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The Ames Ice Hose

story and photos by Jared Ogden

Getting Started

Approach: The route can be clearly seen from Highway 145 on the drive between Telluride and Ophir; an excellent way to assess its climbing condition. In good conditions the route can be popular on the weekends but on weekdays it's commonly deserted. To find the route turn from Highway 145 onto the Illium Valley Road and drive to the Ames town site. Park by the power station. Follow the trail, found directly behind the power station, for about 20 minutes to the old railroad tracks. Turn right on the tracks and head toward the climb. Follow the tracks to the drainage below the climb, where you can look up and see the route. Another 20 minutesup the steep gulley will have you at the base.

Gear: Bring two 60-meter ropes, small stoppers, a few medium cams, at least 6 ice screws, slings and 'biners.

Descent: Rappel the route by using the fixed belay anchors in three double-rope rappels.

Season: November to March. Conditions can change from month to month and even day to day, with the best conditions most common after January 1.

In 1976 when ice climbing was advancing by quantum leaps in style, difficulty, and equipment, Colorado climbers Michael Kennedy, Steve Shea and Lou Dawson were leading the charge with a first ascent of the Ames Ice Hose. The 600-foot route, located on the Ames Wall near Telluride, Colo., rarely forms up with enough ice to climb and is notorious for a very thin if not ethereal first pitch.

The three climbers forged through storm conditions and thin ice but after two pitches were forced to rappel to safety in the face of nightfall. Having left their ropes in place and spending a cold night in a cabin in nearby Ophir, the climbers returned the next morning to find their ropes encased in ice. Kennedy, who was first to scale the ropes to their highpoint, recalls the effort as "more frightening than leading."

Picking their way up delicate ice they made slow but steady progress through the second day and found the final headwall to be one of the climb's best stretches of ice. "We knew it would become a classic," recalls Kennedy after the first ascent. A milestone in the development of ice climbing in Colorado, their perseverance paid off. They topped out in the dark on their second day and waited out the night huddled around a fire. In the morning, the triumphant climbers rappelled the route.

In the 29 years from the first ascent, the Ames Ice Hose route hasn't changed much - if you're looking for a classic multi-pitch ice climbing adventure, then this is a sure bet.

Having lived in the area for 15 years, I've climbed the Ames Ice Hose over 20 times in nearly every imaginable condition. I've had to rap off mid-route in full-blown storms, been nearly beknighted, simul-climbed it, linked it up with other routes in a day, been scared witless, been run-out, been bombarded by ice chunks loosed by climbers above me, through thick and thin conditions as well as under clear skies.

THE CLIMB

The first pitch (100 feet) of the climb is almost guaranteed the hardest. Vertical thin ice that can be difficult to protect with ice screws, depending on the thickness of the ice, leads to a short low-angle ramp and a belay below the narrow chimney.

Continuing up the narrow strip of ice into the chimney, the second pitch, can also be strenuous; however, I've climbed this part when the ice was 10 feet thick. If it's thin it'll be more difficult to protect, but cams, stoppers or perhaps a piton can be fit in the rock for safe passage. This pitch (100 feet) is a favorite among climbers for it's aesthetics, exposure and quality.

The final two pitches (300 feet) follow the headwall up thick blue ice to the forest at the top of the cliff. The Ophir Wall and Needle tower over the Illium valley, creating a picturesque backdrop to this classic ice climb.