Telluride & Ouray Ice Climbing Courses

Both our Introductory and Intermediate/Advanced Ice Climbing Courses take place over two full days in the Ouray Ice Park. Courses are lead by AMGA trained or certified guides, who will provide expert instruction and first-hand knowledge with climbers. Once you’ve taken the Intro to Ice Course, consider taking the Intermediate/Advanced Ice Course to further improve your skills. By taking both courses, it’s our hope that a fit climber will go from never having kicked a crampon into ice to climbing steep Grade WI4+ ice routes and navigating mixed climbs with a solid level of proficiency.

Intro to Ice Climbing Course

Our Intro to Ice Course is intended for anyone interested in learning the skills necessary to efficiently climb moderately steep ice. If you are a first-time climber who is curious about ice climbing, or an experienced rock climber looking to expand to frozen routes, this course is a great way to test it out and take the initial steps to develop a foundation for the sport. 

The course is an intro to top rope ice climbing. It focuses on ice climbing basics, including proper technique, equipment, terminology and communication, top rope belay and lowering, and risk management. Our pedagogy, developed over decades of instructing ice climbers, will provide the building blocks for efficiently climbing WI3 and some WI4 routes.

Intermediate/Advanced Ice Climbing Course

If you have climbed ice several times—guided or unguided—our Intermediate/Advanced Ice Course will help further develop the skills necessary for climbing consistently steep ice. This course is geared toward the experienced rock climber who already possesses a lot of vertical awareness and rope skills, as well as the novice ice climber hoping to up their climbing to the next level.

Our goal is to have you feeling comfortable on WI4 to WI4+ terrain. Ice climbing is less intuitive than rock climbing, so learning skills to economize your movements and move efficiently are critical for having success on steeper ice. The course can also be taken in conjunction with the Intro to Ice Course, or booked on a private, custom basis at any time throughout the season.

To make a reservation, please click below.

Intro to Ice Course - Register Intermediate/Advanced Ice Course - Register

For ice climbing trips in Telluride and Ouray, see our Half-Day Telluride Ice, Backcountry Ice, and Ouray Ice Park options.

If you have questions or are looking for more advanced instruction for mixed ice climbing, multi-pitch routes or hard alpine objectives, please contact the Mountain Trip office at [email protected] or (970) 369-1153.

Intro to Ice Course

  • Develop body positioning and climbing technique for efficient movement on moderate ice.
  • Be able to tie into a rope using a figure 8 and double-check the knot.
  • Provide a safe top rope belay and lower for a climbing partner.
  • Proper top rope anchor construction.
  • Utilize climbing commands (such as “on belay”) and learn specific ice climbing terminology.
  • Build familiarity with ice climbing equipment.
  • Understand winter layering systems and learn techniques for self care in cold environments.

Intermediate/Advanced Ice Course

  • Comfortably climb WI4 and aspire to begin climbing WI5.
  • Become familiar with placing and removing ice screws for protection.
  • Be able to build and clean anchors suitable for top rope ice climbing using proper practices.
  • Develop the skill set required for following multi-pitch ice routes.
  • Read and evaluate ice conditions and terrain.

Inclusions and Exclusions for Ice Climbing Courses

Included in the Trip Fee:

• Guidance of our highly experienced Mountain Trip guides.

• All necessary protective equipment where it is required.

• Assistance arranging post-trip activities in the area.

• $25 per guest, per day Commercial Use Fee paid to the Ouray Ice Park.


Not Included in the Trip Fee:

• Travel to and from southwest Colorado.

• Personal clothing and equipment per our equipment list. (Please, just ask us if you need anything!)

• Accommodations in Colorado.

• Travel and/or rescue insurance. (The CORSAR card is an inexpensive way to reimburse local rescue groups for costs incurred during a rescue in Colorado.)

• Costs incurred due to evacuation or unplanned departure from the area due to illness or other problems.

• Costs incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of Mountain Trip.

• Costs as a result of force majeure.

Refunds and Cancellations

Mountain Trip recognizes how difficult and disappointing it can be for guests who must cancel trips. Guests must also recognize that, due to the nature of planning trips and contracting guides for specific dates, Mountain Trip also accrues significant expenses in organizing our excursions. We must therefore adhere to a strict refund policy for all guests.

We require 100% payment at the time of booking and at least 72 hours’ notice for cancellations and rescheduling of activities. If you would like to purchase travel insurance to protect a trip in case of last-minute cancellations, you can do so via Travel Guard HERE.

We are happy to work with you to reschedule to a new date, or if you need to cancel entirely, we will provide a full refund with a minimum of 72 hours’ notice. If you cancel inside of 72 hours ahead of a trip departure, or do not show up, you will not be refunded and will have to reschedule by paying full price.

Participants must fit our rated equipment in order to participate on Ice Climbing trips. We use the Black Diamond Momentum Harness, which goes up to a 41-inch waist. If any individual does not fit the equipment we provide, they will not be able to attend. 

All requests for refunds must be made in writing and received in our Colorado office. No refunds will be provided for cancellations occurring within the last three days prior to the scheduled date of a trip.

Mountain Trip reserves the right to cancel a trip prior to the departure date for any reason. In such an event, all monies collected by Mountain Trip from trip participants shall be promptly refunded. This is the extent of our financial liability.

Weather Cancellations

We, Mountain Trip and our guides, reserve the right to make all weather-related decisions in regards to the cancellation of trips.

The following is a list of guide-recommended gear for ice climbing with Mountain Trip. In general, you’ll want a selection of warm layers that work together. Clothing designed for a day of skiing is fine; however, dedicated ice climbing clothing is better. Whatever gear you choose, please make sure it fits well so you fully enjoy your experience in the mountains.

We provide all of the necessary technical climbing equipment: ice tools, helmet, harness, crampons and mountaineering boots. (Gaiters, lightweight gloves, parkas and backpacks are available upon request). All of our equipment is top-of-the-line gear. Climbers are also welcome to bring and use their own gear upon inspection by one of our guides.

In addition to what we provide and have available to rent, there is also a good selection of gear available in Telluride and Ouray. If you have any specific questions about what you might need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Mountain Trip office.

Print Equipment

Footwear

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Ice BootsModern, technical ice climbing boots are lightweight and warm. Fit is paramount, so find the pair that best fits your feet. Your boots need to accept wire crampon bales, so they should have well-defined toe and heel welts.
GaitersIf your pants fit tightly around your boot you do not need gaiters. Many modern boots have built in gaiters. They do help keep out water, and can prevent crampons from catching your pant legs.

Torso Layers

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Base Layer Top(1 or 2 sets) of Wool or Capilene light weight base layers. Long sleeve or short sleeve base layers work well.
Light Fleece HoodyLight/mid weight fleece (or wool) top with a hood. You will wear this over your light weight base layer.
Puffy Light Insulated JacketSize this layer to fit over your light fleece hoody and wind shell, and it is often layered underneath your expedition parka. Synthetic is easier to deal with and not worry about getting compared to a down filled layer. A hood on this layer in mandatory! *** Guides Tip! Use TWO lightweight puffy layers in the early season or if you are worried about being cold. A Micro or Nano Puff jacket with a Ultra Light Down Jacket or Vest allows versatile layering options.
Hard Shell JacketThis jacket should be large enough to go over your light puffy jacket layer. You do not need the burliest/heaviest Gore-Tex jacket you can find, and we prefer the lightest weight versions.
Soft Shell Wind JacketMany high alpine peaks are cold and dry. We are huge fans of very lightweight softshell wind jackets for high, dry, cold peaks. Weighing just a few ounces, these can be carried in your pocket or in the lid of your pack for rapid deployment. This layer is used in addition to your more waterproof hard shell jacket.

Leg Layers

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Base Layer Bottoms(1 or 2 sets) of Wool or Capilene light weight base layers.
Light Fleece BottomsAs the air thins and the wind picks up, you'll want a bit more insulation on your legs. This should be a slightly warmer layer that can go over your base layer bottoms when it gets cold.
Soft Shell PantsSoft Shell pants are the workhorse in the mountains and you'll be wearing these day in and day out on most expeditions. On peaks like Denali and Aconcagua, you can wear them in lieu of your hard shell pants for much of the expedition.

Head and Hands

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Heavyweight GlovesWarm, insulated gloves are the day-to-day workhorses on cold peaks or for cold days of ice climbing. We prefer gloves with removable liners for ease of drying.
Warm HatBring one warm hat or two hats of different weights. Wool or fleece are fine, but your hat must provide ear protection from the cold.
Technical Winter Climbing GlovesThese are your for when you are actively climbing, they should be warm, water proof, and give you good dexterity for climbing. They should be a snug fit, and used in tandem with your heavy gloves between climbing and belaying.

Packs and Duffels

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Climbing PackSuitable climbing packs will be 30 - 45 liters in volume and have the capability of easily attaching crampons, and ice axes if used for a day of ice climbing or if needed for a peak ascent. For a day climbs, any pack in the 30 - 45 liter range will work, but we recommend that you consider the weight of the pack carefully. Overnight, alpine routes require larger (45L) packs that also let you strap your sleeping pad to the outside.

Climbing Gear

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Climbing HelmetMake certain it fits over your warmest hat and under the hood of your shell. The super-lightweight foam helmets are great, but can get crushed in your duffel bags during travel, so protect your lid!
Climbing HarnessAn aspect of technical climbing is hanging in a harness. Having a padded, comfortable harness will make you much happier than will a thinly padded, alpine harness, and, should you find yourself at a semi hanging belay, your legs are less likely to fall asleep from lack of circulation.
Belay/Rappel DeviceA plaquette style belay/rappel device.
CramponsFor ice climbing, choose a dual- or mono-point crampon. Stainless steel crampons are light and do not rust.

Other

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Two (2) One-Liter Water BottlesYou will need two, 1-liter plastic water bottles. Please bring wide-mouth bottles, such as those from Nalgene, as these are much easier to fill than bottles with small openings.
Lip BalmBring a tube of quality lip balm with sun protection (SPF).
SunscreenThe sun can be intense in Colorado, so please apply high SPF sunscreen prior to your trip and bring a small tube along to reapply during the day.
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