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Colorado's Ouray Ice Park is a labor of love

Published February 20, 2024 at 7:25 AM EST
A climber scales one of more than 100 routes in the Uncompahgre Gorge, created artificially by “ice farmers” who spray water down the canyon walls starting in November of every year at Ouray Ice Park in Ouray, Colorado. Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (Hart Van Denburg/CPR News)
A climber scales one of more than 100 routes in the Uncompahgre Gorge, created artificially by “ice farmers” who spray water down the canyon walls starting in November of every year at Ouray Ice Park in Ouray, Colorado. Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (Hart Van Denburg/CPR News)

The Ouray Ice Park in the mountains of Western Colorado is a beloved destination for ice climbers all over the world. It takes a team of so-called ‘ice farmers’ to turn on the water and maintain the ice canyons each winter.

Colorado Public Radio’s Stina Sieg paid a visit to learn about the intricate operation.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.