Lake City Ice Fest This Weekend!

Join me this weekend in lake city for the 3rd annual Lake City Ice fest! The Lake City Ice Festival will be held February 27th. Sign in starts at 9:00 a.m., and the climbing starts shortly after that. It is $20 to compete, and everyone is welcome. There are two categories (lead and toprope), both are speed competitions. You have to clip every draw in the lead competition.

Lead Comp Prizes:
1st: 60 super dry rope
2nd: 2 BD Express Ice Screws
3rd: 3 Quickdraws

Top Rope Comp Prizes:
1st: 2 BD Express Ice Screws
2nd: BD Half Dome Helmet
3rd: 3 Quickdraws

There are also loads door and raffle prizes. After the climbing, the after party and awards ceremony will be held at the Depot Bar located just west of 3rd and Gunnison Ave in downtown Lake City. There will be pizza by the slice, live music by Wiseman & Fools, and libations.
For more details:Lake City Ice Climbs

Mike Bromberg leading in the Lake City Ice Park

A Backcountry ski fall

A good friend of mine is learning how to ski this winter and we have been touring a good bit as well as sking at the resort. I was able to capture on camera a simple amazing set of pics enjoy...

The skier starts off well balanced.

1st turn is looking good.

Weight begins to shift a bit forward

At least it's soft!

The skier surfaces with a smile and Roven runs to his aid for assistance.

Have a great weekend folks!

Simple Ice tricks from Will Gadd

For some of you out there in internet land that don't already know it Will Gadd is the MAN! Enough said hear are some great tips I got from his blog regarding ice climbing. Now I am out the door to meet 4 guest for a full day now where to go.....

"Here are a few things I've been thinking and see a lot of:


-If you get a stuck tool regularly you're likely placing them both at the same horizontal level. Don't. It's a waste of effort, time and makes the leader far less secure because they have to wrestle a tool out while it's off to the side. Place tools roughly 30 to 60 cm apart vertically and roughly shoulder-width or a bit narrower horizontally.

-Completely stand up and drive you hips into the ice to finish the stand-up part of a movement. Most climbers don't, which puts more weight on their arms.

-If you're getting pumped and you're not a complete novice it's almost always because your feet aren't at the same horizontal level, and aren't solid. Solid feet make for relaxed hands. If one foot is low when you stand up it will come off, making you out of balance. Kick twice as much as you swing.

-Look at the ice. LOOK at the ice. I can tell within about one swing and one foot placement how experienced an ice climber is; swing at corners in the ice, pockets, spaces between icicles, and kick in roughly the same places. But even if you know this you can't execute it without looking at the ice for every foot and tool placement...

-Swing with your elbow high, and the pick, head and shaft of the tool all in line with your wrist, forearm and upper arm. It's about getting the pick moving fast and accurately; 99 percent of people drop their elbow when they swing, which is a waste of effort, compromises accuracy, and reduces the vertical gain on each swing. Even worse is the "chicken wing" swing, with your elbow out to the side at roughly shoulder level...

-If you want to be a better ice climber go hang a rope on a vertical piece of ice and climb it a whole lot. Like 200 or more times. With crampons off, on, no tools, one tool, etc. etc. Many aspirant ice climbers drop the sport after spending a weekend climbing 4 pitches and freezing their asses off. Go TR like mad, then you lead fast, follow fast, and be secure while doing so."

Beacon Clinic!!

Join me tommorow 2-14-10 (valantines day) from 12-4 in the town park in Crested Butte for a beacon clinic! We will be covering multiple burials, new techniques, deep burial skills, and more! This event is sponsored by CBMG and Mammut and the cost is only $10 thats like $2.50 an hr........see you there !!!!

Redstone Ice Climbing

Last weekend Steve Banks and I took our red jackets and ventured over to Redstone, CO for a weekend of Ice Climbing. And we lucked out with minimal crowds and plenty of ice!

Steve starting up the 1st route we did of the weekend. Lots of slogging and one sweet pillar!

WoW thats a nice zipper pull you have there Mr. Banks

And the pay off pillar!

More slogging but well worth it.

Steve on the 2nd pitch of the very popular Avocado Gully.

Putting screws in on another sweet pillar.

One more? OK!

Steve sewing it up

and the top out...

I had a blast exploring another new ice area and am looking forward to the rest of the season! I mean its only the start of Feb we still have lots more ice to climb and powder to ski!

Climbing the Ice

I have been ice climbing a good bit in the last week, both for work and play, and I will be uploading lots of pics and getting caught up with blogging soon. So to my guest last week: I am sorry for the delay.

Another classic steep pillar in Redstone, with no crowds!

Yep you guessed it....on to the next one.

Steve Super Psyched we found another pillar to climb!

Lake City Ice Climbing Trips

I spent a few great days in the Lake City Ice Park last week. Great guest and great ice!

San Antonio native, Josh Levine, climbing ice for the first time, and loving it.

Josh following a pitch of ice, in preperation for multi-pitch days coming this March.

Josh near the top.

Sunset on my drive home to Washington Gulch.

Climbing in the park with CBMG, the only guide service permitted to operate in the Lake City Ice Park.

Bettye Keiser and Kathy Johnson-Burnstein loving the cold!

I have climbed a good bit in the summer with these two ladies, and we had a great time in the sun in Lake City!

Lake City Ice Conditions

CB Weekly

Had another great day of ice guiding down in Lake City, and will be heading back there again tommorow! Here is an article I wrote for the CB Weekly, which will come out tommorow. C ya!

The Guide’s Corner

“Think Before you Screw”

Placing good ice protection is important. Many accidents happen due to protection that is placed improperly. Although you should not fall while leading an ice climb, ice protection can save your life, if placed properly. It is crucial for an ice climber to know how to place proper protection. There are many factors that lead to the proper placement of an ice screw. To me placing protection is a combination of science, art, and educated guesswork.

An ice screw is an anchor, which holds you when you fall; therefore you want to be able to trust it. To place a piece of protection you need to first locate good ice. Good ice is usually found to be dense, cold, and well bonded to rock. Dense ice is usually clearer and bluer in color, then aerated (whitish), or sun baked ice. Solid ice can be found behind pillars and flat areas where water can pool, similar to a hockey rink.

After finding good ice, the next step in placing good protection, is to have a good stance. A good way to practice your stance is on top rope; before you even get on the sharp end, or lead. Focus on keeping your heels low and staying in a well balanced stance; because while you are on lead, you will be hanging directly from one tool, without the safety of the top rope. Your end goal is to be able to place timely, strong ice protection, from either hand. Many people only use their strong hand, but to be efficient you should be able to place screws fluidly from both your strong and weak side.

Next time you are out ice climbing remember to swing efficiently, kick efficiently and place screws efficiently. And don’t forget to have fun either! Have a great season!





While not out guiding ice climbing, backcountry skiing or instructing avalanche courses, for CBMG, Kyle can be found dreaming of an ice park here in the Gunnison Valley. The Guide’s corner is sponsored by CBMG, Offering hut trips, multi-day tours, ice climbing ventures, avalanche courses, ski mountaineering adventures, half and full day cross-country ski tours, snowshoe tours and backcountry ski and snowboard trip. All backcountry gear can be provided. For more information contact CBMG at 097-349-5430 or visit www.crestedbutteguides.com

Free Batteries!!

Rich and Spence from Dragon Sheet Metal, want to help make your backcoutnry travel more safe. They are donating free battery replacement for your avalanche beacons. Just take your beacon to the Alpineer, in Crested Butte, and you'll get a new set of batteries.

Check your batteries

WP Level 1 Course.

Had another great group of students this weekend for another CMBG ava course.With the good stablity and good weather we were able to get a good bit done. Good (grin)

Beacon practice in sunny blubird Colorado!

Checking the debris in our "Avalanche"

Probe is out

Johnny talking pit talk.

Our Sunday pit locations.

And of course some powder turns on the way down!

Thanks again guys and girls for all your hard work and attention hope to see you all out in the backcoutry this winter!