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Chaos Creek Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Routes in Chaos Creek

L › R R › L A › Z

	Bobsled, The T WI4+
	Luge (aka Curling), The T WI3-4
	Olympic Trials T WI3
	Shaqtoolik T M6+
	Slalom Skiing T WI5
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Elevation:	10,031 ft	3,057 m
GPS:	40.30669, -105.65488 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	9,343 total · 36/month
Shared By:	Leo Paik on Feb 6, 2005
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Regulations Details

General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.

Description

There are various bits of ice scattered around RMNP. This is one of them. B. Gillett's excellent guidebook, RMNP: The Climber's Guide, describes this tough to find area, Chaos Creek. Various drips are partially hidden here by the trees as they drip over small cliffs. Ice ranges from short ice bouldering to 80 foot climbs with mixed potential. This area faces South, so it is subject to sun-rot & meltout during warm spells. It is also a wonderfully-warm area to whack ice on a sunny winter day as ice soaks up the sun until about 2pm. Nonetheless, it can help salvage a day where you're blown off the trail trying to approach Alexander's or as a supplement to Nymph Lake ice or for just a quick partial day pieced into all the details of family life.

There are some slings with rings (placed 2005) around trees for rappel here, but be prepared to add some.

Thanks to Bernard for his guide! Thanks to Matt, Tim, Sarah, & Nick for helping to find the best approach to the ice!

Here find:

Unknown, M?, 2p.
Shaqtoolik, M8+, 2p, 180', gear.

The Luge aka Curling, WI3, 1p, screws.
The Bobsled, WI4/4+, 1p, screws.
Slalom Skiing, WI5, 1p, screws.
Olympic Games (back cover photo of Gillett's RMNP, High Peaks guide)
Speed Skating

Olympic Trials, WI3, 1p, screws.

Getting There

To approach this area, park at Bear Lake in RMNP. Snowshoes are recommended, although a nice wallow can warm you up if you so desire. Hike the well-packed trail 0.5 mile to Nymph Lake. There is an old fire road/trail that shaves a couple minutes going directly from Bear Lake to Nymph. To spy this area (probably the right profile of the top of Olympic Games), you must look carefully from an arms length of the Restoration area sign, posted on one shore of the lake. You can only see the top of some of the ice from here. Take a bearing & head through the trees. Stay lower in the basin as there is a steep, avalanche-potential slope just to the right of the ice if you try to contour. It can be challenging to find the ice once you are in the forest. As you get close to the cliffs, you will likely see bits of the ice 150 feet above, head up. Snow can be chest-deep on this last bit if no one has approached lately. You can drop off the trail between Nymph & Dream Lakes and drop into the drainage below the ice but this is more challenging. Note, you can get a bit disoriented in the trees with all the crisscrossing snow shoe tracks going in circles.