Plan Your Ice Climbing Trip To Ouray, Colorado
Tucked into the heart of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, Ouray is one of the best winter destinations in the country for ice climbing and backcountry skiing with a charming, small mountain town vibe. Ouray is home to the world famous Ouray Ice Park, several natural hot springs, locally owned restaurants and breweries, and easy access to some of Colorado’s best winter recreation. Whether you're planning your first ice climbing trip or returning for a few days of fun in the Ouray Ice Park or multipitch routes on backcountry routes in the San Juans, knowing how to get to Ouray, where to stay, and what to do between climbing days will help you get the most out of your trip.
The Ouray Ice Park offers the highest concentration of ice climbing in the United States, with over 150 established pure ice routes and another 50+ mixed climbing routes, just a 5 minute walk from downtown! This highly accessible terrain combined with a wide variety of backcountry ice climbing routes ranging in difficulty from beginner WI3 to expert WI6 and routes up to 8 pitches long, makes Ouray, Colorado an ideal place to learn how to ice climb for the first time and keep coming back for more each winter.
Skyward Mountaineering offers guided ice climbing in Ouray for the full range of experience levels. Whether you're new to ice climbing and want personalized instruction or want to tick off a challenging ascent of a multipitch route in the San Juans, our guides are passionate climbers with years of experience climbing and guiding ice throughout Ouray and internationally, we are a small team of expert climbers with the highest level of professional AMGA training and certification.
Getting to Ouray, Colorado in Winter
Ouray sits along US Highway 550 in southwestern Colorado, approximately 35 miles south of Montrose and 20 miles north of Silverton. The surrounding San Juan Mountains offer incredible scenery, but the steep mountain roads and winter driving conditions can make travel challenging during the winter months.
Flying to Ouray: Which Airport Should You Use?
For most travelers flying in, Montrose Regional Airport is the most convenient airport for an Ouray ice climbing trip, though several airports provide access to Ouray. Each comes with varying travel times, flight options, and winter driving considerations.
Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ):
Montrose is generally the best airport for an Ouray winter vacation. It's roughly a 40 minute drive to Ouray and has plentiful grocery stores to stock up on the way in. The lower elevation typically has the most favorable driving conditions and thanks for the proximity to Telluride, it’s a popular option for major airline hubs, including American Airlines and United. Rental vehicles and ground transportation shuttles are both readily available, but it's best to reserve these in advance of arriving.
Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT):
Grand Junction is approximately 100 miles from Ouray, and is another good option with reliable driving conditions at lower elevations, though it’s a further drive than Montrose. It can be a good alternative if flight schedules or prices work better, although there are no reliable shuttle options so a rental car is a must.
Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO):
Durango is about 70 miles south of Ouray. The views along the Million Dollar Highway are excellent, though winter driving conditions along US Highway 550 are often challenging and Red Mountain Pass occasionally closes due to avalanche mitigation. We do not recommend DRO as the airport of choice for winter trips in the San Juans unless you’re planning on being based in Silverton.
Denver International Airport (DEN) or Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC):
Denver and Salt Lake City both offer a broad range of flight options and are likely more affordable flights than the smaller regional airports highlighted above, though the drive from either major airport is ~6 hours to Ouray and may pose challenging winter driving conditions.
Driving to Ouray in The Winter
The drive into Ouray is often quite dramatic, with views of the Sneffels Range and Cimarron Mountains if coming from the north or views of the entire San Juan Mountains along the Million Dollar Highway if coming from the south. Arriving in the Ouray valley, surrounded by towering peaks and plentiful visible ice in the Ouray Ice Park and surrounding mountains would make any climber excited.
Ouray is accessible only via one road passing thru, US Highway 550, approaching from Montrose to the north or Durango and Silverton to the south. If you're coming from I-70 you’ll exit the interstate at Grand Junction and drive south along US Highway 50 until Montrose where the road becomes US Highway 550 through Ridgway and into Ouray. This is often the most straightforward route for visitors arriving in Ouray in the winter. If you're approaching from the south, you'll travel north through Durango and toward Silverton, crossing over Red Mountain Pass before descending into Ouray. This stretch of highway is known as the Million Dollar Highway. It is spectacular, but it includes steep grades, exposed sections, avalanche terrain, and sharp turns. Be extremely careful in the winter as the road may be icy, and Colorado law requires vehicles be equipped with snow tires or chains. We strongly recommend checking the Colorado Department of Transportation's road information at COtrip.org, on their app, or contacting us to discuss your travel plans.
Do You Need a Rental Car in Ouray?
A rental car is particularly useful if you want to explore Telluride, or visit other areas in the San Juans. If your primary goal is to climb at the Ouray Ice Park and enjoy downtown Ouray, it is possible to arrange airport transportation and easily spend your trip on foot, avoiding the need to rent a vehicle. Ouray is a compact town, and the Ice Park is within walking distance of most downtown hotels. Most restaurants, the local grocery store, and the hot springs are also accessible without a need to drive.
If you plan to ski at Telluride or travel to backcountry skiing areas around Red Mountain Pass, you'll need a personal vehicle equipped with 4WD or AWD and suitable winter tires or chains. Reliable shuttle options for skiing or to adjacent areas besides Ouray-Montrose do not exist.
Skyward Mountaineering does not, by default, provide transportation to backcountry ice climbing destinations such as in Silverton or Telluride. If you would prefer our guides provide transportation we can arrange this for a minimal fee (often more affordable than a rental vehicle), please get in touch to discuss your itinerary and associated logistics. As gas prices climb, this fee simply offsets the cost of gas for our guides and is not an extra profit for the business.
Where to Stay for an Ouray Ice Climbing Trip
One of the advantages of an Ouray ice climbing vacation is that you can stay close to the action without needing to commute. Ouray has historic hotels, locally owned inns, and vacation rentals. Many visitors choose accommodations near Main Street so they can easily walk to dinner or the hot springs after a day of climbing.
January and February are popular months for ice climbing in Ouray. If you're visiting during a major event or holiday, book your lodging early.
Add a Backcountry Skiing Day to Your Ouray Trip
One of the advantages of visiting Ouray is the opportunity to combine ice climbing with backcountry skiing. The San Juan Mountains receive substantial winter snowfall totals most seasons and offer a variety of terrain, from mellow powder tours to steep ski mountaineering objectives. Red Mountain Pass, between Ouray and Silverton, is a particularly popular destination for backcountry skiers. The Telluride Ski Resort also offers world class lift-access, maintained ski runs, only 40 minutes away.
Skyward Mountaineering offers guided backcountry skiing throughout the San Juan Mountains, helping skiers and snowboarders explore the best snow and runs while making terrain choices appropriate to the current conditions and the group's experience. A day of guided skiing can be a great addition to an ice climbing vacation, especially if you're interested in learning more about improving your skiing or exploring terrain beyond the resort.
Telluride Resort Skiing as an Alternative
If you'd rather spend a day riding lifts and skiing groomed trails, Telluride Ski Resort has a huge amount of excellent terrain without the crowds of similar sized resorts in Colorado. Telluride also has several incredible (and pricey) restaurants, plus historic downtown Telluride is charming and worth a visit too.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Ouray for Ice Climbing & Skiing?
The Ouray Ice Park typically opens by late December and is reliably open through early March, though conditions and actual opening/closing dates depend on temperatures and weather trends.
The best time to visit Ouray depends on your goals:
Early season: A good option if you have previous ice climbing experience and prefer to climb more rare routes before crowds arrive and while avalanche hazard is low. Backcountry ice at higher elevations typically form by mid November.
January and February: The most reliable months for ice climbing with good conditions in the Ouray Ice Park and in the backcountry. This is also the most popular time for climbers visiting Ouray, if you’d like to avoid crowds we recommend avoiding visiting during weekends, holidays, and Ice Fest. Skiing typically becomes reliable by February as snow starts piling up.
Late season: With longer days and generally warmer conditions, ice climbing is best at higher elevations in the backcountry and skiing options open up as the snow stabilizes, allowing skiers to venture deeper into the backcountry and onto steeper slopes. Ice climbing in the mountains typically lasts through mid April and and skiing couloirs at high elevations can be good through mid May.
Looking for current ice climbing conditions in the San Juans, check out our regularly updated Ice Climbing Conditions page and reach out to discuss your goals.
Other Things to Do in Ouray in Winter
Even if you're visiting primarily for ice climbing, it's worth leaving time to explore town.
Walk Historic Main Street: Ouray's historic downtown features locally owned shops, restaurants, galleries, and historic buildings. It's easy to explore on foot and makes a pleasant low-key activity after a day outside. Pick up some new climbing gear at Ouray Mountain Sports, check out local artwork in the galleries, and shop locally for gifts for family.
Visit Box Cañon Falls: Box Cañon Falls is a well known local attraction, with a dramatic waterfall cutting through a narrow canyon. Winter conditions are generally icy and/snowy trails so make sure to wear appropriate footwear.
Try Snowshoeing or Nordic Skiing: The Ouray area has several areas of groomed trails for easy snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the mountains. Equipment can be rented locally at Ouray Mountain Sports.
Experience the Ouray Ice Festival: The annual Ouray Ice Fest brings climbers, professional athletes, guides, gear manufacturers, and spectators to town for demonstrations, competitions, clinics, and community events. It is one of the most energetic times of the winter season, and busiest so reserve your lodging early if you plan to visit then. Check the Ouray Ice Park website for current event dates and details.
Build Your Ouray Ice Climbing Itinerary Around the Conditions
A flexible schedule is one of the best ways to plan a successful winter trip. For climbers who are interested in a variety of activities, such as climbing in the Ouray Ice Park, climbing backcountry ice routes, and skiing on Red Mountain Pass or around Silverton or Telluride, we recommend leaving room to adjust your plans around weather, climbing conditions, and travel. As a small guide service focusing on customization, our guides can often be flexible to adapt the day’s plans to the current conditions.
We recommend a three to four day visit to Ouray to maximize your trip. If you’re visiting primarily for ice climbing, consider still reserving one day for skiing or resting and enjoying the surrounding San Juan Mountains. We recommend booking your trip ASAP ahead of time as our guide availability in the winter is limited.
Skyward Mountaineering specializes in guiding technical trips in Ouray and throughout the San Juan Mountains each winter, including guided ice climbing, backcountry skiing and splitboarding, and avalanche education courses. With a little planning, we can help you create an itinerary that combines a day of guided ice climbing in Ouray with skiing fresh powder on Red Mountain Pass, and evenings soaking in the hot springs.