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

Morning light illuminating the Elks Range from the summit of Precarious Peak (13,380′)

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut in our lives. It’s easy to slip into the known and the comfortable, no matter how ‘extreme’ we make ourselves out to be. Even the most motivated of us, still has room for daily ‘comfortable and easy’, because it’s too much work to break the mold and do something new.

The real work in doing NEW things, is less in the actual doing of them, and more in the vision, planning, and execution of something out of the ordinary. That takes real work….something a longtime guest of Crested Butte Mountain Guides, and recent ‘Honorary Guide’, Tom Scoville, knows a thing or two about.

Early morning rays illuminating Upper Rustlers Gulch

At 68 years young today, Tom has become a bit of a regular around the Crested Butte mountaineering & hiking community. Scaling all sorts of random and obscure peaks that he has the drive and motivation to seek out and attempt. Some guided, but many not, just with friends or even solo trips. Impressive in and of itself for the work involved, but made downright inspirational by the fact that Tom does all this after enduring 21+ surgeries to rebuild and treat certain joints caused by a genetic form of osteoarthritis. Knees…replaced. Hips…..replaced. Spine…..fused. Shoulders….yup, those too.

Tom Scoville in his element

So, you get the picture, and to be a bit understated….Tom is passionate about being in the mountains. Enough so that it is infectious, and can even rub off on us ‘been there, done that’ seasoned veterans and mountain guides as well. I came upon the good fortune to get to know Tom at Crested Butte Mountain Guides just 7 short years ago, when he was looking for help to complete a few of his last remaining climbs of Colorado’s famed 14ers….for the second time around !

Precarious Peak (13,380′), with SW Ridge in profile. Photo courtesy: Tom Scoville

So, this weekend, inspired by Tom and his vision to think outside the box and his current frustration at recent complications to a recent surgery (again), I would go and walk in his footsteps, so to speak, on something that is close to his heart….to show respect for someone that embodies motivation, determination, passion for the mountains, and has zero regard for being comfortable and easy in his life. I would repeat a route he studied, tried, tried again, and finally succeeded on, and one that possibly may have been overlooked by everyone until Tom’s vision prevailed.

The ‘Scoville – SW Face Direct Route’ ???

Precarious Peak is aptly named. It is a sheer and imposing 13,000′+ mountain, that seems to only be held together more by imagination then actual geologic structure. To be honest…it is a crumbling choss pile of talus and scree. Steep, remote, rugged, committing, and scary loose, it is arguably one of the hardest summits in Colorado’s Elk Mountains, a range famous for it’s towering but loose and dangerous mountains (think Maroon Bells). So of course, Tom Scoville, would have the drive and motivation to actually spend the time and energy potentially pioneering a new route up its SW Buttress that would allow him safer and quicker passage to the summit.

Up close and personal on the route

Was it an actual ‘first ascent’? Who really knows. There have been a lot of people climbing mountains in Colorado for a long time. But as far as I can tell in the local community around right now, no one else seems to recall seeing or hearing of anyone climbing this particular line, especially in summer. I certainly haven’t. So, off I went to repeat this route, and show him some respect for the inspiration and determination he has shown us younger generation of guides, mountaineers, and hikers in the Crested Butte area.

Looking back down from the ridgecrest….actually a pretty reasonable route

What I found was an awesome day alone, up high in the mountains that are my backyard. I watched the sunrise light up the mountains while on a morning trail run, stood on the summit of a semi-obscure, hard, and aesthetic peak in our local mountains, got a few great photos, and saw not another soul around, while having mostly perfect weather.

BUT…..what I really found, was a new perspective. The reminder that the hard work of having to think outside the box, and make yourself break the mold of comfortable and easy is always, always, worthwhile and rewarding. Even if the outcome doesn’t come to fruition. Fortunately, Tom’s eventually did.

Obligatory summit photo

So, on a rare day off in the summer guiding season, I left the rockclimbing gear for Taylor Canyon in the garage, let the mountain bike continue to gather dust, turned the cell phone off, grabbed my camera, some water, and running shoes, and followed the lead and inspiration of another. So thanks Tom, for helping me think outside the box, see our local mountains in a slightly different way, and at least follow in your footsteps….as lord knows I am definitely not tough or determined enough to literally walk in your shoes. This was a day when the teacher truly did become the student.

-Jayson Simons-Jones (CBMG Owner/Guide)

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)

The 2012 CBMG Women’s Climbing Clinic was a blast! Strong women and small ratios allowed our group to cover a lot of different skills throughout the days. Day 1 was geared for those new to climbing, but we were able to cover many advanced skills. We started off the day learning how to set a top rope climb, how to rappel, belay, tie-in, and different rock climbing techniques. After climbing all that we could, we covered how to belay a lead climber and how to lead climb (the climber brings the rope up and clips it into bolts or natural protection in the rock). We then set up some mock leading (the climber “leads” while having another rope for back-up protection in case of a fall).Annie Yoder went for the real thing and successfully lead her first sport climb – Congratulations Annie! The day wrapped up with more climbing and learning how to safely “clean” an anchor and rappel back to the ground.

Day 2 was geared more toward understanding rock climbing gear and learning how to safely place gear and build anchors. We spent some time placing gear in the cracks and then put our placements to the test.  One participant commented,  “I understand how they work, but I still don’t see how they could hold all that weight?”.

Well, what better way to test the gear than to put on the harness, clip in to the gear, and bounce with all your might! The picture below is Mary Tubb giving it her all to dislodge a very tiny stopper…and yes…it held.

After removing the mystery surrounding all that climbing gear, we finished up the afternoon with some crack climbing technique and continued practice cleaning gear, cleaning the anchor and rapelling to the ground.

The women’s climbing clinics not only offer a great way to become more confident in climbing, it is also a great way to meet other awesome, adventurous, women! We had a ton of fun, laughed a lot and learned a ton. Crested Butte Mountain Guides will be holding another clinic towards the end of the summer, so keep your eyes peeled for our posters around town! If there are any special requests – such as lead-climbing, multi-pitch, etc., just give the office a shout at 970-349-5430 to put in your request!

-Laura Chase (CBMG Guide)