Family Ice Climbing in Colorado
“You really want me to ice climb?”
“C’mon Dad! I know you can do it!” cried 8-year old Izzy, tugging on her father’s hand and directing him toward the leather couch in our reception area.
Grinning in the thin air of Telluride’s 8,750 foot elevation, Ernie allowed himself to be guided to the couch. As he began unlacing his snow boots, Izzy beamed with pride as her father allowed himself to catch some of his daughter’s contagious energy as they prepared for a morning of family ice climbing.
“Well all right!” local mountain guide Dave Ahrens exclaimed, “We’re going ice climbing!!”
Our mountain town of Telluride, Colorado is world-renown as a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. When the snow starts falling in November, all thoughts turn toward skiing. Rightfully so – the Telluride Ski Resort is one of the better ski hills in our state and the laid back feel of downtown makes it an appealing place for families. With just under 200 inches of powder falling annually over the past five years and a wide assortment of terrain both in and outside the ski area, the reputation as world-class is hard to argue.
Less well known are Telluride’s abundance of other frozen treats, namely our local ice routes. Visitors looking to break up their ski week might consider tying into a climbing rope and scaling one of our numerous frozen waterfalls. Ice climbing has grown in popularity in recent years, with improvements and innovations in equipment making entry into the sport easier than ever.
If you are feeling adventurous, are curious about the sport or if you’d just like to blow the minds of your Face Book friends with some cool shots of you hanging onto an azure flow of ice, carve out a half day from your Telluride visit and join the local professionals at Mountain Trip for a morning of climbing ice.
We offer full-service, guided half and full day trips for climbers of all abilities, complete with hot cocoa for the kiddos! Rest assured that your family is in good hands with the only guide service in southwest Colorado Accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association and staffed by highly trained guides who regularly lead climbers up tough peaks like Denali and Mount Everest. Stop by and say hello at our downtown office, at 135 W. Colorado Ave, right across the street from Telluride Sports.
By mid-afternoon, Izzy and her father were back on the leather couch, with grins even bigger than the ones they wore that morning. Ernie later posted his thoughts about their day of family ice climbing with us:
“We had the best time Ever Ice Climbing with you this last week… My 8-year-old daughter wants to go again already!!!! I can not thank you enough for all you did and provided and I would enthusiastically recommend you to anyone I know that is heading out west!!!!”
Thanks Ernie! We had a great time getting to know you and Izzy!
