Tips On Ice Climbing
Ice climbing is another challenging extreme sport that is difficult in nature and will test your skills, confidence, mental and physical strength. Ice climbing is mostly done on ice formations like glaciers, frozen waterfalls, cliffs and ice covered rock slabs. Ice climbing requires different techniques and equipments depending on the slope and texture of ice. If you are going to climb through flat ice then a mountaineering boot will suffice. If you are going for a structured ice formation then you will require double plastic mountaineering boots. The double plastic mountaineering boots have to be crampon compatible and so stiff that they will be able to support you as well as maintain your ankle support.
If you are going for a climb on low angled slopes then you will need the ice axe to make footholds in the ice. It is in fact mandatory to use crampons climbing steeper slopes or glaciers in order to have a relatively safe climb. The vertical ice climbing can be done using crampons as well as ice axe. In vertical ice climbing, you will have to kick your legs to engage the front points of the crampons in the ice. Simultaneously, you will have to swing the ice axe into the ice above your head.
This technique is called front pointing. Ice is so strong that even if you are able to fix the axe only a centimeter in the ice, it will hold and you will be able to pull yourself up. Similar to rock climbing, ice climbing also has a lead climber who has to place ice screws as protection while climbing his way up. There are various ice climbing techniques used by most professional ice climbers. Amateurs and beginners will need to understand these techniques thoroughly to be able to apply them. You can’t make too many mistakes while climbing ice.
The techniques include application of belay systems, rope systems, leading, tying in, abseiling, and lowering. As a beginner you will have to learn these techniques before you can get face to face with the steep ice formations. The rope systems can use a single, twin or double rope formations for ice climbing. The single rope system is best suited for straight climbs and is also the most used and popular of all the ice climbing systems or techniques. The double rope system is more flexible than the single rope system and is generally used by a thorough professional.
The tying in technique involves tying your rope to the climbing harness. This is one of the most important techniques as it can save your life during ice climbing. The eight figure knot is the most commonly used know combination in tying in. If you are able to create a tie in then it will be easier to create a belay loop which will have the belay device. Another technique of process is belaying. In the belaying ice climbing technique, you will have to use fixed belays or running belays. The belay comes in handy of the lead climber falls as this system is able to stop the rope from running by creating friction.
One of the important aspects of ice climbing is leading. Basically every ice climbing expedition or activity has a leader who climbs first and places protection on his/her way up. Abseiling is a part of the entire ice climbing exercise and it is probably the easiest part. In abseiling, you and your leader or belayer has to descend using the same rope.
One of the best ice climbing opportunities can be availed off at the Uncompahgre Gorge in Ouray, Colorado. Ice climbing can be pursued wherever you can find chunks of ice or frozen waterfalls. The most important thing is that it is better to be safe than be sorry and hence always ensure that you have taken the necessary equipment.