Rifle ice is back!
A steep line on The Final Curtain
After an excellent, early start to the ice climbing season in Rifle, a long period of warm, sunny weather put an end to things. But, just in time for Christmas, cold weather has returned and with it, good conditions in the Park that will only get better.
Here’s a quick look at what’s going on at Rifle Mountain Park for conditions. The forecast over the next week looks good and cold for continuing growth of the ice.
Get out there and, as always, give us a call at 970-319-0656 for a guided day or personal instruction.
The Final Curtain, 12-20-14. The Pleasure Pillar (far right) still has a ways to go but cold, cloudy weather should help. The main Final Curtain area offers a number of good lines currently. The middle is as close to WI3 as it will probably get and has good solid ice in the bottom before getting thin at the top. You can escape out left to a different anchor for a safer way to top it out. The far left pillar is in good, solid condition. As is often the case in Rifle, use caution on the topouts as in their current condition they may feature ice that is not firmly secured or may lack ice completely.
A brief, roadside look at Soul On Ice on 12-20-14. The warm weather took away most of this climb but cold weather will help it form again quickly. Besides the Final Curtain, everything else in the Canyon is in an similar condition.