OURAY — Sundown comes early to the sleepy town of Ouray this time of year. By 3 p.m., just about everything inside the box canyon walls is shrouded in shadow.
And that’s just fine with the handful of ladies hanging out in town for what might be considered the social season in this little corner of the San Juan Mountains. Cold winter nights bring the ice to life, and ice is what they came for.
Ouray and its namesake ice climbing park tucked into the tight Upper Uncompahgre River gorge on the south side of town have long attracted the heavy hitters of the climbing world. Look no further than ice climbing pioneer Jeff Lowe, who founded the Ouray Ice Festival in 1996.
But while names like Lowe, Will Gadd and Josh Wharton tend to dominate the roster of competitive ice climbers ascending the indescribably difficult routes set up to test the best at the festival every January, a closer look quickly reveals the sport’s feminine side.
Kim Reynolds, Ines Papert, Zoe Hart, Caroline George and Dawn Glanc have been in the mix for several years now, with Papert, from Spain, topping the open competition field at the Ouray Ice Festival as recently as 2005.
And while Reynolds no longer competes, the former women’s champion and modern-day matriarch of the sport is still doing her share to introduce women to her cold-weather climbing passion.
Reynolds is the founder of “Chicks with Picks,” a series of female-specific ice-climbing clinics offered in Ouray throughout the winter. The multiday clinics range in ability and intensity levels from the short-format introduction “Sampler” to the popular five-day “Complete Chicks” session offering instruction in rescue techniques, mixed climbing, alpine skills and more.
This winter, Reynolds is expanding the program to include the first women-only ice festival, dubbed the “Betty Ice Ball,” on Jan. 30.
“I think the world is ready for a women’s ice festival,” Reynolds said. “I think there are enough women out there, and it’s really a great place to network and find other climbing partners. It’s harder to find other women climbers than men climbers.”
Irrational ratio
While such statistics are difficult to come by, Chicks with Picks instructor George estimates the male-to-female ratio among ice climbers at about 9-to-1. In a sport that she has watched grow as a three-year competitor on the World Cup beginning in 2000, the ratio confuses her. Especially since she sees no disadvantage to being a woman on the ice.
“I think women are more scared of falling than men in general, but I think their style can be more refined,” said George, whose third-place finish Saturday among the women’s field at Ouray bested several of the men. “This route is not really powerful, it’s more endurance. And women tend to have more endurance than men and usually weigh less, so maybe we have an advantage there.”
Women interested in getting into the sport also have the advantage of an established network through Chicks with Picks. Created 10 years ago, the program offers an all-female guide group for its more intensive clinics to create a fun, safe and supportive learning atmosphere for as many as 36 students a session.
“We get such a variety of women, from the real outdoorsy, climber, adventure gals to women who have never tried anything like this before,” Reynolds said. “Because we offer demo gear, it becomes pretty approachable for women who just want the life experience and want to try something they might not ever try otherwise without having to buy the equipment. For someone who wants a unique challenge and to get outdoors to try something completely new, it can be a life-changing experience to face those fears.”
Outdoors, not remote
The controlled environment of the Ouray Ice Park offers an advantage for newbies, with thick, farmed ice and the ability to easily set safety ropes from the top of the gorge to protect against falls. The easy access and close proximity to town means climbers are never far from an extra puffy coat, natural hot springs or even a latte.
“It’s an amazing resource. It’s almost like having a rock gym in the backyard, but it’s an ice gym,” Reynolds said. “It’s safe and approachable. It’s a great place to practice and get strong for the real stuff out in the backcountry.”
That’s not to say there’s any shortage of challenges to face at the Ice Park. Glanc, who finished first among the women Saturday and was recently brought on as a Chicks with Picks instructor, moved to Ouray four winters ago specifically to test herself on the park’s myriad routes.
Attracted by what she describes as the “bizarre” climbing medium of ice, she too dismisses any gender bias in the sport.
“The ice doesn’t care what gender you are,” Glanc said. “It’s still going to be steep, it’s still going to be hard and you’re still going to have to go for it.”
If anything, she says, the cold climate necessary for ice climbing is responsible for keeping women away from the sport. She quickly figured out that she needed two more down jackets than her male climbing partners while on belay.
No problem, though, since cold and ice are what keep Ouray cool.
“It’s the whole reason I come here. I moved to this town and I didn’t know anybody, didn’t know where I was going. But I knew about Ouray and decided I was going to be in this competition,” Glanc said. “This is the place where the big women were hanging for years. And now they call me their friend, and it’s the coolest thing in the world.”
Scott Willoughby: 303-954-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com
Betty Ice Ball
What: Ice climbing event
Where: Ouray
When: Jan. 30-Feb. 1
Website:
Details: The Betty Ice Ball offers half-day ice climbing clinics, catered dinners, public events (yes, boys too) and a chance to network. Participants can sign up for the full package or pick and choose from an a la carte menu online.
The full package includes four half-day ice climbing clinics, demo gear, three nights at the Victorian Inn, two catered dinners, a public slide show/auction, music and dancing, beer and wine, a welcome packet and a T-shirt.
Cost: Full package is $439/$568 (double/single occupancy).
A la carte options include clinics ($75 each), dinner ($27), auction/slide show ($5), music/ dancing ($10) and boarding ($47/$94 single/double room).
