To give my ADD head a break from all the static in the background and just being able to focus for once man. Clears the mind and settles the soul. The exercise and endorphins are a nice bonus.

Focus,
five hour round trips to Vail on bad roads,
not needing digit strength,
one swing one stick,
plastic blue ice,
coming from a rock roof to a hanging cicle,
Ouray,
figure fours,
seeing the looks on people's faces when you tell them what you dig,
sounds,
More focus,
I have no idea

Because the bars aren't open yet.

Because it's there.......

One day.......

Then gone the next......

Nothing else like it..

Why? Why not?

a picture is worth a thousand words. my thousand word essay:

micahisaac, you were not listening, for one to have fun climbing ice there must be pucker factor or you must not be able to climb pumpy 5.11 so that it is a challenge to you.

Sure mixed and alpine are more fun then ice but the question was not Why to people alpine climb? or Why do people Mixed climb? It was why do people ice climb? If you have done a few single pitch ice routes in the ouray ice park or any other hell hole for that matter you have plenty of experience for damn near anything you will get on in the mountains.

Peace and Love,
Ben

Stymingersfink, your right I did not write what I was actually thinking. I don't think that climbing some ice prepares you for avalanches, cornices, reading weather, etc. I do however think that climbing a little ice in the park would prepare you for vast majority of ice you will encounter in the mountains. I'm saying a little ice prepares you for ice not snow, rock and everything else.

Doug wrote, "being able to climb one fresh, hard ice pitch after another (and then another..and another...) takes a lot more strength/endurance then being able to climb a pumpy 5.11 pitch."

Sure, it takes more endurance then climbing one pitch of 5.11 but it does not take more strength/endurance then climbing pitch after pitch of 5.11. Whether your leading every pitch or swinging leads you get a break. If your soloing 1,500' of consistent WI5 then yes that is harder then 5.11. Maybe more like easy 5.12.

Ben

Stymingersfink, I like your taste in booze. You always seem to have a good pic of some good looking whiskey. This is how I picture your perfect ice climb.

As Mark Twight said, "it doesn't have to be fun to be fun."

Tom Patey summed it up nicely I think

"Ice is for pouring whiskey over."

Well, until you get a couple of quality screws in on the ice, you just won't understand.

I am a happily retired ice climber. I still keep my old tools but everyone would probably laugh at these leashed relics were I to get out again. In Colorado, it always seemed there were too many ice climbers chasing too little ice and I can't imagine things have gotten any better.

One thing I remember is that climbing ice takes a different sort of climber than rock climbing. When climbing ice, rarely is everything "perfect". Your fingers or toes are cold, snow is blowing in your face, you bash your knuckles into the ice; or it's too warm, your gloves are soaked, water is dripping in your face, etc, etc. I always marveled at ice climbing leaders who were able to deal uncomplainingly with everything that nature was throwing at them. When rock climbing, it is always warmer, and the goal is to use less equipment, so you generally don't carry so much stuff. On the other hand rock climbing can be just as crowded.

I think you need to show us a pic of those tools dude.