The Loch Vale Ice area is a compact but quality ice-cragging destination with a wide range of routes on water ice and mixed terrain.  Sitting at the bottom, north-end of Thatchtop Mountain, this is a consistent-forming ice area due to it's spring-fed origin and with it's shady location, it is one of the first and last places to be "IN" shape.

Although this area is sometimes referred to as the "Loch Vale Practice Area", it was the RMNP local Topher Donahue who wrote in the pages of Alpinist, "there are no practice climbs - every route is the real thing".  This is not the exact quote, but it is worth mentioning as you can just as easily kill yourself in this "practice area" as on the bigger routes, so treating this place like "the real thing" is never a bad idea. 

I have spent more than 70 days climbing here while training climbers in ice and mixed climbing techniques and so there are likely a few new additions from the guidebooks and perhaps a few clarifications (or more questions) in regard to specific route variations and grades.  Please remember that names and numbers (including FA's) are not why we play this game, although it helps for making comparisons at Ed's Cantina at the end of the day.

An overview of Thatchtop Mountain including the Loch Vale ice area (LV) and known avalanche paths on the east face around the All Mixed Up cirque circled in RED.

Rescue services will take a while here and contacting "911" resources could be the crux of an adventure gone bad.  Winter conditions can quickly kill an exposed and immobile person, especially one who is bleeding or broken.  Emergency and bivy gear should be considered along with communications equipment in any alpine winter backcountry adventure.  Tell a responsible person where you are going and when you plan to return so that they might initiate a search for you and contact the National Park Service who coordinate all rescues in Rocky Mountain National Park.

An overview map of the Loch Vale ice area which sits just off the trail that takes one to the actual "Loch" that lays just another mile uphill.  Routes are described below from left to right (east to west).  The red enclosed areas can be avalanche prone as they are very lee-loaded and have sufficient angle to slide - approach route selection can negate most of this potential avalanche danger.

          The classic mixed line "Mixed Feelings" which traverses the moderate crack right to the ice curtain.

Starting from the far left (east) end of the Loch Vale are the three challenging mixed climbs: " Mixed Feelings", "Strike Free Zone" and "Bladerunner" (L-R).

M1- Mixed Feelings aka Mixed Emotions  (M5, WI5-) (25m) approx. (5.10a) FA Alex Lowe, 1981

Climb up to a horizontal crack which is traversed 7 meters right to join the ice curtain coming down from the big tree above.  The crack can be sewn-up with cams and nuts.  The moves up onto the ice can be long or short depending on how far the ice comes down and this year (07/08) it is going to be easier (M4) due to the large amount of ice on the route.  A bolted direct start (M8) which was done with a power drill on rappel will likely be removed before long as power drills are illegal in RMNP and this route was previously climbed (with a big snowdrift.)

M2 -  Free Strike Zone  (M7+ or M8, WI5-) (30m) approx (5.11+) FA Dave Sheldon, 1995

Climb very steep rock past three bolts (the first might be best stick-clipped) with the crux between the first and second bolts involving a long reach.  Climb past the bolts to a fixed knifeblade (questionable) and then a horizontal crack provides numerous gear options including a .5 or .75 camalot or a large nut to protect the moves onto the ice.  Staying to the right-side of the ice is more difficult (M7) or traversing left to join "Mixed Emotions" is an easier (M5) solution.

M3 -  Blade Runner (M8/9) (30m) approx (5.12)   FA Gary Ryan, 1997

Starting just 15' right of FSZ is a small right-facing dihedral which often has a bit of ice at the bottom on ledgey rock that leads directly up to an overhanging wall with a thin ice dagger dripping from it's lip.  Climb initially past a bolt, then up a .4 camalot crack to a couple of decent pitons then to the first bolt which protects the reachy and steep crux up to the thin dagger (make sure it's well frozen and attached) past a run-out to the second bolt and another run-out to the top.  Small nuts and cams from small to medium (#.75 camalot) can help protect the sections before and after the bolts.  A final lost arrow piton protects the moves onto the last curtain and can be supplemented with a .4 camalot.

    The "Mo Flo than Go" section of the Loch Vale holds the most consistent although short bits of ice in this area.

I1  -  Mo Flo than Go aka "Gorge Yourself " (WI3)  (17m)   

Climb numerous versions on this fat flow that end at a double set of trees with slings and rap rings.

I2 -  Icy Slabs (WI3-)  (20m)

From the far right side of the Mo Flo curtain, climb a lower angle "corner" up to a slab of thinner ice and steep moss to gain a couple of slung trees.

     The "Great Pillar" area of the Loch Vale which is the first curtain encountered on the approach trail.

                                            A view of the "Great Pillar" from the approach trail

I3 -  Great Pillar aka "Crystal Meth" (WI 4+) (25m)

This is the best pure ice route in the Loch Vale and it is often wide enough for two or three independent and slightly easier/harder lines up this 25m wall. which can be descended from sling anchors on trees at it's apex or walked off to the far east just past the Mixed Feelings wall.

M4 -  Crystal Death - a mixed start to "Great Pillar"  (M5, WI4) approx. 5.10a  (25m)

In typical late winter conditions when much of the Great Pillar has sublimated or been hacked away, an exposed rock dihedral starting from the ground shows-up directly below the upper crux pillar.  Solid but strenuous tool placements in a good crack with good gear) leads to the usually broken curtain where there is an ice overhang that can be a crux transition.  This short but entertaining mixed line protects well with nuts and small cams.  A .5 camalot can be nice for the horizontal crack just below the ice overhang.

The "Spiral Route" is the excellent thin ice route just right of the "Great Pillar" route.  Very good mixed lines sit on each side of this pitch and can be easilly top-roped. 

I4 - Spiral Route aka "L of Lochluster"  (WI4+)  (20m)

Usually a bit thinner and more delicate than the Great Pillar, this ideally all-ice route starts about 15' right  of the main flow, beginning with a low-angle right-trending ramp that leads to the initial difficulties.  The first thin section often has a fixed piton protecting it and due to it's delicate nature is typically "hooked" up to another rest where there is a second fixed pin protecting the exit moves up and right.  There are trees on the right at 80' for an easy rappel.

M5 -  The Warm-Up aka "Breakfast Launch"  (M7) (25m)  FA  Topher Donahue, 2002

I watched Topher on-sight this route as a warm-up for a day he and client Farzin were first preparing for their eventual record-breaking ascent of the "Ham and Eggs" route on the Moose's Tooth in AK.  Protected with pins, nuts and cams, this very strenuous mixed line starts between routes I3 and I4 up a blank looking vertical slab of gneiss with a few baubles of ice, where it breaks through a roof at the top of this face.  Farzin lost his breakfast on the first "rest-ledge" thus the "extra" route name. 

M6 - Spiral direct start  (M4, WI4)  (20m) approx. 5.9

This is an engaging and protectable direct-start to the Spiral Route that starts just right of the angling ramp and meets the "Spiral" at it's first thin crux.  Gear from pins, to nuts and small cams can be helpful for protection in this short bit of mixed climbing that cilmbs left first under than around a couple of steep but positive overlaps before joining the ice route.

                                                      A close-up of the "Pee Stain"

M7 - Pee Stain aka "The Brown Smear"  (M3, WI4)  approx 5.8

This occasionally forming thin ice route (usually yellow) starts just 30' left of the "Lochluster" route.  It forms into a climbable piece of ice which is slabby and delicate to reach a big ledge where there are numerous anchor trees.  Pins, nuts and cams will be useful for protecting this pitch which is usually too-thin for screws and often delicate enough to warrant a WI5 grade with an R rating.

M8 -  Hooking Up  (M3, WI3) approx.  5.8

This moderate mixed variation is difficult to protect and is typically top-roped as a result.  (A couple of bolts may be added later this winter to make for a protectable moderate).  Climb up the slab split by a grassy crack just left of "Lochluster" and stay 15' left of this route for it's duration past a grassy ledge and after some great thin cracks at a bulge, climb up the thin then thicker ice slab to the big ledge below the roof.

                                                   The bottom half of "Hooking Up"

The far right side (west) of the Loch Vale Ice area includes a couple of nice ice routes and a few mixed variations which make for a fun spot to get in some laps.  A two-bolt anchor at the big ledge above all of these lines makes descending and top-roping relatively accessible.

I5 - The Ramp Route aka "Lochluster"  (WI3-)

This fun warm-up is the easiest way to reach the large ledge which is the top-out for the other mixed and ice lines in this area.  In thinner conditions, a couple of pitons down low and a #1 camalot on the right about half-way up can supplement screws and tied-off icicles for protection.  The crux comes at the end in a body-width column that takes one onto the prow which can be traversed right to the two-bolt rappel anchor.

M9 -  Handcrack  (M5, WI3+)  approx 5.10a

This direct start up a steep 5.9+ handcrack is very protectable with small to large cams and can be sewn-up if necessary.  The initial crux reaches some solid moss and a ledge at about 10 meters then another 10 meters of thin mixed ice and rock take one directly to the bolted anchor at the ledge.

I6 - Loch Lusting aka "R of Lochluster" (WI 4-)

This is typically the furthest right curtain of ice in the Loch Vale ice area and often thin and delicate by late winter due to sublimation.   There is another decent curtain of ice around the corner, 100' to the west that comes into shape by late winter and is similar in difficulty to this one.  Climb up the at-first steep ice then gradually easier and thinner ice to the top and the "big ledge" where there are two bolts.

M10 - Rock and Ice aka " Corner to the overhang"  (M6, WI5-) (20m) approx. 5.10+

This is an interesting top-rope that starts in a thin dihedral then traverses up and right to join the "Tree Route".  Unknown if it has been led on gear or not, this is another quality addition to the Loch Vale.   Rappel from the tree at the top of the "Tree Route".

I7 -  The Tree Route aka "rock, wood, ice" (T2, WI5-)  (20m) approx. 5.7 tree climbing

This is a favorite Loch Vale climb as the beginning bit off the ground consists of climbing a one foot diameter tree that has been sitting against the cliff for more than a decade.  The wood allows access to a steep but short ice curtain to a tree anchor.  Slinging the top of the down-tree and using rock protection (small cams) for the crux transition onto the ice can be helpful.  The ice is usually thick enough after a couple of meters for screws, so maybe one shorty screw would help but otherwise medium-length (17cm) should be sufficient for protecting the steep ice.