The Black Lake Slabs are a consistently forming sheet of ice that rise from the east shores of Black Lake up to the Spearhead plateau for a 400' elevation gain at a moderate angle.  The slabs can be climbed in part or whole from nearby the lake and although this can be one of the coldest places in the state of Colorado in mid-winter, by early spring this long-lasting ice slab can be a great spot for a first lead or multi-pitch adventure.

                                  The Black Lake Ice Slabs in typical winter conditions in early Jan. of 2008

Description 

The Black Lake Slabs are one of the less visited but largest pieces of ice in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Due to its remote location next to Black Lake in the upper reaches of the Glacier Gorge, this can be a mellow 2hr. walk or ski when the trail is compact, or with lots of new snow and a minimal trail, it could be a 4hr. trek to the lake and a super-long day.   The Black Lake Slabs have always been one of the least visited yet always formed pieces of ice in the park and with a couple of variations up this 600' long and 400' high, there is plenty of ice available for a few different top-ropes (off of screws or v-threads) or a multi-pitch adventure to the top of the slabs.  In typical mid-winter conditions, this could be great training for Denali or a cold day in the Himalaya.

                         Looking east across Black Lake at the ice slabs in mid-winter conditions

With minimal avalanche danger on the approach, climb, or descent this can be a great higher avalanche danger destination.  Although the ice climbing is relatively easy, the entire adventure to reach the ice, make it to the top, down again and back out to the parking lot could be a full-day trip in perhaps RMNP's most scenic valley.

Avalanche Danger

When we are in the brunt of winter and avalanche danger makes the high country extra dangerous, this can be one of  the safer location for ice climbing due to the relatively benign terrain that is crossed on the approach and descent from this route.  Only under Extreme avalanche danger would there likely be any issues with traveling to or climbing in this area. 

John Ackelson on the upper pitches of the West Gully ice route with Black Lake and the ice slabs below

Location 

Located in the upper Glacier Gorge on the east end of Black Lake;   if you can find the lake you can find the slabs as they are only 200' from the waters edge.   The best wintertime path up the Glacier Gorge is across Mills Lake and then staying in the creek bed the entire distance to Black Lake.   With the more direct winter approach, it is an approx. 5 mile distance from the Glacier Gorge trailhead to Black Lake.  Snowshoes or skis are usually necessary to avoid very deep postholing on this approach and to more easily travel across the ice covered Mills Lake which is the most direct path up the Glacier Gorge in winter.

An overview image from the north looking into the Glacier Gorge with the wintertime climbers trail marked in blue and the summertime trails in green. 

Rescue services will take a very long time 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.

P1- 30m up  fat WI-2  flow to a flat top-out.  Screws or v-threads can be used for top-roping this bottom part of the route. 

For an ascent of the entire slabs, continue up while taking the path of more or least resistance to the flat plateau which is the "summit" of this route.   

                                  The standard routes up the bottom third of the Black Lake Slabs

Rappel off of v-threads (that you make), downclimb snow on the east edge of the route, or from the top-out on the Spearhead Plateau, walk east towards Longs Peak and take the obvious drainage down and past the base of the routes.

Looking across Black Lake at the ice slabs with the approach and descent gully on the left and the west face of Longs Peak behind

Protection 

A standard ice rack should be adequate for this route.  In thinner conditions or doing the other variations may require rock protection.