Bad Parent, Part 2
Posted on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
“This is serious …” I’m trying to get Will’s attention as he plays with his fork in the Silver Nugget restaurant in Ouray, Colo. We’ve just come from getting him some boots and crampons so we can ice climb tomorrow in the Box Canyon.
Ouray has the only ice park of its kind, consisting of some 200 ice climbs easily accessible in the canyon at the end of town. My wife and I are trying to get our 9-year-old to understand the importance of how slippery ice is when in contact with Gore-Tex, but he is more interested in the table cloth and how the fork can shoot sugar packets: “Like a catapult!”
This is yet the latest chapter in bad parenting (read: put your kids in harm’s way in hopes of creating memories that last a lifetime) for Cyn and me. We’ve just come from Crested Butte, where Cyn used to live, and skiing some amazing steeps with the kids. It was their first introduction to really steep stuff, and both handled it well.
Time to step it up a notch, right?
Ice climbing was something we put on hold for a while since the objective hazards and approaches don’t mix with small children very well. Ouray takes the approach out and lets the dangers be controlled. To some degree …
As we hike in the next morning, the pillars of blue and white blow the kids away. Cyn and I had hiked in the night before to get our bearings, so we bring them to the beginner’s area. As I slog around the back to rig a toprope, Cyn helps them into their crampons and ice axes. Once back on the ground, we talk through the many details of swinging and kicking sharp tools while on a rope. Mayah is first with her go-for-it attitude, and is soon halfway up the wall. It’s at that point she meets the “freezing screaming barfies.”
Anyone who has ice climbed for a small amount of time can tell you how much your hands hurt after you have them above your head, in the cold, swinging tools for a while. The pain you feel is something like a hot, smashing feeling in the ends of your hands as the blood screams back into the fingers. Mayah feels this and decides to rest on the rope while it passes and we shout encouragement. Once back to normal, she begins back up with a renewed speed, I think to try to avoid the barfies again, and is soon on top waving and very proud.
Will, not to be outdone by his sister, starts up and quickly reaches a resting spot at mid-height. He really seems to enjoy the tools, and thanks to our new friend Chris, who is helping a fellow gimp, Heidi, ice climb next to us, is using a pair of axes cut down for kids to use in Chris’ college ice climbing classes.
Methodically picking his way around the bulges and pillars, Will, too, is soon on top waving.
We then move up the canyon to the New Frontier area, where we set up a bit harder climb to play on. Both kids and parents have a blast doing some laps on the perfect water ice and even the bare rock to the left of our climb. Around 3:30, the wetness begins to sink in and they both start to get cold; only the praise from a guide in the canyon, telling them how he had never seen kids climb so well, keeps them warm for the hike out.
That night over dinner we reflected on how fun the day had been, and Mayah and Will said how much they enjoyed the ice and the canyon, even going as far as to say they can’t wait to do it again. For me, all the running around, going up and down to rig the ropes and belay was totally worth it at that point.
The next morning Cyn and I snuck out to climb a pillar right near the hotel. I was enjoying the perfect sunrise in the canyon as Cyn came up to me, and just really thankful for the life we live in the outdoors.
As I lowered in and made my way back up the pillar, I knocked off a piece the size of my leg. As I watched it crash to the creek bed about 75 feet below me with a huge explosion of ice, I realized:
Man, ice climbing is dangerous …
Craig DeMartino is one of Cloudveil’s Inspired Mountain Ambassadors.
awesome! Just got back from my annual ouray trip. Its great to see parents getting their kids outdoors to experience something other than xbox. I only wish my parents would have introduced me to the mountians as a kid. yes ice climbing is dangerous but so are a lot of activities. If parents keep sheltering their kids for fear of failure or injury the obesity rate among youth will continue to rise along with raising a whole generation of whimps. Bravo for getting out there and doing it…more parents should take notice
Thanks man!
I totally agree, and my son is right beside me and loved the blog. When he saw his photo he said “Uh huh!”