Tracy Roach on Silverplume Falls. Conditions as o...
Description
Silverplume falls forms a wide amphitheater of 60-80 degree ice at the head of the ravine. The formation consists of a short, lower-step followed by a short ledge and finally a longer steep section that is the main section of the climb. The area is wide enough to accommodate several parties and many variations are possible. The ice, however is usually thick and homogeneous with all routes fairly similar. Some easy mixed climbing can be had to the edges of the climb. The ice is on the southern aspect of the mountain and has a fair amount of sun exposure. Therefore, the ice forms a soft, white, foamy consistency rather than the clear hard ice on northern aspects.
Descent: rappel or scramble down rock to the right of the route. Depending upon your comfort level, steep and loose rock may warrant roping up here, but the scramble is certainly less than 5th class.
Protection
Screws, the ice is usually thick enough to take long screws.
Toprope Protection
Screws, bolts and slings. The area above the climb is a gravel sandbar of mining tailings and there is actually very little top-rope protection available. There are 2 boulders with 3 bolts each and chains. The right boulder seems larger and more stable. Use several screws as a backup if there is enough ice.
Silverplume - The ice is in and good, with 3-4 short routes to choose from (WI3 or so). Could use some more moisture and cold though, as in once section, the ice was thin enough to see/hear water flowing briskly underneath, even though it was 16F and cloudy.
We checked out the falls on Tuesday 12/11 and it was a blast - our first Colorado ice. We toproped the center of the climb and the ice was good. We could see and hear the water rushing underneath the ice and it was a little thin in the middle, but overall it was still great. Had a little trouble with placing screws in the wet ice in places. The weather was great but it got cold once the sun set. Easy access and fun!
We climbed on Saturday, 12.15.01. The ice was fine for climbing, though like the description says, it is white and relatively soft. I don't think I'd want to take a whipper on some of the screws I placed. There were some thin spots (2-6 inches), but it was easy to find placements for 17cm and even 22cm screws. There are some spots where the water is running under a thin layer of ice. The route started to get sun around 10:30am. This is an area where early starts are a good idea. An update on the anchors: There are three bolted anchors in the rocks at the top of the climb. I think two have two bolts and one has three. As of Saturday they weren't covered up with ice.
By Julian Smith From: Colorado Springs, CO Jan 6, 2002
Silverplume Falls are in good shape. Definitely not as fat as the picture in the Cameron Burns Guide. Lots of nice blue plastic. The left and middle were running with a little water.
Was out there Saturday morning. Arrived around 8AM. It was wet! Starting up the first 10 feet of the climb I was kicking in slush 4 [inches] or so. Water running hard from center to left side. Right of center was not bad. Couldn't believe how wet it was considering the cold lately (not there I guess!). [Definitely] a great time though!
Climbed here again on 1/24 in the late afternoon. Ice was a little soft and slushy in places, also where ice had formed over top of snow, but still great climbing. Tricky to place screws in a few spots. The flow is almost down to the parking lot, so access is really easy not.
By Andrew Gram Administrator From: Denver, CO Feb 27, 2002
Climbed Silverplume on 2/24 The curtain had melted into 3 distinct pillars at the top. Lots of the ice was rotten and scary, but not too bad all things considered and the current cold snap may be helping.
By Peter Gram Administrator From: Salt Lake City, UT Mar 6, 2002
I don't know how recent the anchors are, but when I climbed Silverplume a couple of weeks ago, there were three sets of bolt anchors at the top.
climbed in the warm sun yesterday:) getting up early paid off - by 10:30 there were 5 groups trying to share lines on the falls. a couple inches of white foamy ice had to be hacked off before you got to the good stuff, but the ice beneath was surprisingly plastic. makes for a glorius day of fun climbing. we also decided to head upstream to look for more ice. nothing but short sections of slush. see you in [Ouray] in 2 weeks!!!
"Climbed" here on 12/15. Currently, a vertical slush pile. I don't know if someone did some flow diversion over the summer, but the left/center area that used to be thin is WAY (too) fat and the usually phat right side is WAY thin; NOT an improvement. One of my buds broke through to the hip at the top of the climb while waiting to be lowered and got a boot-ful of water (lots of water running underneath the ice). We opted to bail at this point.
The area is still a vertical slush pile as of 1/10/03. There are a couple of lines worth doing but I wouldn't trust screws to hold a fall under these conditions.
CLIMBED AND TR FOR A COUPLE HRS WED MORNING. MIDDLE UPPER SECTION HAS EXPOSED WATER RUNNING WHICH FOR THE MOST PART CAN BE AVOIDED. LOTS OF CHANDELIER AND CAULIFLOWER. NOON SUN SENT SEVERAL 2-4' SECTIONS CRASHING DOWN. SCREWS WERE MARGINAL AT BEST.FUN TR WORK-OUT THOUGH.
climbed these routes 2/3 and 2/8. 2/8 in the dark!haven't been climbing ice long, seemed good. we went left and then right. the thin line on the left needs more time. was really fun by head lamp,yea ice climbings cool
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