Ice Climbing for Kids in Colorado

Ice climbing and children in the same sentence? Absolutely. That is, if you’re part of my Colorado household, where Dad co-owns Rock & Ice magazine and can make his way around a frozen waterfall. He also owns the proper equipment — crampons, ropes, harnesses and ice tools — or knows where to borrow it. In our world, we don’t have to a) spend money on an ice-climbing guide or b) fill out liability waivers, when Dad is your belayer, your instructor, your chauffeur and your guide all rolled into one.

While I was in Park City, Utah, two weekends ago, my oh-so-adventurous, patient, and “nearly anything goes” husband packed up my two kids (almost 8 and 10) and my daughter’s friend (age 10) and brought them to to Hays Creek Falls in Redstone, Colorado, about 45 minutes from our home.

They all donned the gear and made it either part-way up or all the way up a 60-foot-high slab of moderately sloping ice. The kids absolutely loved their first attempts at ice climbing and Dad promised he’d take them again the following weekend when I was home so they could show me what they’d learned — and so that they could get me in some crampons, too.

Trust me when I say that oftentimes I’d much rather envelope my kids in bubble wrap than embrace my husband Quent’s more adventurous spirit. It’s thanks to Quent that my kids have experienced kayaking on the Colorado River at age 4 and ziplining in Mexico at age 6. We have mini snowmobiles and mini ATVs in our garage, and a climbing rope permanently affixed to a beam in our high-ceiling living room.

This is not how I was raised, and typically the adventures he introduces us to take me way out of my comfort zone, not because I worry about my own safety, but the kids’. But always, always in the end, I’m so glad he pushes me and our children to test the boundaries of our athletic and adventurous capabilities. (And he always assures me, “‘Safety’ is my middle name.”)

My son makes his way up the frozen Hays Creek Falls.

Indeed, we had a ball ice climbing as a family at Hays Creek Falls last Sunday. First, my husband soloed to the top of the 60-foot frozen waterfall in about 30 seconds (no lie) and secured the toprope to a permanent bolt.

Then he outfitted my son: crampons on ski boots (since we didn’t have a pair of kids’ ice-climbing boots with a proper heel to fit the crampons) and child-size harness secured around his thighs and waist.

After my son was roped in, he wielded the ice axes as well as his underdeveloped little 8-year-old upper body could. He valiantly kicked his toes into the hard ice and hoisted himself up about 30 feet before being asked to be lowered down.

My daughter, not having made it to the top the prior weekend, was determined to reach it this time around. With loads of encouragement from Dad (“That sounded like a good one!” after a particularly satisfying swing of the axe into the hard ice) and some tightening of the rope to heft her up a bit here and there, she made it to the trickiest part — the last eight or so feet of sheer vertical ice.

Happy to be at the top of 60-foot Hays Creek Falls!

The awe in her voice when she finally heaved herself over the top ledge — “I did it!” and “Wow, it’s beautiful up here” — brought tears to my eyes.

As for me, I don’t like heights. Though my husband has been on staff at rock-climbing magazines for more than 10 years, I’ve never climbed with him. I get vertigo on towers and jumping out of a plane was one of my proudest moments because I conquered so many fears in that one adventure (fear of dying in a plane crash, fear of heights, fear of hurling myself into the air at 13,000 feet).

That's me at the top, too!

Quent and my kids knew how uneasy I was ascending the ice, but I did it. I just never looked down and instead concentrated on a pattern: right arm swing, left arm swing, right foot kick, stand up, left foot kick — over and over again until I could heave myself over the lip, eyeball the water cascading over a wide expanse of rock, and ask to be lowered down — quickly. That’s an exercise in trust — leaning back against a rope and assuming your husband won’t let the rope out too quickly.

It was definitely a day of firsts, feeling proud of myself and my kids, and falling in love — yet again — with the Rocky Mountains that I call my home. I feel so blessed to be raising my kids here, where they are learning to appreciate being active in the outdoors. More so, I’m so pleased I’m married to a man who instigates most of our family’s awesome adventures.

Want to introduce your own children to ice climbing in Colorado? First, consider visiting during January’s Ouray Ice Festival (sponsored in part by Rock & Ice). Here you can watch some of the best ice climbers in the world compete for bragging rights and cash prizes. They are so amazingly athletic and graceful on the ice, the competitions are a treat to watch. Plus, Kids Climbing College on the Kids’ Wall at Ouray Ice Park offers instructional clinics for young climbers ages 5 to 16.

Throughout the rest of the Ouray ice-climbing season (generally mid December to end March), local outfitter San Juan Mountain Guides will take children as young as eight to the Kids’ Wall for private instruction (it’s where my husband learned to ice climb, so don’t be surprised if you first strap on crampons here, too). If you have kids under age 8 who are super coordinated, athletic or otherwise could handle the excursion, SJMG would consider taking them out, too; it’s really up to you as a parent to figure out if your child would like to learn (or mind being cold for a couple hours). For an awesome women-only ice-climbing adventure, check out Ouray’s Chicks with Picks clinics.

A new event as of this February is Redstone Winterfest, also sponsored in part by Rock & Ice. During this weekend of winter activities, you can demo some ice-climbing equipment on the local frozen falls and learn a bit about the sport, as well as sample snowshoes and cross-country skis (ski-joring anyone?). It’s a fun, family-friendly atmosphere with lots of kids’ activities. The inaugural event was successful, and from what I understand, it will be held again in 2011.

Closer to Denver, consider Front Range Climbing Company, which also accommodates private guided trips for families and school-age children. Friendly Brian, who answered the phone when I called, said that one of the best learning spots for kids in Colorado is in Colorado Springs’ Cheyenne Canyon, because the ice slope there in the winter is at a low angle.

The Galavanting Gals are fans of Vail Rock & Ice, so if you’re skiing Vail or Beaver Creek and want an adventure off the ski slopes, you might check out this outfitter to see if they’ll take kids out (I didn’t get a phone call back). Any outfitter that offers ice-climbing instruction and guiding will provide all the necessary equipment: helmet, harness, ropes, boots, crampons, ice tools; you just need to show up with your children dressed in warm clothing.

Of course, if you make it to the Glenwood Springs-Aspen area of Colorado anytime during the winter season, and want to see Hays Creek Falls, just contact me. Chances are, my husband would love to introduce you and your family to the sport — I bet he won’t even make you sign a liability form.

Redstone's Hays Creek Falls in winter.