Ice climbing

[OutdoorX4]

Anyone else enjoy ice climbing? Here's a shot of me with some of good friends outside of Colorado Springs.

 

[Joker]

Anyone else enjoy ice climbing?

No but it's something I have always wanted to try.

 

[Grumps]

I've always wanted a reason to buy an ice axe.

-Andy

 

[OutdoorX4]

Ice climbing is a lot of fun and in my opinion is much easier than regular rock climbing. If you ever get a chance to try, you'll be hooked.

Andy, I know that feeling.

 

[Haggis]

Looks fun but I'm a winter sport objectionist. After spending too many years slugging through bitter winters outdoors just to make a living I have an adversarial relationship with Old Man Winter. Snow is great for hunting season but after that it becomes a pain in my rumpus.

I've always wanted a reason to buy an ice axe.

See that's the rub...any excuse to own another bit of sharpened steel has a certain draw for me.

 

[Grumps]

.....
See that's the rub...any excuse to own another bit of sharpened steel has a certain draw for me.

It could be useful when boarding canoes during a float trip.

-Andy

 

[Scott C]

So does the rope catch you if you slip and fall?

 

[brianb2]

So does the rope catch you if you slip and fall?

Yes, he's "top roping" and someone else is taking up the slack in the rope for him as he climbs. If he falls they catch him.

I'm in NC now, but lived in Germany for 8 years and did my fair share of ice climbing. I've led plenty of routes as well as followed. I wouldn't say it's easier than rock climbing. Both can have some serious pucker factor, especially when you're leading a route on ice. When leading, our thinking was that you've got this rope and you're placing protection, but don't fall. I've taken countless lead falls rock climbing, never a single one lead climbing.

For fun look up "dry tooling". Those guys are some bad dudes.