Climbing cold blue ice under beautiful blue winter skies

Colorado is quite the ideal place to be based if you are a climber. First off, there is all types of climbing here in this great Rocky Mountain state. There are thousands of mountains throughout, offering all types of mountaineering and climbing objectives to a worthy summit. Some, suited best for trail running shoes and a light pack, others overnight, wilderness, technical objectives, and everything else in between.

Alpine winter summit climbing on Mt Crested Butte

Beneath all the lofty heights of the state’s great peaks, and for those more interested in technical difficulty over sizeable altitude and mileage, the state is littered with rocky hillsides, outcroppings, gorges, and cliff walls. And almost as varied as the type of climbing is the type of rock to climb on: granite, gneiss, alpine granite, sandstone (Eldo Canyon sandstone; Escalante Canyon wingate; Garden of the Gods soft sandstone; etc….)and more then my limited geology can understand.

Leading ice in the Ouray Ice Park

On par with all this variety is the stellar weather. 300+ days of sunshine a year, and enough climate variation that even in the dead, frozen cold of winter, within a day’s drive you can be climbing sunny warm rock somewhere. With that being said…the most important thing a Colorado climber needs to possess is a love of seasonal changes, and being willing to hunt for your preferred objective and medium. After all, Colorado is known for mountains, and skiing as well as climbing. And where those things reside, generally means a long, cold winter climbing season.

Ski Mountaineering on Mt Crested Butte's 'Guides Ridge' Route

So here in Crested Butte, Colorado, where winter can easily last 8 months a year, to be a climber one must learn to embrace winter climbing. Or, have a very flexible job and put a lot of miles in of windshield time. We prefer the former, and embrace the winter climbing season. One that brings different challenges, but with it more space for reward and more opportunities for the moments of grace and beauty that the mountain environment provides us with.

fresh ice

Alas, it is now Mid-February, and we have every so imperceptibly crested the heart of winter’s darkness. The days are becoming slightly longer, the sun’s angle slightly higher, and the temps slightly (and I mean slightly) warmer. Spring is slowly beginning to take shape on the horizon and plans are beginning to infiltrate our minds of warm, sunny, granite rock or desert sandstone to be climbed.

Winter mixed alpine climbing in Crested Butte, CO

However, we are in no rush to get there, as the one thing that always holds true will no doubt take effect again….change will inevitably come. In the meantime though, we will thoroughly be enjoying the depths of winter, climbing on frozen snowy peaks, watching the sun rise and fall from the sides of a mountain and taking joy in the way it’s light plays differently amongst a landscape coated with the sharpness of rock, ice, and snow, then it does with the softer, subtler colors of the warmer months.

Colorado Ice Climbing

We will continue to seek out freezing pre-dawn starts on snowy, rock strewn ridges, and will relish the joy of going to work and the challenge of sublime and quiet winter ascents of Mt Crested Butte’s ‘Guides Ridge’ Route, and more beyond. We will continue to seek out the frozen blue waterfall ice of the surrounding mountains and in the farmed ice of the Lake City and Ouray Ice Parks. Taking joy in introducing rockclimbers to the somewhat awkward but supremely focusing and enjoyable sport of ice climbing, and the feeling that comes with being half-way up a turquoise or fluorescent blue waterfall, looking down through your crampon frontpoints, and wondering how it can all be so beautiful and inspiring while also all being so intimidating and challenging.

Ski Mountaineering Crested Butte, CO

And of course, when not searching out every nook and cranny of the surrounding mountains for that ultimate, unfound, ephemeral flow of ice to climb, or winter ridge ascent to be had, we’ll be looking for that perfect, and ever-elusive, ‘ultimate powder run’, just out of our back door in the wonderful, Crested Butte Backcountry.

-Cheers, Jayson @ CBMG

Crested Butte Mountain Guides humble 'Guide Shack' & World HQ's during the first snow of the season

The Winter Season of 2012/2013 has been off to a great start here in Crested Butte, with Crested Butte Mountain Guides having a guide calendar full of the variety of activities that we offer in the winter environment: AIARE Avalanche Education Courses; Backcountry Ski & Splitboard Tours; & Ice Climbing; as well as our short-format Intro To The Backcountry & Avalanche Refresher Courses.

Backcountry Skiing in Crested Butte, CO

The start to the Winter here in the Colorado Rockies was eerily similar to last year, with minimal snowfall, and fairly mild, sunny, and warm days. More akin to a late late Fall then early Winter. However, being located in the heart of the Elk Mountains at 9,000′ offers plenty of opportunities for the adventurous mountain athlete type, so in the absence of deep powder turns, we went in search of elusive and picturesque high country ice climbs.

Early season ice climbing in the Crested Butte backcountry

Early season ice Climbing in the Lake City Ice Park

And….although there were reports of lack of snow in the high country, there was enough. And we were able to get off and running on our full schedule or AIARE Avalanche Courses for the season, by running three Level 1 Courses, a Level 2 Course, and 2 Refresher Courses, as there was just enough snow to pull off a high-quality learning environment, see what a shallow snowpack means in terms of snow stability and avalanche assessment, and due to our guides intimate nature of our backyard…pull off some pretty darn worthy backcountry powder skiing and riding as well.

Students heading into the field for the touring day of an AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course

Students evaluating snow on an AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Course

And then…..just in time for the holidays…..and just after we were getting accustomed to skiing off the big peaks to start the season……the big snows came. And by the start of the New Year, almost 5 feet of fresh powder had piled up in the Crested Butte backcountry making for some memorable powder turns to celebrate the holiday season with !

An early season ski descent off Gothic Mountain

Shredding the pow, toe-side down and knuckles draggin'

Great early season powder skiing in Crested Butte's backcountry !

Deep, deep holiday season backcountry turns

Sunrise from the skintrack while backcountry ski touring

With town and the surrounding mountains now covered in a thick blanket of white, and another forecasted major winter storm just taking shape outside now in Mid-January, we are well set-up to continue offering our busy calendar of events throughout the remainder of the winter season. 2013 has already started off with a plethora of sold out AIARE Level 1, Level 1 Hut Courses, Level 2, & Avalanche Refresher Courses…..

CBMG Guides & AIARE Instructors, Scott Krankkala & Ross Matlock, demonstrating snowpit evaluation to students on a Level 1 Avalanche Course

While we continue to introduce new folks to the thrill of winter ski touring in the backcountry through our 2-Day Intro To The Backcountry Courses. As well, as showing more seasoned vets great backcountry powder turns amidst the surrounding peaks.

Learning how to make turns in the backcountry

As we move into the heart of January, our popular guided backcountry ski & splitboard tours and hut trips are going out almost daily, and the conditions on the ‘Guides Ridge Route’ on Mt Crested Butte are in prime for an unforgettable winter ascent of our town’s namesake and iconic peak. A mix of rock, snow, and ice, this is an alpine climbing challenge, minutes from the lift and not to be missed.

Training for an ascent of Aconcogua on Mt CB's 'Guides Ridge Route' in full winter conditions

And….along with the heart of winter right around the corner, comes the heart of ice climbing season! This weekend is the world-famous Ouray Ice Festival, and we will of course be down there in Ouray with our tools, along with other ice climbers from around the world, looking forward to sharing this magnificent resource with those that are interested, as well as the lesser known, more adventurous, and way less crowded ice closer to our home in Lake City and The Black Canyon.

Practicing ice climbing technique in the Lake City Ice Park

Climbing Chipeta Falls in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Looking forward to the remainder of the winter season being just as filled with joyous and memorable moments as it has started with…..whether on the skintrack, waist deep in backcountry powder, amidst the green and blue ice of area waterfalls, or cozying up in a backcountry hut around the wood stove….life is good right now…..but don’t take our word for it….come see for yourself.

-CBMG Staff

First snow of the year dusting Whetstone Mountain above town

It’s hard to believe, but Summer in the Elk Mountains has definitely passed, and we are now deep in the heart of our favorite season…Fall ! The aspen leaves are currently at their peak of gold, yellow, and orange colors, the days are cool and crisp, and there is snow dusting the high peaks as we write this. Even more brief and fleeting then summer can be at 9,000′, Fall truly is the ‘secret season’ for those of us lucky enough to call Crested Butte home.

‘Gold Coins’ on the ground in Crested Butte…

And, although winter can makes its imminent arrival known at any point from now until Thanksgiving time, most Fall days are characterized by beautiful sunshine, stable clear weather, and perfect-perfect conditions for mountain biking or hiking amidst the golden aspen forests; rock-climbing in the warm sunshine; and mountaineering on Colorado’s high peaks. Town is also a bit quieter, as most of the main summer tourist traffic has gone away, and a much more mellow and laid-back vibe (more so then normal) begins to permeate the local atmosphere, as we all get to breathe a deep sigh of relief and pause to take in our place in the universe before the snow flies and we are thrust into the long, cold, dark, snowy days of winter.

However, until the snow flies for good to signal the start of the 2012/2013 ski season, we are furiously getting out and enjoying what we can of the magic of Fall, and sharing these great experiences with friends, and CBMG guests alike. Ever ride a single track so covered in yellow and gold aspen leaves it’s hard to tell where the trail is? Well, we have plenty of that right now, and the trails are tacky and dry to boot…with wide open vistas of forests of yellow, gold, and orange set amidst a backdrop of snow clad peaks, beautiful enough to make even the most grizzled Fall mountain biker take time away from behind their bars and get off their bike to snap a few pics.

Fall foliage below Ruby Mountain and ‘The Dyke’

For those more inclined to the vertical world, Fall rock-climbing season in the Colorado high country is as good as it gets. Incredible vistas of colors abound when viewed from high on the sides of local crags, and the cooler and crisp air allows for more pleasant climbing temperatures and a ‘grippier feeling rock’ for one’s shoes and hands. Local climbing zones Taylor Canyon, Lake City’s ‘God’s Crag’, and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison are all in perfect climbing condition right now, and as a staff we are stealing away every moment we can get to take advantage of a summer’s fitness of being on the rock for so long, to get out on those long sought after projects we’ve had on the radar all season.

 The tallest cliff in Colorado…The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park’s ‘Painted Wall’.

And, the nice thing about our location on Colorado’s Western Slope, is once the temps get too cold, or the weather too bad for comfortable rock-climbing here…we are a half-day’s drive to the desert climbing mecca outside of Moab, UT, where desert cracks, and towers abound and offer a lifetime of climbing themselves. Come mid-October the Utah Desert and it’s Wingate sandstone cliffs will become many of our’s transient and temporary homes for the Fall climbing season, before we push on farther West at the end of the month for the Annual American Mountain Guides Association Conference and gathering of professional guides, followed by a week of guided multi-pitch climbing in the unique desert climbing venue of Red Rock Canyon, just outside Las Vegas.

The red sandstone walls of Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas, awash in morning alpenglow

However, during all these Fall adventures, we will all have brewing in the backs of our minds, and growing with each fleeting dusting of snow on the peaks, our stoke for the upcoming winter season and all the winter adventures that are awaiting us on the horizon. The main reason we have all chosen to call this place home in the first place….winter, skiing or snowboarding, and the joy of powder filled days in the mountains.

As good as it gets….the Crested Butte Backcountry

So as we pedal our bike through a carpet of aspen leaves on Crested Butte Singletrack, crank up a long and committing Black Canyon multi-pitch climb or desert splitter crack climb, or hike our favorite local mountain peak one last time…..our days will have some fleeting daydreams of: deep powder in the tranquil setting of backcountry skiing, skinning through the same aspen groves that months before were riots of yellow and gold; ice climbing on the frozen blue walls of the Lake City & Ouray ice parks.…..

Students on AIARE Level 2 Course dig snow profiles deep in the Elk Mountains

……and continuing to nurture, develop and foster our own learning, as well as that of our students, in another full season of AIARE Avalanche Education Courses in one of the best venues for learning snow science in the world….the Crested Butte Backcountry….rallying around in our heads as the seasons make their quick and abrubt transition before our eyes.

Bouldering on the banks of the Crystal River under the Fall glow of color

So, get on board and join us for some of these adventures and experience for yourself the beauty and transient magic that is Fall in the West.

—CBMG Staff

When Fran contacted us to book a trip up Mt. Crested Butte’s Guides Ridge in early June we were looking forward to another great day on the ridge with another great client, as per usual.   The day ended up being anything but usual.

Turns out at 75, Fran is the oldest person CBMG has ever taken up the Guides Ridge to date!  The youngest person was 8 … quite an age span, huh?!

Not that age should ever define a person, but let’s be honest, our society tends to expect a limited range of activities from people in their 70s; gardening, bingo, nightly news spectating, fussing over grandchildren, and generally puttering about for example.  Mountain climbing, on the other hand, is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of how a senior citizen might spend their day.  Well, now we have Fran (and many other adventurous seniors out there) to thank for debunking our ridiculous stereotypes and showing us what non-conventional possibilities await us in our golden years.

Fran was gracious enough to let me tag along the day he attempted the Guides Ridge with CBMG guide, Scott Krankkala.  Bringing with him a sense of humbleness and quiet enthusiasm, Fran was a true joy to climb with.  Below are some pictures from our day …

Scott (left) and Fran gearing up for the Guides Ridge at the top of the Silver Queen lift. 

Hiking across The Peel to the Guides Ridge.

Starting up the route.

Great view of Snodgrass (upper right), Long Lake (upper left) & the town of Mt. Crested Butte below.

Stopping for a quick breather before heading up the next pitch. 

What a view!!!

Scot belaying Fran off an anchor through one of the more difficult sections of the Guides Ridge. 

Checking out the exposure.  It’s a long way down!

Fran contemplating his next move. 

Almost to the top…

Scott & Fran exchanging a congratulatory handshake as they reach the summit.

Sweet summit success!  Strong work, Fran!

Fran, unlike many mountain lovers, started exploring mountain climbing relativity late in life, essentially once he retired.  Before that there just wasn’t time, he explained, what with working, raising a family and all the other things life throws at us early on.  Since discovering his passion for the mountains Fran has continued to push himself on new, higher and more difficult peaks including some in WY and AK.   Think about that the next time you find yourself making excuses to not try something new … it’s never too late and you’re never too old.  Kinda reminds me of a Tom Petty lyric -

“Well, I don’t know, but I’ve been told you never slow down, you never grow old”

Here’s to many more years of not slowing down!  Thanks for the inspiration, Fran!

-Tiff (CBMG Staff)