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Lazlo
Oct 19, 2014, 3:45 PM
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I hail from Nor Cal... California is failing to provide quality ice. What state should I focus on for finding enough ice to entertain me for a week or so around January? I prefer alpine ice... or waterfall ice with no crowds. As cool as Ouray sounds, I'm not sure if it would be my thing. Thoughts?
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edge
Oct 19, 2014, 8:30 PM
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Lazlo wrote: I hail from Nor Cal... California is failing to provide quality ice. What state should I focus on for finding enough ice to entertain me for a week or so around January? I prefer alpine ice... or waterfall ice with no crowds. As cool as Ouray sounds, I'm not sure if it would be my thing. Thoughts? New Hampshire. Alpine ice on Mt Washington and all the surrounding notches, and more waterfall ice than you can shake a stick at. Hit the vert during the week and crowds will not be an issue. The goods in Northern Vermont are also within striking distance.
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jmeizis
Oct 19, 2014, 9:14 PM
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Once you get out of the ice park Ouray ice is pretty good. Most of the crowds come on weekends anyways. Lake City has some good ice minus the crowds (because the climbs have actual approaches). Telluride and Durango have some good ice. The thing with ice in CO is the harder you climb and the further you'll walk the fewer people you'll find. I've been guiding ice and alpine in Lake City this past year and was never waiting in line. SW CO is where you want to be. Hyalite and Bozeman are supposed to be real good but I've never been. Canada is amazing and cold as hell. I learned to climb ice in the NE and it's all it is cracked up to be. Adirondacks specifically should have plenty to keep you busy for a week.
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petsfed
Oct 22, 2014, 6:34 AM
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Ouray is pretty quite outside of the ice fest and outside of the ice park. You should check out Cody, Wyoming as well. Long approaches keep a lot of people away.
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Lazlo
Oct 25, 2014, 12:51 PM
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Thanks for the tips!
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cinndesign
Nov 1, 2014, 6:13 AM
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Or Valdez, once the ice is in.
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jacques
Nov 15, 2014, 3:09 PM
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In january, it could be very cold...under zero F. In Quebec, you have some good ice in quebec city (montmorency fall) and some other cliff around. It is mostly whaterfall of alpine style as the ice is form by the run off of melting snow under the snow cover. Lake willougby is also like that we very hard ice (white ice) and steep section. Around the area, you have north conway with froze and thawn daily cycle. You will find a lot of ice cycle with different quality of ice. Variety of the movement is very interesting, but the "dangerosity" of the climb is higher. Frankeinstein cliff is a great destination with a lot of possibility. There is also many other long route or alpine route like Mt Washington in the area with avalanche risk. So, avoid it if you don't have the knowledge or if you know how to travel on that terrain...be sure that your partner follow what your strategy to be safe (avalanche bring many climber as they cross the slab to take picture). Poko moonshine and keen valley have also good route with an ice between quebec and north conway. So, depending on the forecast, you can decide to climb in the warmer area in january. In march la pomme d'or is an hard route. a classic similar to the nose in yosemite, but in ice. three days, with two of skying. Possibility to climb some other route in the same area.
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cclarke
Nov 18, 2014, 12:03 AM
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I'd go to Cody for a week or 10 days of ice climbing in the lower 48, assuming a normal season there.
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rocknice2
Nov 18, 2014, 3:58 AM
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Depending how hard you climb, you should check out Lake Willoughby in Vermont. A long wall from 70 to 200 meters high. The warmups are wi4+. During the week you should have the entire wall to yourself. The weekends can get a little busy but if you time the harder routes for that time you should be golden.
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