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 Holographic
ice tower
coming
to Ogden
By Jeff Lowe
Director of Ogden
Climbing Parks
Dear Friends,
I’m an Ogden native and have been a mountain climber
ever since my dad guided me up the Grand
Teton at the age of seven, back in 1958. Over the years
I’ve worked as an instructor for Outward
Bound, guided climbers around the world and run my own
climbing school, among other things. I’ve witnessed the
metamorphosis of a 40-year old housewife into an avid tiger
of the heights. I’ve seen inner city dope fiends
kick drugs in favor of climbing rocks, and I’ve seen
the joy on the faces of kids of all stripes when they finally
make it to the top of a climbing wall. The climbing experience
offers something that’s very hard to get in today’s
society, infatuated as it is with video games and reality TV
and almost divorced from the natural world and real challenge.
It is a real pleasure to be working with Ogden’s mayor,
Mathew Godfrey, and his administration to help construct an
ice climbing facility in Ogden. Ogden’s Holographic Ice
Tower™ will be unique in that it will be the world’s
only free-standing, refrigerated ice climbing structure. Read
more about Ogden, Utah
Originally the tower was designed to be used by the TV sports
giant ESPN, as the ice climbing venue for the Winter
X Games. It was used for the X Games for several years
until ice climbing was dropped from the roster of sports. A
year and a half ago Alpine Iron Works, the owner of the tower,
allowed Ogden
Climbing Parks to purchase it at a greatly reduced price.
Although the tower originally cost $245,000 just for fabrication,
the owner has made an in-kind donation of $215,000 of that
value (this is exclusive of the cost of erecting the tower). Read
more about Ogden, Utah
We have transported the tower in pieces from Crested Butte,
Colorado, where it was last used, to Ogden. We are working
to secure a downtown site from the City, and we are currently
working on a re-design to make it a better teaching and learning
facility, while maintaining the ability to host high-end competitions.
The re-engineering will also seek to achieve a carbon-neutral
operating footprint for the tower, in keeping with the philosophy
of environmental care that Ogden Climbing Parks espouses. We
have been awarded a RAMP (Recreation, Arts, Museums & Parks)
grant of $200,000 and we are working hard to raise the rest
of the money needed to erect the tower and cover first-year
operations. Read
more about Ogden, Utah
This facility will be used by local and visiting climbers.
Courses and special programs will be run for kids and adults
with special needs. Competitions and festivals will be hosted
with far-reaching publicity for Ogden. The community in general
will benefit from having a "Tower of Dreams"
unlike any other venue; a place where they can personally experience
the truth of the line from French writer Rene Daumal: “What
is above, knows what is down below. But what is below, does
not know what is above.” Read
more about Ogden, Utah
The Holographic Ice Tower is one of several exciting projects
that Ogden Climbing Parks is undertaking in its efforts to
do its part in making Ogden an inviting destination for adventurous
visitors, and a great place to live. Ogden Climbing Parks
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible
and greatly appreciated, and will help to make the Holographic
Ice Tower a reality. You can also help out by becoming
a member of Ogden Climbing Parks - see the information below
for this win-win program:
OGDEN CLIMBING PARKS
Become a member of Ogden Climbing Parks and
receive a chance to win a Vespa
Scooter courtesy
of Bandana
Ranch Video Productions.
Join today and take advantage of this great
opportunity for a chance to win a cool (72 miles per
gallon, eco-friendly) scooter while enjoying the
benefits of membership.
The Vespa drawing will be held June 30th and
is limited to the first 300 people who become
members. (Pretty good odds, don’t you think?!)
It’s a win/win situation! You pay $50 to support
Ogden Climbing Parks and earn your money back
and much more with the annual discount card.
Membership benefits also include discounts on The
Holographic Ice Tower, dining, lodging, gear and
many other valuable services and products. For a
complete list of participating businesses go to
www.jefflowe.info.
***NOTE: your card is non-transferable and is to be
used ONLY by the person signing the application
form
See also:
April 27 D-News
article on climbing wall
Ogden Hub climbing
news
Utah Climbers
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