Ame's Way

About

Ame's Way is a rock climbing area in Telluride, Colorado, located near Ilium Road. The site features routes rated easy difficulty and sits at an elevation of 5,250 feet. Climbers can expect to spend approximately six hours completing the routes. The area offers on-site parking and permits pets. Access is open year-round, allowing for climbing from January through December. The primary route, Ame's Way 5.7, is a sport climb consisting of three pitches with a total of 29 bolts distributed across them. Pitch one contains ten bolts, pitch two has seven, and pitch three has twelve. The area is notable for its proximity to the Skylight Arete 5.8 pitch climb, which lies to the right of Ame's Way and provides access to Telluride's Via Ferrata. The site is also the location of the country's first alternating current power plant, built by L.L. Nunn with engineering design by George Westinghouse. While Telluride is known for ice climbing, with classics like Ames Ice Hose and Bridalveil Falls visible from afar, Ame's Way supports both rock and ice climbing. Many local climbs in the area are approached via avalanche paths. Local climbers frequent establishments such as the Last Dollar, Limegruber's, the Floradora, the Steaming Bean, and Sophio's for gear and route beta. The site remains open despite occasional evacuation orders related to nearby fires, such as the CriticalGold Mountain Fire.