The Ouray Ice Festival Begins Today

One of the biggest and best ice climbing festivals in the world gets underway today, when the Ouray Ice Festival kicks off in Ouray, Colorado. Held annually at the Ouray Ice Park, the event begins with a party tonight and the actual competitions, demonstrations, clinics, and so on, starting tomorrow.

Over the course of the next few days, some of the top ice climbers in the world will be competing against one another on Ouray's famed frozen walls. The man-made ice park features more than 200 different routes, some a mix of ice and rock, others pure ice all the way, all contained inside a natural gorge that serves up the perfect conditions for ice climbing.

For a complete schedule of events, click here and for a full list of competitors, click here. The event promises to be a fun one, so if you're in the area, be sure to drop by and checkout all the activities. It's a great place to learn about the sport and maybe pick up a few skills yourself.