i'm new to ice climbing and have tried it once. it was extremely hard but i was told i did good. i went with my boyfriend and another friend of ours up in clear creek canyon, right next to little eiger. can anyone give me suggestions on the sport?
i've been rock climbing many times and i love it. but, i'm trying to get out there with new sports and try new things. especially in the winter in colorado with nothing else to do but snowboard. tips anyone?

Put on a pair of thick gloves and NOTHING else. Turn off the bathroom light and climb into the shower with a piece of 9mm cord. Turn the water on full blast at the coldest setting. Practice tying figure 8's and other climbing knots. Do this for as long as you can stand it (at least 30 minutes).

Let me know how it goes. Hehe... oh and post some pictures of this!

you guys



Have your S.O. punch you in the gut about 10 times as hard as they can; all the while holding ice cubes in your hands as tight as you can.

Then smile and do it again; or switch off, even better.


Get as much top-rope mileage as possible - Ouray or Lake City -- you can't miss.

There are some important training tips that are being left out. Take your rope, soak it in water for 15 minutes, then stuff it into your freezer. Jump in the shower and turn on the cold water to full. 50 pullups per set on the shower door while your partner alternates throwing ice cubes at your head and bashing you in the knuckles with the ice tray. Bashing the knuckles is important to loosen up the ice cubes. After the 50 pullups, your partner should throw the frozen rope into the shower, leave the bathroom and turn off the light. You cannot turn off the water until you have flaked the rope neatly. Then go hike 20 miles at night with a 40 pound pack.

You should do this all summer long. Rock climbing also helps develop the movement and balance that you'll need on ice. I think the Coors Lite flow (where you went in CCC) is a good place to set up a toprope or practice ice climbing on the Front Range, Ouray or Lake City would be good places to go for a lot of climbing in one area with good toprope setups. Toproping a lot of ice will help, also the clinics at the Ouray Ice Festival might be useful (or Chicks With Picks) and are relatively inexpensive.

I am a bit slow, evidently. This is a practical joke in the wake of Glime's "be nice to newbies" thread?

Mixed no, but something like the Notch Couloir before it's all melted out (probably not ever this year), yes. With an experienced leader, the Notch is just all about endurance, there's no technical on it, except the last easy 5.4 to the summit.

wow ya thats a lot of suggestions. and i will only be in the shower withmy boyfriend naked to see me naked thank you :) i will try the tips. thanks! im obviously only climbing rocks in summer but we wanted to go to ouray last year. just had the wrong date.

haha yall didnt scare me im hardly on the comp. im used to the jokes but i'll take the ouray festival this year by far. looks awesome

Chelsea, glad we didn't scare you off or turn you off with the jokes...you'll get used to that if you hang around this site for very long.

Most ice climbers are demented individuals with short memories (to quickly forget the last torturous outing) who drink too much and think they are quite funny.

Good luck...see you in Ouray.

haha ya thats my buddies rock climbin as well. dirty bastards lol my boyfriend introduced me to here so i think its awesome. lets all enjoy SUMMER damit!! climb NAKED! haha

Good gear is a really good start. Make sure you have boots that are warm enough (insulated leather or plastics) and that your heels don't lift. Tools - these days you have to consider leashless or leashed. For us old dogs, leashes are part of the game...less dropped tools, too. You may want to make sure you get tools with good knuckle clearance or your knuckles will look like mine...Pulsar knuckles. A good solid set of tools is probably still Quarks with leashes (can be removed later). Also, probably better to go with 2 hammer heads to start...less likely to wonk your face...I know. Good gloves. Make sure they are warm. Certainly no neoprene. Lowe made a nice pair of really warm gloves for relative less ~$75. Crampons, definitely rigid and monos will be nice for most waterfall ice and mixed for starters. Next, don't think about leading until you practice placing screws. Basically when you start you don't even want to think about falling. Be solid enough to be able to consider soloing what you're going to lead...before leading it. A fifi hook on a short bit of cord is a way to give you an out when you first start leading. You can hook it over a good tool placement if you fry your arms. Consider a visor for your helmet. After suturing up myself a few times, it helps. Then, go find ice and get mileage and mileage and mileage on ice. One trick with ice up high is your margin for error drops considerably once you start with mile(s) of approach. Practice being able to TR on delicate placements/foot placements, so when you start leading you know what kind of margin of error you have. When you first start leading, remember Alex's recommendations, think of making each placement good enough to belay off of...never move up on poor placements. That's a start.

Couple more bits - understand what makes snow slide before you do much in the backcountry - think 30-60 degree slopes, ice tends to form in this sort of terrain. Also, don't hang out under other ice climbers.

Yo Leo ~ I have to disagree with a few things said or toss another log on the fire if that's ok

My 1st set of hoof-spikes were monos (newb buy-on-sale) but later realized that while good for mixed, they were not the most solid/stable for a beginner trying to learn solid technique. I recommend duo-points or actually there are some poons out there that will let you switch-points so you could have both.

Quarks didn't work for me, but I know this is always a matter of personal taste once you get a feel for swinging them around. I found the android leash set-up mo-betta as I could release quicker to avoid screamin frozen-fingas. Leashes then can stay around wrists for a quick'n-easy clip back in. Point well taken with the duo hammers :)

Ouray offers free tools up for demo-days to try before investing. Or if top-roping to start, most folks won't mind if you borrow their tools for a lap or 2. Tools I don't see and a #1 priority investment for trying to TR Ice. Harness, helmet, gloves (warm & flexible) boots & crampons would probably be good 1st investments. As a rockclimber & boarder, warm clothing & perhaps some of the other items listed, Chelsea might already have

Hey Kirra I bet he just means that it will be hard to get help if you get hurt. Plus from what I have ran into you have to be willing to accept a wide range of conditions when you approach far ice climbs. No sense in skiing in miles just to turn around.

It sounds like Leo got it wrapped up nicely. Just remember Chelsea the only way to get comfortable on ice is to climb ice. I have not been climbing ice for very long (just four years) but I have been getting 60+ days on the ice each season and that helps put your head in the right place. Just remember some things seem scary when you start but if you keep doing them you get more comfortable. Welcome to the great world of ice climbing.

Kirra is definitely right about beginners learning on dual frontpoints: I'd recommend g12s and g14s. They're much more stable for newbs who have not yet perfected a good kick.

As for tools, for a person who is just starting I'd recommend going with a set of leashless tools. Demo before you buy obviously (though in my opinion you can't go wrong with Nomics), but there is little point nowadays to stick with leashes unless you're use to them. It's like choosing to go with a wooden tennis racket in the age of graphite. Not to mention the newbs I've taken out on ice actually prefer leashless tools because it's one less thing they have to deal with. My .02

Hey, couple other things that came to mind after the fog of a night shift dissipated...Jeff Lowe made this excellent video, Waterfall Ice where he dragged this newbie ice climber around (but excellent rock climber) introducing ice. First half is really useful for beginners. Also, the older On Ice video is really inspiring, especially Alex, with maybe less didactics.

Kirra, no problem disagreeing with me...they aren't logs in my fire...and my opinion is no better than yours. Depends I suppose on the monos. Also, remember sale crampons are often on sale for some good reason. Dragged a few newbies out on ice over the years, and probably I'd say that the big, wide, T-shaped monos of like Rambos are superior to thin, I-shaped monos of like Black Diamond, Grade 8s, new newer Charlet 10s (or whatever they're called), or the Terminators. One challenge for flat pointed duals is that you'll may quickly exceed the comfort range for steep, funky ice...which you'll likely progress to quickly around here coming from a rock background. I've observed those coming to ice with less rock background have liked the flat dual points, but there are different camps on this point. Simond Najas (if you can find 'em) may be a nice light too with some clearance & the Captain Hooks by Trango (great price, less clearance) might be good 2nd & 3rd choices for ladies and newbies (no chauvinism, just observations). Sure, you can wait for demos...as I did years ago with Neptune's, but it is May...and there is still ice out there. Matt19, you're right. Mike, one issue with Nomics is lack of a good hammer...useful in mixed situations which you tend to find around here.

Oh yeah, Bent Gate used to/probably still does demo ice gear and allows you to use the rental fees towards the purchase of new gear!

thanks Leo, Matt..!

btw I was meaning logs as in 'continuing a discussion' -not as- 'axe-2-grind' :)~ I like campfire talk

cheers & best ~k