When Colorado climbing guides Steve House and Vince Anderson rose from their tent one crisp morning 21,000 feet up a mountain in Pakistan, the nagging thought was they might not make it down.
Dug in on a precarious, delicate knife-blade ridge no wider than their shelter’s floor, they slept tied in the ropes used on their ascent of the 15,000-foot-tall Rupal Face, the largest mountain wall on the planet, on 26,660-foot Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat – the ninth-tallest mountain in the world.
But the men aren’t interested in how high – just how hard. They eschew long scrambles up the tall mountains, and instead seek out light and fast, demanding ascents of improbable peaks, in what is called “alpine style.”
The ascent of Nanga Parbat tested their physical stamina and emotional endurance, and the climb is regarded as a masterpiece of alpinism.
It won’t be quite as intense this weekend, but they’ll be out and about at the 19th annual Ouray Ice Festival, which begins today, sharing their skills with aspiring climbers from all over the world.
Praised for the ascent, with minimal equipment, speed and safe return, in 2006 they were awarded the highest accolade a mountaineer can receive: the Piolet d’Or – The Golden Ice Ax.
Now safe and sound for the time being on the Western Slope, they operate what they call a boutique-style guide service based in Ouray called Skyward Mountaineering. Clients’ skills vary widely: Some call for basic mountaineering fundamentals, others for dead vertical expeditions in remote mountain ranges across the planet.
But House and Anderson agree that sharing the freedom of the hills with others is almost as rewarding as their own first ascents. And that Ouray is the place to do it.
“It’s entirely genuine to watch people’s eyes sort of light up,” House said, the enthusiasm apparent in his voice. “To watch it click. I think climbing, as an activity, from the outside is sort of hard to understand, until you do it. It’s a hard thing to describe, but once you’ve experienced it yourself, it’s big, and to watch people go through that – I get to see it. It’s a great experience.”
Anderson, mellow and soft spoken, wants to teach clients a new kind of appreciation.
“I think of it as kind of a mind-altering experience,” he said. “It’s a new way to see the wild and to learn about yourself.
“There are certain components of the physical movements: balance and learning how to use the equipment. But the majority of success in the sport comes from having to harness your emotions and use your intellect to solve problems. I’m hoping that people come away with more of an inner reward than a physical one.”
Set within the shadows of some of Colorado’s most majestic peaks, the once-sleepy town of Ouray now is a major destination for adventurers from around the world. The hamlet buzzes with winter activity, and unlike other tourist towns, the closest ski resort is an hour away.
Ouray is a mountaineer’s paradise, with frozen teal walls of ice that draw the crowds. Plus, countless natural blue ribbons of ice – summertime’s waterfalls – form in the surrounding wilderness.
Kevin Koprek, manager of Ouray Ice Park, the center of the four-day festival, said the resulting tax revenues from the park are seen in millions of dollars for the town of 800.
“It’s very much an international scene,” Koprek said.
The mile-long park itself sits in the Uncompahgre Gorge, a 160-foot-high chasm just south of downtown. Adventure-seeking locals saw promise when aging water pipes lining the gorge began to leak decades ago.
“Basically, the hillside above the canyon was littered with old lines from various water systems,” Koprek said. “That (leaking) was ‘promoted’ by local climbers, and they quickly realized that something more formal needed to be done.”
Ice was “farmed,” as pipes were negotiated to drain over the canyon rim, creating ribbons and sheets of the stuff.
Twenty years and three water systems later, the park’s 200 routes are world-famous. The city, county and a private landowner, Ouray Hydro-Electric, are in an operating agreement for what now is Ouray Ice Park Inc. And now Ouray, with natural mountaineering opportunities in the surrounding landscape, is the epicenter of winter climbing in the Lower 48.
Every January, more than 3,000 people descend on the town for the festival.
House and Anderson, both 43, not only play a role in the festival, but they are regarded as two of the most talented climbers in the world.
But, as they say, that doesn’t make them different.
Anderson, also a mountain bike racer, came from the Front Range to find “less stoplights and cleaner air.” House is from the Pacific Northwest and was looking for something new.
“It’s a real town,” Anderson said.
The fifth American ever to become certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association, Anderson now is certifying others. He said when younger, he was thrilled to work out in the mountains, but he now feeds off sharing what he has learned.
“It’s nice to get outside and be in a beautiful place,” he said, “but it’s to impart something onto someone else that has been so valuable to you over your life and to see them start to get it.”
“The take-home reward is sharing the experiences with others,” Anderson said. “Getting to see people get that same infectious enthusiasm that you had.”
House works with outerwear company Patagonia, and was the seventh American to get the international guides certification. He believes everyone is looking for something inspiring.
House’s book, Beyond the Mountain, captures his insight spanning decades of climbing in Alaska, Canada and the Himalayas. He also details events and trials on the climb of Nanga Parbat.
To survive their predicament on the knife-edge ridge, they basically were forced to climb higher and descend a different route. There was no easy retreat. It was a long, harrowing adventure that included a high-altitude ascent in the darkness.
He and partner Anderson, whom he calls his best friend, said the climb took its toll personally. They came back exhausted, physically and emotionally, but it left them with an everlasting experience.
Anderson, who has climbed in Asia, Canada, Europe, Africa, South America and Russia, called the ascent of Nanga Parbat a “full commitment.”
“I think the commitment level was the amazing thing,” he said. “Commitment to the objective and trust in your partner. The willingness to endure years of training for a week’s worth of climbing.”
House said he still carries Nanga Parbat everywhere he goes.
“That was an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime adventure,” he said, “and I keep it with me every day. It’s part of me.”
While risk is a major part and thrill of climbing, it’s not the only thing that makes it worthwhile, they say.
“I am one to point out that a little risk is what adds values to climbing,” Anderson said. “But I think it can be managed, and it’s not as suicidal as people think.”
House said they’re just not so different from others. It’s just their focus in life that’s unusual.
“It’s just what we put our energy into,” he said. “We climb the most technical, historical routes of the world’s most beautiful mountains.”
To House, the greatest challenge is weaving together the different aspects of his own life.
“My climbing, my marriage, having fulfillment and being a good husband – and having time to do all those things well. That’s probably the biggest challenge for anybody,” he said.
bmathis@durangoherald.com
If you go
The 19th annual Ouray Ice Festival begins today with the kickoff party at 9 p.m. at the Beaumont Grill hosted by the American Alpine Club.
The festival gets started in earnest Friday and runs through Sunday, featuring competitions, presentations, clinics and a gear expo.
From Durango, Ouray is approximately a 1¾-hour, 70-mile drive north on U.S. Highway 550 – assuming decent driving conditions over three mountain passes.
For more information visit http://ourayicepark.com/ice-festival or call (970) 325-4288.
