zip top style pack because one benefit I like of top loading, flip top packs is the fact you can over stuff them. You cannot do that with this pack. If it doesn't zip shut you've either got to stuff it in harder or take something out. The capacity is fixed.

That said there are some nice options should you need to fit a little onto the outside of the pack. The hidden rope strap and side straps make carrying an extra rope a breeze as I found out on it's maiden voyage to the First Flatiron. There is also a stealthy little helmet carrier that slides out the back side of the clamshell top. Same for the crampon carrier which can be taken on and off as needed. The designer of this pack definately is a guide or spent a lot of time discussing the pack with one because these features make it extremely nice for guiding or for someone who may be carrying most of the equipment for family or friends.

Also because it's an alpine pack it has gear loops and ice clipper slots on the side. Things no alpine pack should be without in my opinion.

Because of this carrying capacity I think you could push this as an overnight pack for certain objectives. Because certain items can be split between the team and some things like sleeping pads and tents can be strapped to the outside it wouldn't be totally unreasonable to do this.

One thing I wasn't really psyched on was the ice tool holster. The bottom part I was familiar with (red straps) but the top part of the tool holder I had to fiddle with and I still like other systems better. The Alpinisto for example incorporates the side compression straps with a velcro closure which adds some redudancy should some part of the tool holster fail. If those thin nylon cords on the Axis cut though I could see losing a tool which would be pretty disastrous in the alpine.

I also wish the clamshell top was just a hair bigger. It's nice to have the mesh section underneath for paperwork but I feel like stuffing all the little odds and ends into that clamshell top is tough. Keys, sunglasses, sunscreen, lunch, don't all quite fit. That being said the interior of the pack feels bottomless for day trips. I can fit a rope, small rack, helmet, shoes, and chalkbag with little trouble.

Pros: Despite small stature you can carry a lot with this pack and all the little nooks hiding features are great.
Cons: Clamshell top needs to be a little bigger and the tool holder could be better.
Score: Two Thumbs Up! Awesome carrying capacity and thoughtful design.

Short Term Durability:
Like I said at the start the pack feels pretty rugged and heavy. The pack is made of a pretty burly feeling material. One thing I like is, although I don't see it in the marketing materials, there is some sort of coating on the inside of the pack. Not sure if it's waterproofing or not but I've had my fancy smartphone in my pack a few times during some heavy rains and it didn't get wet inside at all.

I think this pack will last a long time. Some spots I worry about though are where the frame ends in the corners. It's a high stress and wear point with some reinforcement but time will tell how that does. I've never used a pack with zippers either so we'll have to see how that goes. I'm worried about the loads of stress on that stiching and those teeth but in the months that I've had it they've done ok.

Pros: Thick, durable feeling material with some sort of coating inside that seems to be water resistant at least.
Cons: The frame system seems like it will be the first thing to poke through as things wear.
Score: Thumbs Up! Good materials and craftsmanship.

Long Term Durability:

Check back at a later date for a final report and see how long the pack lasted.

Overall:
I've had this pack for about four months with it's primary use for guiding but also for daytrips to go cragging and a few alpine climbing trips. I beat the crap out of packs.

This is a great pack for those who want a lot of features in a small package regardless of whether they need the features that go with an alpine pack (tool holster, crampon patch, etc). It's great for day trips and can take a rope and full rack. If you find yourself climbing with a pack often but can't seem to fit everything inside then this is the pack to get. It's bigger than a bullet pack but not so big as to interfere with movement.

Pros: Lots of carrying options and great to climb with.
Cons: A few little tweaks of the framing system and tool carrying system and I'd have next to nothing to whine about.

Overall Score: Thumbs Up! A good pack but a few teaks could make it a great pack.

What Does It Really Cost to Learn Without a Guide

People by nature tend to be independent. Many of us just don't like the idea on relying on someone to tell us when we're ready to do something or how to do something. In certain circumstances this learning curve may result in some frustrating experiences but in the end we can be better for it and save some money. This doesn't apply to all circumstances. An often hear lament on climbing forums and in climbing gyms is, "I can't afford to hire a guide, it's just so expensive." Is it though? Sometimes we forget to factor in certain costs aside from money or that may cost money but are not directly related to what we're wanting to accomplish. There are also costs that are incalculable because they either cannot be priced (your life) or figuring out their cost involves too many factors that are not known or vary greatly. To better illustrate this let's look at a relatively simple task of changing one's oil in their car.

Costs of taking it to a mechanic:

• Payment to mechanic: $15-45
• Time spent driving to and from mechanic: 30 min.
• Time spent sitting at mechanic: 30 min.

Incalculable costs or benefits of taking it to a mechanic:

• Knowing you have legal recourse if the mechanic breaks your car or causes it to break and that the work was probably performed by someone with more knowledge about cars and car lubricants than yourself.
• Some mechanics will try to upsell other services by making it sound like your car is in poor condition.

Changing the oil is a relatively simple task. Most people can figure it out with a quick internet search. I learned from my dad and for many years I changed my own oil. In the past few years though as my time has become more valuable and the cost of having someone else do it has gone down I've started letting other people change the oil in my car.

Cost for me to change my oil:

• Oil and Filter: $40
• Time to change oil and cleanup: 1 hour
• Tools: $15

Incalculable costs or benefits:

• The satisfaction of knowing you did something yourself or the joy of doing something mechanical.
• Frustration of cleaning up oil off the driveway or time spent fixing a mistake if you forget or break something.

Now if we compare these costs and assume that our time is worth $15/hour just for simplification we have the mechanics cost at $30-$60 and the cost to do it ourselves at $70. If we assume most people own a wrench we can bring that down to $55 The costs here are pretty close, and if there is a coupon or your mechanic makes you wait four hours while they get the job done then it's easy to see where these can get farther away but where things really come into perspective are the incalculable costs.

If you forget to put the oil filter on or leave the cap off, don't remember to put oil in and take your car for a spin, when that cool running engine turns into a screaming hunk of hot metal you're car is just a piece of junk. If your mechanic does that then they're liable for the repairs. For many people that's a low probability and they enjoy doing the work so they do it themselves. For the less mechanically inclined it's frustrating, risky and it's safer, easier, and less costly to let someone else do it for their piece of mind.

We can look at hiring a guide in the same way. Some of us are bright, mechanically inclined people, who are willing to take some risks in learning a new task. Some are not but keep in mind that the cost benefit analysis is different in climbing. To make the comparison apples to apples I've kept a couple constants. We'll assume in each instance the skill learned is the same, say learning to lead single pitch trad climbs. The average price to get to a climbing destination I kept at $200. This assumes $15/hr. for travel time to and from a crag that's a little over an hour away and assumes $.55/mile for wear and tear on the car. It would be difficult to adjust for the many regional differences in distance, cost of gas, and road conditions so this is just me keeping it simple. So keeping this constant in mind let's look at the costs. Some prices I came to by averaging the cost from several companies. I didn't include objective costs that may be associated with both ways of learning a skill because it simply muddies the water. You're risk of getting struck by lightning doesn't change because of who your with, it changes with your actions which are not calculable.

Cost to hire a climbing guide:

• Paying the guide, including $50 tip times two visits: $500
• Driving to meet guide times two visits: $400
• Driving to practice new skills on your own times two visits: $400
• Time/value spent learning both with guide and without @ $15/hr for 32 hours: $480
• Cost of gear to learn on your own (harnesses, helmetes, traditional rack, rope, slings, etc): $800

Incalculable costs and benefits:

• When you hire a guide you have someone there who can tell you what you do and don't know, what would be good to work on, where you can improve, and the safest ways to progress and practice those new skills.
• Unless you are incredibly good at book learning you will learn faster from a guide than learning on your own or from an experienced friend (that experience varies greatly). This is the main benefit.
• Costs of funeral or hospital bills if you screw up. We call this sheet time.

Many people feel confident in their ability to pick something and may try to learn from books. During my courses I often recommend a few books to clients because it helps with the overall learning process. I personally learned this way and it was nearly a year before I felt confident that I wasn't going to kill myself in an accident. Hence the reason I don't recommend it. That being said, some people do fine learning this way and with prevalence of information it's certainly possible for those who are so inclined. I think even those who are good at book learning will spend, at a minimum, double the time involed in learning from a person who will provide feedback right then, and that is one of those incalculable costs.

Cost to learn from books:

• Cost of two books on the subject: $50
• Driving to practice new skills on your own times four visits: $800
• Cost of gear to learn on your own (harnesses, helmetes, traditional rack, rope, slings, etc): $800
• Time/value spent learning on your own @ $15/hr for 32 hours: $480

Incalculable costs or benefits:

• Books don't provide feedback, if you're doing it wrong, you won't know it. This is the main problem, you don't know what you don't know.
• Costs of funeral or hospital bills if you screw up. We call this sheet time.
• Being apprehensive about trying something because you are not confident in what you're doing and have no one there to instill it in you causing you to progress slowly.

Now looking at the basic costs they're for the most part the same. Whether you hire a guide or learn from a book you're still going to have to drive to the crag and practice, still have to buy gear at some point. The difference in price really just comes from the difference between the costs of a few books vs. the costs of paying and tipping the guide. It's a $450 difference, about the cost of a new TV or computer. Once again the incalculable costs are where the big differences come in.

For the most part the most important, and for some, the only reason to hire a guide is for the valuable feedback they can provide that will help you understand what's going on. They can tell you safer ways, locations, and even individual climbs to practice on. They can tell you right away if you're doing something wrong and prevent you from developing unsafe habits. They can help you be confident in your abilities and try something that you'd otherwise be unsure of and they can inform you about what you've learned and what you don't know yet. Now I put sheet time under both categories. Hiring a guide doesn't guarantee you won't screw up. To err is human and hiring a guide doesn't change your genes. Although it's easy to argue that it's significantly less likely.

The final question that makes a guide such a great value is how long do you want to wait before you learn to really climb on your own and how bad do you want to get a sponge bath from that cute nurse whose nickname is Big Jim. Sorry pretty nurses stick you with needles and serve crappy hospital food, they use the dudes with muscles to lift you up and scrub your naughty parts. How much is that worth?

Conditions Report 1-11-12 Ouray Specific

So for those who didn't go to the Ouray Ice Festival, you missed out. It's a great time to see friends, meet new ones, check out some gear, hang out in some hot springs...oh and climb ice when you can get at it. While the Ice Park was crowded there was still ice that one could get at if you've got good people skills. Things seemed a little lean and hacked up but it's the Ice Park, what do you expect? You don't go to Ice Fest to climb.

I did have a couple buddies head up Bird Brain Boulevard. They said it had good neve snow and the pillar was in but delicate. The pictures they had made it look pretty scrappy. The Ribbon is in with a hacked up and thin first pitch but the rest is in well. The Skylight area had some good ice. Skylight had ice through the first pitch. Everything was pretty chandeliered and kind of thin. Hopefully the colder temps will help things freeze up. The mixed climbing was fun though.

Red Mountain Pass has good ice on the south side of the road but pretty much nothingn on the north. Gravity's, Kennedy's, all that is not even close. Horsetail Falls was in but wet, Bear Creek was running with the top being mostly a waterfall. French Slab was in, probably wet. If it has sun exposure then good luck. Things are cooling down though so there may be hope yet.

There's not even that much snow for skiing. Sounds like we may have to wait a while for skiing to come into good conditions as well. Not a lot of pictures, sorry, maybe next time.

Conditions Report 12-7-11, Colorado Springs Area

Well it took some time but temperatures have finally dropped around the state. Since I haven't gotten a chance to take another drive with the tools I can't personally comment on ice climbs in other areas but from what I hear most climbs in the Eureka, Rocky, and Vail areas have come in with a few exceptions. It sounds like The Ribbon and The Fang are still not formed but this is a more local conditions report for the Colorado Springs Area.

The snow started flying and I took a hike to see if The Springs' favorite climb had come in. When I went though Hully Gully was still just a smear of ice with many parts not formed. With the recent cold weather in the area though I decided to hike up today and grab another look. Things are looking a fair bit better now. The bottom pitch has not formed yet, just some ice smears. The top pitch is in pretty good shape with the very top coming in nicely without the mixed bit that usually occurs. The bottom of the top pitch is pretty thin though and I would suggest people give it more time because if the usual toprope hackfest starts now it'll come in all steppy and sketchy to lead.
Old Stage Rd. has quite a bit of snow on it though so if you're going to go and look for yourself bring your 4WD or some chains. The snow should melt off pretty quickly though.

Silver Cascade Slab is thin but in. There is a good amount of plastic ice with some running water on the surface. The nice thing about this climb is that it heals pretty quickly because of it's lower elevation and constant supply of water so I'd say go for it, just don't go crazy. The upper tier is in more thickly than the lower. Another note, please don't take the trail that leads up left from the bottom of the falls. A lot of people take this trail to get to the bottom tier and because the dirt is loose it is being constantly eroded into a gully. It's better to just go right up the creek. The road is slick as well but easy in a 2WD car, just go slow, and yes, that's my dog. He goes ice climbing with me.

The ice on Pikes is theoretically still there and while I can't provide an accurate avalanche report I can venture to guess what's likely. With the recent snow and direction of wind loading it's likely the Hero Traverse and the climbs themselves have some avalanche hazards with a lot of snow steps that are in the way of the actual climbs. Probably not worth it anymore. Probably going to be most difficult getting up the road anyways.

Conditions are also better now for other Front Range areas to form up, it'll have to get cold again though which the weather forecast doesn't bear out so I'm going to say no. But it's not outside my front door so it's going to be the people who live there who are close enough to make the trip and catch it while it's in. Good luck.

I also took a nice trip up to Lincoln Falls where things are formed up pretty nicely. The main gulley's and the right column are formed up and things are pretty hacked up. Probably better for practicing your rope work and hooking skills than actually swinging the tools.

Now that there's finally some ice in Colorado Springs I've added our class schedule to our website. So if you've never gone ice climbing or want to learn some new ice climbing skills check out our classes for the end of December.

Conditions Report 11-4-11

Well it's that time of year again where the snow starts flying and little dribbles of ice start forming. These shoulder seasons are always tough. There's usually not enough ice to go climbing and there are fewer days that are good for rock climbing. Although there are some areas and days where climbing in the Front Range is very pleasant.

After climbing a little ice and hearing some encouraging words from others around the state about some ice climbs forming another guide and I decided to take our tools for a drive. To sum it up for you we didn't see much. There's plenty of moisture and snow but temperatures below 11,000 feet are simply too warm for anything to be in good condition.

Climbing Blind Assumption on Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak Area

Although nothing in Colorado Springs is close to forming things up on The Peak are looking good. Temps above 11,000 ft. have been cold enough for ice to form. and stay formed up.

Blind Assumption: The first pitch is in well. There are a few mixed bits to about M4

Total Abandon: I've been told this has ice on all pitches.

Colorado Springs Ice: Wet, but not cold enough to form anything.

Direct North Face-Not In

Silverton Area

Much like the rest of Colorado this area hasn't received cold enough temps to have the ice be in. It's forming though. As long as people leave the fragile pillars and curtains alone things will continue to develop and form in the next couple of weeks.

South Mineral Creek: Despite an internet post suggesting otherwise their is nothing "in". There's ice and things can be climbed but they are not in good enough condition to climb. We climbed the first two pitches of Campground Coulior and it was wet and running. Daytime temperatures are too high for things to build. A week of daytime temps below freezing and things will start to fill in nicely.



Stairway-Not In

Eureka: Things like Stairway to Heaven and Whorehouse Hoses have ice on them but are nowhere near being ready. Anything South East will take a fair bit longer because of the lack of snow on the more sun receiving aspects.

Ouray Area
Same as everywhere else The Ice Park isn't scheduled to open till Mid-December and they've got the water going but things are just to warm. Camp Bird Road is looking good but not quite there yet.

Camp Bird Road-Not In

Ice Park: Wait till December
Camp Bird: The Ribbon is coming in but the bottom pitch didn't appear to be formed. My parter who has climbed it said it was much thinner than when he climbed it in thin conditions. We did a little drytooling in the Skylight Area and by the time we were leaving in the afternoon there was plenty of water running and ice falling down.
Red Mountain Pass: I feel like I'm repeating myself. Saw lots of ice forming but the climbs aren't in yet Gravity's Rainbow was just a glaze of verglas on the rocks and Horsetail Falls was still running. Just have to wait for it to get cold still.

Lincoln Falls
Finally something different. Thanks to it's higher altitude there's quite a bit of ice here. The main gullies have sufficient ice for climbing but it may be best to let the pillars and curtains alone till temperatures are more consistently cold.

Based on what I've seen in my nice drive around the state there is not much going on in the way of ice. At higher elevations (above 11,000 feet or so) things look better but a few more weeks of cold temperatures may be best for everything. Stay away from thin, wet pillars and curtains which may collapse without warning. Even if it doesn't collapse you may set it's development back for a few weeks or even the rest of the season. Now's a good time to do some tool hangs and get your arms conditioned for when the ice actually is in.