Places and history · Photo story
Vail and the Development of Mixed Climbing
17 photographs · Tap any image to explore the gallery.
Home to the mecca of mixed climbing in the United States, The Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado, features many challenging mixed routes and a couple of classic ice pillars.
Located at close to 2600m, Vail, Colorado, is known for its winter sports. It features one of North America's most well-known ski hills and several others quite close along the I70 corridor. What most people don't realize as they make the hour-and-a-half drive from Denver to Vail is that while you pass the exit to East Vail, you are also passing one of the most storied mixed crags in North America.
The Amphitheater
In 1994, Jeff Lowe put Vail on the map of the climbing world and practically single-handedly invented the sport of mixed climbing. That winter, he climbed Octopussy (WI6, M8 R), the first M8 grade worldwide. While climbers in Scotland and the Canadian Rockies had been using mixed techniques for some time, no one was climbing anything close to what Jeff and a small group were up to in The Amphitheater.
"Jeff Lowe's visionary ascent of a wild hanging icicle at Vail, Octopussy, changed the winter climbing world forever. Suddenly, the possibilities were infinite, awesome. Helgi Christianson and I put up Amphibian (1997), the first M9 in the world, and initially, people thought we were likely crazy. Today, Vail is a global epicenter for mixed climbing. I'm incredibly fortunate to have shared the early days there and to return and see what it became." Will Gadd
Known for its mixed test pieces, Vail is also home to two classic ice climbs, The Fang and Rigid Designator. The Rigid Designator forms more regularly than the Fang and often varies between WI4 and WI5. When it forms, the Fang is one of North America's most striking pillars of ice, falling somewhere in the WI5 to WI6 range depending on how thick it formed and how much traffic it's seen. Climbing in Vail often has a community vibe; in the Amphitheater, you will unlikely have the crag to yourself. However, you are there for the climbing over the wilderness experience. As one of Colorado's steepest and best crags, it is a destination for practically anyone interested in ice and mixed.
A selection of climbs in Vail
The route notes below are from the original 2024 article. They describe that period, not present-day conditions.
Rigid Designator WI4/5
The Rigid Designator is a classic piece of ice. It can form as a detached pillar and often bulks out into a thicker piece of ice. It usually starts by climbing a cone of ice petals to reach the vertical ice above. You can climb directly through the petals, but that ups the difficulty. There are usually options to weave through them in a traverse.
The Fang WI5/6
The Fang is one of the most classic pieces of ice in the United States. It is a steep, slender WI5-WI6 pillar. It doesn't always freeze; previously, it used to form less, but the route sometimes gets some assistance forming. Some years, the pillar is incredibly slender, and occasionally, it's much broader. It's usually a steep, skinny pillar, so having a good sense of the conditions is warranted before starting up. It has snapped before with someone climbing it.
Octopussy WI5+/6 M8 R
The Jeff Lowe 1994 testpiece basically started the sport of mixed climbing as we know it today. Not your typical closely protected mixed climb, this one still has some spice from the old days. Approach the route by climbing the 7th Tentacle and then head up mixed ground to an overhanging corner, using cams and clipping old equalized gear. Make a physical move to gain the ice. Once established on the ice, head for the trees.
7th Tentacle WI5 M6
Before Jeff Lowe climbed Octopussy, he made the first ascent of the 7th Tentacle. A short, burly mixed section past a few bolts leads to a longer, steep pitch of ice.
Cupcake Corner WI4-5 M5
Cupcake is one of the more moderate routes at Vail. It's a mix of dry tooling and using your hands while passing several bolts to reach the ice. It's often used as a warm-up at the crag.
Dolly Madison M6
Another route similar to Cupcake Corner that is a drytooling route. It's a great warm-up and climbs similar to Cupcake Corner.
Queen/King Cobra M10
To the right of Cupcake Corner are a couple of 'Cobra routes.' It could be listed as Queen or King Cobra, depending on what you are using for beta. King Cobra goes to the ice, but Queen Cobra doesn't. It might also be called Queen Cobra extension. Either way, it's the same route; it just depends on where you finish. There are quite a few bolts on this one, 15, and if the ice has collapsed, it is possible to get around the left side of the Fang.
Amphibian WI5 M9
Inspired by Jeff Lowe's vision and put up by Will Gadd and Helgi Christianson in 1997 this was the first M9 in the world. Try to find a rest before pulling up onto the ice. Most people stop at the anchors after the ice on the right, but you can reach the trees at the top with some trad gear and grit.
A day at the crag
The routes listed above are just an introduction to the abundance of climbs in Vail. There is much more climbing in the double-digit mixed grades. Not the longest routes in Colorado, Vail, particularly the Amphitheater, has a wide selection of ice and mixed climbs, from WI5 to M14, with a large selection of routes M8 and harder. Prepare to be physically drained at the end of the day, and don't forget your extra puffy pants, as the crag is shady.
Ice pillars and close-up movement
Rock and ice
