There was one ice climbing season in the late 1980’s – early 1990’s where I had been doing a lot of climbing in the Vail area, and had climbed the Rigid Designator several times on succeeding weekends. (For those folks unfamiliar with “The Dez”, it is a 120 ft. tall icicle with about 20 to 40 feet of fluted cone at its base topped by 80 to 100 feet of vertical to locally overhanging chandelier ice – its steep and challenging.) This was also a year where I had been doing a fair amount of solo ice climbing on easy WI 3 and WI 4 routes, and led virtually everything else I climbed. Each time I went up “the Dez” I felt better and more confident on it. By March of that year I was both mentally and physically as strong on ice as I had ever been. On March 25 (my B-day) I decided to take the day off of work and drive over to Vail and solo the Dez. I had been thinking about a possible solo of this climb each time I went up it, and as it felt easier each time the thought of soloing it had greater appeal. There had been occasions on other years where I had climbed it with a partner and way under protected it with only one or two screws, but on those occasions I always had the option to put more pro in. On my birthday ascent I elected to leave the rope and rack at home and just hike in with my tools and a water bottle. The day was pretty moderate by ice climbing standards, with clear skies and a well-trod path for the approach. This particular year the left side of the Dez was the dry side (that varies from year to year). Historically, the left side forms up a bit steeper than the right side and it is not unusual for things to be overhanging just out of the cave that always forms about 30 feet up on the left side, and this year was no different. That said, the Dez had been climbed so much that year that it was really pocketed out and easy hook moves were the norm. However, there had been a spate of real cold weather during the previous week and much refreezing had occurred, which had the effect of filling in most of the pockets with new ice that I would otherwise had used for hook moves. As I left the cave and embarked up the overhanging stretch, I had to swing harder for each placement, thus putting more effort and more thoughtful planning into each tool placement. At a point where this line is at its steepest an uncomfortably large mushroom had formed during the previous week’s refreezing event, which forced me out over the void even further. It was here that I elected to stem backwards onto a free hanging icicle that had also grown a bit longer and fatter than it had previously been. Although this put me in a way overhanging position, it also put me in a position of perfect balance over my feet and afforded a rather graceful way to get past the overhanging bulge of that new ice mushroom. Once past the ice mushroom I was able to swing out onto the outside of the Dez and continue to the top. Interestingly, this had been by far the most technically difficult ascent of the Dez I had had all season long, but also the one where I had felt in the most complete control. Once on the top of the climb I drank my fill of water and walked around to a place where I could safely down-climb the snow-covered rock band that forms the cliff the Designator hangs from and get back onto the access trail. I met a climber on my way out who had seen my solo ascent and gave me thumbs up for it. However, the real reward was the intense feeling of victory and accomplishment that stayed with me for the rest of the week. I was truly tripping the lights fantastic. Without a doubt this is the most memorable ice climb I have ever had, and remains one of the most crystalline memories in my head.

Post script: Over the years I have third-classed the Des a couple of times, trailing a rope for my partner, but only ropeless soloed it this one time. Tried to third class the Fang once but my partner was so totally freaked out and pissed off at me (she had lost a dear friend to a fall) that I ended up clipping the cable through the crack near the top with a long runner. After marriage I had a “come to Jesus” meeting with my wife about soloing ice so had to let it go. Still have been known to boulder around a bit on easy stuff up Clear Creek though.