Why do people climb ice?

my partner climbs for head!

Because it entertains me and I dig it.

for pain, vomit, & tequila

Because they are enormous risk takers (leading). Toprope is all good but I think if you lead ice you have about 3% of control over your life. At least rock you have about 9%.

"I thought the whole point of climbing was hunting."
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock

Because what are YOU going to do the next time you are walking down the street and an enormous 120 foot frozen waterfall pops out in front of you? Me, I'll just climb the thing (with a 3% control rate).

3% is better than the 1.28% you have driving through Denver on I-25 at 5:00pm on a weekday.

for the pucker factor. for the cocktails(Mr. bostons rock and rye). to revive and rejuvenate for the impending work week. for the cool tools that you get to use. for the connection with another person that enjoys being in the same place. for the screaming barfies that is inevitable, and if your lucky it could happen twice in one day. for the long approach (i.e. moratorium).for the belay jacket that keeps your core warm . for the hot tea laden with sugar. for the camaraderie that occurs at crags like Vail amphitheatre. for getting up to climb talisman only to have another team beat you by 45 minutes. for getting to the base of of a climb by mere seconds and beating another team out of a climb (moratorium).for the encouragement on a tenuous climb. for the fingers that have been smashed against the ice and if you are lucky having feeling come back into them before the next ice season. for surfing the net in order to find the best deal on gear. for sitting in ski traffic on I-70 and wondering why the D.O.T. hasn't made a lane yet that is just for climbers. for the plate of ice that hits you in the face and makes you bleed. for the crappy hanging belay on multipitch climbs. for your climbing partner that has enough forsite and brings you a belay jacket to the crappy hanging belay to wear. for the ipod that keeps your mind off the long approach. for the ouray chalet inn and the swinging bar doors in the room. for the burning calves from front pointing. for the chandelier ice. for the frozen ropes. for the infamous nervous crap the comes on deck when you are at the base of a climb.for the sacrifices that you make for your climbing partner. for the sacrifices that your climbing partner has made for you. for trips that are planned and don't come to fruition at the last minute. for the knuckles that you get and give at the end of an amazing pitch and or lead. for down climbing and rappelling with one contact. for pulling ropes and not taking the knot out and having to solo to the stuck rope. for the use of heal spurs even when everyone else rolls bareback. for mixed climbing and having the tool pop and smack you in the head and ring your bell. for falling on a screw and having it hold. for the Dave Chapelle-isms that are used between you and your partner, "Thanks Red Bawls". for postholing even with snow shoes on.for the talk of warm weather and desert climbing.

It's fun to hack at the ice. When you observe an infant male toddler, they like to pound on things with sticks and hammers...it continues as they get older.

I've never grown out of that stage.

It's just that the toys get more expensive

You know I was wondering this lately also. I have climbed a lot of ice in the past and last year I realized that it's really not that fun. Unless your in some glacier cave you can't climb ice that is harder then pumpy 5.11. The most fun on ice that I have had is when I'm the most scared. At the moment I'm not into risking death to free solo some frozen water, so I've stopped ice climbing unless money is involved. (I say free soloing because your still going to hit ground when you have one shitty tied off stubby in and your 60' up. Granted the screw might slow you down.) Sure I think that a good screw is solid and one could climb on thicker ice but like I said what's the point when it's easy and not scary(thus not fun)

So basically lack of challenge and pucker factor means that the only people ice climbing are one of the following: old, weak, fat, people trying to prove a point, people who have nothing to live for, people who get paid, and of course people who do it for head.

Did I miss a category?

tequila

I only climb ice if the weather prohibits climbing rock (i.e: if the temperature is below zero fahrenheit).
Why would anyone in their right mind (operative term here is "right mind") go freeze their ass off on some frozen pile if warm sunny rock is an option?
If warm sunny rock is NOT an option, then ice is nice!
Which brings up a good point:
Ice climbing season is over here in Colorado.
Temps near 70 this coming Saturday!

It's relaxing

kevin fox wrote:for the pucker factor. for the cocktails(Mr. bostons rock and rye). to revive and rejuvenate for the impending work week. for the cool tools that you get to use. for the connection with another person that enjoys being in the same place. for the screaming barfies that is inevitable, and if your lucky it could happen twice in one day. for the long approach (i.e. moratorium).for the belay jacket that keeps your core warm . for the hot tea laden with sugar. for the camaraderie that occurs at crags like Vail amphitheatre. for getting up to climb talisman only to have another team beat you by 45 minutes. for getting to the base of of a climb by mere seconds and beating another team out of a climb (moratorium).for the encouragement on a tenuous climb. for the fingers that have been smashed against the ice and if you are lucky having feeling come back into them before the next ice season. for surfing the net in order to find the best deal on gear. for sitting in ski traffic on I-70 and wondering why the D.O.T. hasn't made a lane yet that is just for climbers. for the plate of ice that hits you in the face and makes you bleed. for the crappy hanging belay on multipitch climbs. for your climbing partner that has enough forsite and brings you a belay jacket to the crappy hanging belay to wear. for the ipod that keeps your mind off the long approach. for the ouray chalet inn and the swinging bar doors in the room. for the burning calves from front pointing. for the chandelier ice. for the frozen ropes. for the infamous nervous crap the comes on deck when you are at the base of a climb.for the sacrifices that you make for your climbing partner. for the sacrifices that your climbing partner has made for you. for trips that are planned and don't come to fruition at the last minute. for the knuckles that you get and give at the end of an amazing pitch and or lead. for down climbing and rappelling with one contact. for pulling ropes and not taking the knot out and having to solo to the stuck rope. for the use of heal spurs even when everyone else rolls bareback. for mixed climbing and having the tool pop and smack you in the head and ring your bell. for falling on a screw and having it hold. for the Dave Chapelle-isms that are used between you and your partner, "Thanks Red Bawls". for postholing even with snow shoes on.for the talk of warm weather and desert climbing.

Beautiful Kevin!

And Ben, I'm young (26), strong, not fat (125lbs), Have no point to prove, I have lot's to live for, I assure you that no one pays me, nor am I doing it for the head. I think you left out people who find it shear fun! You left out the alpinists. You left out those of us who work during the week, yet still try to balance our lives with pushing ourselves in alpine pursuits. You left out those of us who dream of climbing in places throughout the world where ice climbing is a necessary part of rock climbing. If ice climbing is so easy for you then maybe you should try mixed climbing. I believe a combination of rock, ice, mixed, aid, and maybe some bouldering skills will round out the climbers who I look up to, and respect the most.

my $.02

because like, the corporations and global warming and stuff. hey could you pass the bong man? WOOOOOOOO climb on!

Ben Kiessel wrote:So basically lack of challenge and pucker factor means that the only people ice climbing are one of the following: old, weak, fat, people trying to prove a point...

Well, when you're "old, weak and fat", there's plenty of challenge and pucker factor. Ok, I'm only 2 of the 3, but it scares the crap out of me, and I keep coming back for more. Yes, I'm trying to prove a point. Trying to prove to myself that life isn't over at 45, and I can still get better and stronger at something. What's wrong with that?

Kathy

"for the infamous nervous crap the comes on deck when you are at the base of a climb"

Ha Ha Ha..... I really hate it when this happens... more then I like and will usually admitt...

Kevin... best blurb I have read in quite a while.

Ben- you sound a bit like Sean Issac from Canada and that's not a bad thing.. look what being bored of regular ice climbing has done for that guy...

Jimn Seiler wrote:Because they are enormous risk takers (leading).

I used to think that as well. Now nothing quite compares to leading ice. After leading my first and only WI5 I realized that I'd never really been runout on rock before... even though I thought I was.

Ice is just another discipline in the quiver for opening up new possibilities. To me, the perfect route requires expertise in many facets of climbing (rock, ice, aid, mixed). The more ingenuity a route requires the more rewarding it seems to be.

All that said, ice climbing is just really fun.

I climb ice because I just love being outside in winter. Whether it's bluebird or blowing, there's nothing quite as pretty as the winter landscape. Plus, all the toys are pretty cool. Also, for a little while there, it felt like it was a unique thing to do. Then I went to the Ice Fest...

you all are out of your element! If you're not in it to get a good soaker with your naked s.o.; well then, you're a sport climber.

F-it, let's go bowling.