All-Nighter Road Trip to Ouray to Climb Ice

Words to come... for now only photos...

I'm officially ready for the carpool lanes with my puffy jacket mannequin.

Rolling into Silverton, Colorado. I wish we had more time to spend here.

We stopped to check out Horsetail Falls on the way in to Ouray. Plenty fat from this view!

Overlooking Bear Creek Falls from above along the US-550

Making the most of our half day on virtually zero sleep. Photo credit: Jay

LEFT: Overlooking the Gazebo wall before dropping in.
RIGHT: One of the hanging pillar routes on the Gazebo Wall I wanted to get a crack at.

Rappelling below the Gazebo

Bouldering on a pillar. Photo credits: Jay

Practicing some screw placements while bouldering on the pillar. Photo credit: Jay

Jay on the "Noise of Carpet" route (WI4).

Top-roping the "Noise of Carpet" route (WI4). Photo credit: Jay

Gazebo Wall - plenty of intricacies and tricky bulges.

I led my first WI4 route, known as the "Gazebo route", appropriately sitting at the base of the overlooking gazebo at Gazebo Wall. Fun word. I had no idea it was a "4" until checking the route map later. Sometimes, it's just better not knowing...

After reaching the top, I made quick work of building a top-belay off our previous rappel anchor and gave Jay the go-ahead. Perfect capper to a tiring "half day". The night of traveling was fast catching up with us.

Jay cleaning the "Gazebo" route (WI4)

We headed back down to town for beers at the local brewery...

Main street, Ouray at dusk. Photo credit: Jay