Bridal Veil Falls Re-Opened!

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Telluride’s Bridal Veil Falls Re-Opened to Climbing

Standing 365 feet over Telluride’s Box Canyon, Bridal Veil Falls is Colorado’s tallest free falling waterfall, and some would argue, one of the most classic and difficult ice climbs in the country. And it has been closed to climbing for the better part of a few decades, with the exception of a few brief openings.

Following extensive negotiations, ice climbers will once again be able to legally climb the classic Bridal Veil Falls, beginning December 5th of this year. This agreement was reached through negotiations between The Trust for Public Land and the Idarado Mining Company, with support and advocacy from Colorado’s San Miguel County, the Telluride Mountain Club and the Access Fund. It awards a revocable public access license that grants climbers access to this world-class ice climb.

The opening of the key access point to Bridal Veil Falls was managed by The Trust for Public Land, a non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to helping communities all around the country save special places for everyone to enjoy. Their work has made a real difference around Telluride, Ouray and Silverton, where they have protected over 10,000 acres for the public, including other outstanding climbing resources such as Wilson Peak and the Ouray Ice Park.

A climber’s general information meeting will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the county meeting room, Miramonte Building, 333 West Colorado Ave (2nd floor) Telluride, CO. All interested climbers are invited to attend.

The re-opening of Bridal Veil Falls is a big win for the climbing community, but we need your help to ensure its continued access. This area contains a set of innate hazards, which climbers must be aware of to ensure their own safety and mitigate potential access issues.

Topo - Bridal Veil Falls

Topo - Bridal Veil Falls

This new public access license is revocable and is contingent on climber’s awareness and compliance with a number of rules. Climbers must sign in at a kiosk and avoid the Powerhouse area at the top of the falls; all descents must be via rappel. A complete list of rules and topo can be found at www.sanjuaniceclimbs.com.

Compliance with these rules is essential to maintain climbing privileges. Please treat this area and its adjacent private land with respect, and help educate others on its proper use. Our combined efforts can help keep this landmark climb open for years to come.

Many thanks to folks at The Trust for Public Land, Idarado Mining Company, San Miguel County, Telluride Mountain Club and many local climbers for coming together to reclaim this Colorado classic. For more information, contact Access Fund Regional Coordinator Steve Johnson at steve@8750law.com.

See also:
Trust for Public Land
Scott Dissel
(303) 837-1414
scott.dissel@tpl.org

Telluride Mountain Club
Tor Anderson
970-708-0860
telluridemountainclub@gmail.com

San Miguel County
Linda Luther-Broderick
(970) 369-5469
lindal@sanmiguelcounty.org

Colorado Avalanche Information Center
(970) 387-5712
www.avalanche.state.co.us

Source: Access Fund Press Release

Lincoln’s Throat

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Mt. Lincoln, Franconia Notch NH

by Doug Millen

Mt Lincoln NH

Mt Lincoln NH – “Lincoln’s Throat”

I have often looked over and speculated on what the climbing on Mt. Lincoln might be like. Fred Bieber and I went to find out. We were not disappointed.

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How to get there

Take 93 North to Franconia Notch. Park at the trail head parking just after the Basin parking or at the Lafayette Camp Ground. Hike the Old Bridal Path till you are in line with the gully (see 1st photo). Bush wack down through thick spruce to the brook. Cross the brook and head up the right drainage. Follow this drainage till you hit the basin then take the right drainage to the summit. Follow the ridge trail right to Haystack Mt. and descend the Falling Waters trail. It’s about 9 miles round trip.

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When to go?

Early winter before the snow get too deep. The gullies are subject to avalanche danger, be careful.

How much climbing can I expect to actually get in?

About one pitch of WI3 ice. If you are looking for lots of ice, this is the wrong climb. This climb is about getting away from the crowds and climbing a mountain.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely! No trail, road traffic or other climbers. I felt like I was walking up some big drainage out west. Great views all day and you top out at 5000 ft.  A great leg work out and a great adventure. This is a remote climb so act accordingly. Enjoy!

 

Mt-Lincoln-nh-wide view

Keeping Warm

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Add a belay coat to your system

by Doug Millen

The biggest mistake ice climbers make is not working a belay coat into their climbing system. I see more climbers hopping around at belays to keep warm. Sweating on the lead and freezing at the belay is for amateur’s! Ice climbing is a stop and go exertional activity and you need to dress accordingly. A good belay coat weighs next to nothing and can be easily stashed in a fanny pack, some even stash in there own zippered pocket and can be clipped to your harness.

I dress with enough insulation for the days average temperature so I’m comfortable while moving or climbing. I add a light shell over the insulation to shed ice, snow and water. I find that two light shells work really well. Sandwich one between insulating layers (over the one next to your skin is best), the other on the outside. With this system I sweat less while climbing and can move more freely. At the belay I put on my belay coat. Believe me when I say I’m toasty, I don’t care how long my partner takes to lead the next pitch! When it’s my turn I am ready to go and not shaking with cold. Your hands and feet will also benefit from the coat, over all you will be much warmer.

I prefer a synthetic coat to down. We’re talking New England here where everything is constantly damp, we all know the benefits of synthetic fibers when they’re wet. Make sure it has a big hood to fit over your helmet and enough pockets for your stuff.

I find that the right clothing system is as important as the right ice tools. Good systems take time to prefect but once refined you’ll see it’s worth it. Staying warm will improve your climbing by making it more comfortable and enjoyable.

What we did on our "day off"

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By Louis-Philippe Ménard

Hey Doug, thanks so much for posting a great photo of Omega last weekend (3/18/06). It convinced Max and I to take a day off of work to go do it. Although it was the coldest outing anyone of us has had during this season (they call it spring hey!!) we managed to enjoy the climb a lot. Back down though, it was still early so we decided to go on and take full opportunity of our ”day off”. The result is this:

Click on photos to enlarge

Omega, then walk down.

Hike back to the Black Dike. Climb it with our packs on.

Walk back to the car: It’s only 12h30! Let’s go to Willoughby!

Climbed the Promenade

Back to the car, still hungry for more… Let’s go to Pinnacle

Climbed the Gringalet, in the dark  and with very thin conditions.

That’s it!

Cheers!  – Louis-Philippe Ménard / Maxime Turgeon

“Omega was really awesome!!

The real crux of our enchainment was leaving the warmth of the car (3 times) to go to the next climb…!”

“Rollies”

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Moody Aunt Ruby

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Lake Willoughby, VT

Moody Aunt Ruby (WI 6 R/X, 110M) – Will Mayo, Joe Szot & Ian Boyer
MoodyAuntRuby

Photo by Doug Millen

Across the Lake on Mt. Hor, Joe Szot, Ian Boyer and I climbed the ethereal yellow icicles that hang from those compact limestone cliffs today, 12/13/2005, naming the route. Arriving at the base of the cliff with the temperature not much above zero and racking up above the southward rolling fog along the surface of the open waters below after having traversed the entire south end of the Lake, I realized that I had left the rock rack in the Flying Brick (my van).  I asked the boys with a straight face, “Okay, who’s got the rock rack?”  But, they knew the mistake was mine.  My punishment was to lead the thing with only ice gear, which made things rather run-out. The first 60M pitch was the crux and involves a hollow vertical column of ice to a ramp to attain the golden double-tiered free-hanging icicles that hang above.  These daggers of ice were the cruxes and required launching up gymnastically onto the hangers with gear well below.  Joe Szot climbed the 50M WI 5 second pitch up mushroomed ice to a tier of free-standing columns and reached the trees.   Moody Aunt Ruby was climbed on-sight in “ground up” style and was yet another in a string of phenomenally exciting days of ice climbing with close friends.  Moody Aunt Ruby is definitely one of the most exciting ice climbs I have ever done.

-Will Mayo

NOTE: This Route is Reportedly to have been climbed before by either Barry Blanchard or Kurt Winkler. The information is unclear and no details are available at this time.

Premature Birth

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Poke-O-Moonshine – Adirondacks, NY

“Premature Birth” WI5, M6 – Joe Szot & Ian Boyer

Joe Szot established this new line right of Mid-Life Crisis just before the sixth annual Adirondack MountainFest. With little ice around Joe was definitely working out side the box, or in his case shall we say the cage. He and Ian Boyer rappelled down to the ledge for the first ascent of “Premature Birth” WI5, M6. Midlife Crisis, another Szot test piece to the left was first established in this same way since the ice rarely reaches the ground. True to form Joe gave it what I believe is an understated rating of WI5, M6. On Friday Jim Shimberg and Will Mayo cleaned up the line by climbing the first pitch of Discord and then used the Garter traverse to reach the climb. Shimberg said “it felt like we were climbing 5.12, the gear was truck! What a great climb”.

Photo: Premature Birth is the broken ice line on the right – Photo by Doug Millen