About Basecamp Ouray
Basecamp Ouray is a locally rooted guide service in the heart of downtown Ouray, the self-styled "Switzerland of America" and one of the premier alpine adventure hubs in the American West. Operating from a storefront on Main Street, the company connects visitors of every ability level to the vertical terrain that has made the San Juan Mountains famous, with a focus on ice climbing, via ferrata, and rock climbing.
Their guided programs run year-round. In winter, certified guides lead ice climbing sessions at the world-renowned Ouray Ice Park and on backcountry frozen waterfalls, teaching everything from first-time technique to advanced multi-pitch routes. In the warmer months the focus shifts to the Ouray Via Ferrata — a protected cable-and-rung route across the Uncompahgre Gorge — plus single- and multi-pitch rock climbing. Basecamp also rents the full kit for each discipline, including crampons, ice tools, harnesses, helmets, and via ferrata lanyard sets.
What sets Basecamp apart is its emphasis on approachable, community-minded adventure. Guides are established locals who tailor each outing to the group in front of them, whether that is a nervous beginner clipping into their first cable or a seasoned climber chasing a new line. The company also runs corporate leadership and team-building programs that use the mountains as a classroom.
