1. Ice Climbing MITOC Winter School 2002 jae H. Roh Jhroh@alum.mit.edu

2. Ice Climbing • Why you should not ice climb • Basic techniques • Common mistakes • Safety • Efficiency • Taking Care of Gear • Taking Care of Yourself • Gear and Clothing • Where and when to climb

3. Hazards of Winter Climbing • Winter, snow, cold, etc. • Ice fall, rock fall, ice dams • Crappy protection, long runouts • Crampon catches during fall • Bludgeon or impale by ice tools • Avalanche

4. Basic Climbing Technique - Pick • Aim: Look for a pick placement • Indentations or seams • Not bulges – they break off • Reach high to maximize efficiency • Fire: Swing from shoulder, elbow, then finish with wrist snap • Or simply Hook on features • Listen!

5. Basic Climbing Technique – Crampon • Look for foot placement • Balanced position • Smaller steps than rock climbing • Look for stems, ledges, other features • Front pointing • Heel down, to place all 4 front points • Place foot, then don’t move – lifting shears out points • Flat foot, aka French technique • Stomp down • Listen

6. Basic Climbing Technique – sequence • SWING • Kick • Kick • Kick • Kick • SWING • Kick • Kick • Kick • Kick

7. Common Mistakes • Moving on sketchy placements – the tools and crampons are your self belay • Pushing instead of swinging the tools – let the tool do the work • –Heels too high – drop heels for solid crampon placements • Moving feet after setting crampons • Butt in too close to ice – hang off tools, butt out to kick • Over gripping tools – hang, rather than hold

8. Climbing Safely • Wear a helmet at all times near the ice • Keep your face away from the tools • Where will the tool go if it pops out? • Don’t “stack” your feet • Where will your crampon go if it slips? • Don’t glissade with crampons on • Practice snow climbing and self arrest

9. Climbing efficiently • Minimize tool placements • Reach high to place tool, climb up until its below your head • Stagger tool placements – also avoids “dinner plating” and cold hands • Exercises • Climb with 1 tool • Climb with no tools

10. Taking care of your gear – tools & screws • Remove a stuck pick by working up and down only • After removing an ice screw • Clear the ice core immediately so it doesn’t freeze in • Tap the head of the screw or blow in • Don’t hit the threads or sharp end

11. Taking care of your gear – rope • Watch the rope when you swing a tool or kick • The rope may also be behind you (top roping) • Belayers: don’t pull in just as the climber is swinging • Keep the rope off the snow • Wet rope = frozen rope • (figure 8 works best for rapping on a frozen rope) • Keep gear clipped – things fall quietly on snow

12. Taking care of yourself – Staying Warm • Two climbers can share one parka • Hands • Experiment w/ handling gear with gloves • Try windstopper gloves w/ light liners • Practice! w/ mittens in living room • Knots, tying in, belaying, clipping gear • Keep hands below heart, relax grip • Feet • Don’t bury your feet in snow • Too many socks = too tight = poor circulation = cold feet

13. Gear – Ice tools • Technical - Bent for clearance on vertical ice • Alpine – straight for snow climbing • Length 50cm +/- 10cm • Picks • Reverse curve (“stinger”, “cobra”) • Normal curve (“classic”) • Hammer v. Adze

14. Gear – Crampons • Most important to check fit with YOUR boots. • Multiple sizes, different shapes • Technical: rigid, vertical front point – better for hard waterfall ice • Alpine: flexible or semi-rigid, horizontal front point – better for glaciers or snow • Double front points more stable; Mono points for thin or mixed • Avoid extra attachment points (e.g. Mako “lacerator”) • Anti-balling plates are good

15. Gear - Ice Screws • Black Diamond, Express • Grivel 360

16. Gear - Clothing • Leave your fancy Gore-Tex at home • Bring extra gloves • Fit your harness over all your layers • Hat should fit under helmet

17. Where to Climb • Guidebook: Rick Wilcox, An Ice Climbers Guide to Northern New England 2 ed. (3 ed. Due next season) • Conditions: • http://www.neice.com • http://www.chauvinguides.com

18. Me • Jae H. Roh • jhroh@alum.mit.edu