America's ice-climbing epicenter was facing a bleak future, with climate change endangering its water supply, until an unlikely savior came to its rescue: a nearby silver mine. Nestled in the heart of the Rockies, at an altitude of 2,400 meters (7,800 feet), Ouray is famous among mountaineers around the world for its artificial ice park. For 30 years, the village has piped in water that washes down the walls of a nearby gorge in winter, freezing in place and creating dozens of climbing routes. A damaging decades-long drought threatened the area's water source, even as the number of winter visitors exploded. But starting next season, all that is set to change, after Ouray Silver Mines stepped in and offered to lease the rights to millions of liters (gallons) of water every year -- for a meager $1 fee. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES