Ice climbing in North Dakota and Colorado

The guy that I took ice climbing lessons voice rings in my ears..."Drop your heels, Tom!" I'm too used to being on spikes and trying to get up a little higher. Everytime I get up on my toes I feel the front points slip out of the ice.
 
It is an odd feeling keeping your heels down. Your mind tells you that you want your front points to angle down intot he ice. But when you look at someone above you with thier heels down you can see how it engages the points behind the fronts as well, and that the fronts are still at a healthy angle. Takes a while for it to become habbit.

Jeff
 
Hey Tom, do you prefer pole or tree spikes for ice? :)

I had a buddy out by Steamboat that like to climb waterfalls. The biggest ice formation he'd climbed (at that time) was Mt. McKinley. He said it was weird; you could hear the ice cracking/moving all night long, and the second time you climbed (had to do it twice; taking turns moving supplies/gear) it was different by some amount.

He had some wicked outer footwear...
 
It does take getting used to, but I enjoy ice climbing over rock climbing. It takes learning to trust your tools and your crampons. Then it takes knowing whether the ice is good or not. It can rot really quickly. Out from underneath you litterally.

Jeff
 
Problem with ice climbing is its usually cold! But not always.
Here's me in 1990 in Alaska.

Sorry about the lycra but it was only just outside the eighties!
 

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[ QUOTE ]
Problem with ice climbing is its usually cold! But not always.
Here's me in 1990 in Alaska.

Sorry about the lycra but it was only just outside the eighties!

[/ QUOTE ]

ha, so what was your excuse last year then dude?

you going to capel btw?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Problem with ice climbing is its usually cold! But not always.
Here's me in 1990 in Alaska.

Sorry about the lycra but it was only just outside the eighties!

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice! Put some pink and yellow candy stipes on those things and you'd be very Euro.

Where were you in AK? I know there's alot of vert ice near Valdez.

Jeff
 
[ QUOTE ]
Problem with ice climbing is its usually cold! But not always.
Here's me in 1990 in Alaska.


Sorry about the lycra but it was only just outside the eighties!

[/ QUOTE ]

/forum/images/graemlins/icon310.gif

Now I've seen everything Rupe! TK has some of those pants! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Climbing ice sounds like riding a horse. You must keep your heels down when riding. Maybe if started riding horses you would learn to keep your heels down.

I really love my mountaineering boots for climbing trees in the winter. They are so comfy warm and you can't beat the support they give. The best I have had were some solom SM lite. You can find some pretty good deals on Ebay. I just a new pair of solomon on there for 9 bucks.
 
My climbing partner and I once had an entire frozen waterfall come off over our heads. Big blue curtain came flying by! Thank god for a six foot overhang overhead. I knew it was time to go drink beer after that. Ice climbing in the Southeast can be sketchy.
 
I heard a story of a guy that had a choiice of two rout's, one on the left one on the right, each about 250 ft. He was free soloing the rout on the left whin about half way up the right rout sheerd off the rock! Talk about UNPREDICTABLE'
 
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