newbie for ice climbing

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?

chelsea zanichelli wrote:can anyone give me suggestions on the sport?

Wait for Ice

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!

kirra wrote: Wait for Ice

Yep. But if you can't wait for water ice season, and want to swing those tools, you can hit the "alpine" ice in the high country. If you get a very early morning start, you will often have true frozen alpine ice to climb. Later in the morning, it often softens up into just a snow climb, though, but that still will give you good general mountaineering experience which is very useful in ice climbing. Look at the RMNP mixed-ice and review the climbs you can do in spring and even into late summer (like the Notch Couloir)

mountainproject.com/v/color…;

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?

Not So Famous Old Dude wrote:Look at the RMNP mixed-ice and review the climbs you can do in spring and even into late summer (like the Notch Couloir)

Would you take a beginner with no Ice-In-the-Shower-Exp on a mixed route end-of-season in RMNP, go for it. Sport-ice CCC is done - so is Ouray

Chelsea, perhaps a trip to THE ROCK in Monument where you could swing some tools on a wall might be a good start. Then I recommend following everyone elses suggestions :)

If this still feels good to you then book a hotel-reservation for the Ouray Ice Fest and start saving your $$$

kirra wrote: Would you take a beginner with no Ice-In-the-Shower-Exp on a mixed route end-of-season in RMNP NSFOD, go for it.

Actually, Jewel Lake Ice and Black Lake Slabs may be in still. They are high enough that I don't think they've melted out yet, and other than a longer approach than CCC or Ouray (snicker) they aren't as committing as a long alpine route. Jewel Lake Slabs are topropable, too.

This assumes they aren't buried in snow. Not to threadjack too much, but has anyone been up to Jewel Lake or Black Lake recently and seen conditions on the ice or Black Lake Slabs?

Not So Famous Old Dude wrote:I am a bit slow, evidently. This is a practical joke in the wake of Glime's "be nice to newbies" thread?

Sorry Chelsea. Kirra started it! It's all her fault!!!

Seriously, some of the above suggestions (those outside of the shower are pretty good. Pick up a copy of "climbing ice" by Yvon Chouinard at the library and memorize it.

Spend some time in Ouray (Kirra's suggestion to visit the ice festival is right on) and advertise for a mentor when ice season gets close. You'll get a hundred young (and some not so young) men lining up to teach you the tricks (I'm still talking ice climbing here)!

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.

Deaun Schovajsa wrote:Sorry Chelsea. Kirra started it! It's all her fault!!!

Oh - hey Yeah..! Right-on ~blame it all on me.. so-k :)~

Dude, what do you expect, the Ice is gone-bye-bye. Now is the time to climb NAKED..!!! ~ almost~

Hey you guys are all editing yer posts on-the-fly and I can't keep-up

You go NSFOD, take a female-ice-noob on RMNP route, You-2 Mark. Everyone would loves to slosh gear 5mi back into the Park to *maybe* get a few shreads-o-ice in. But Hey.. Maybe Chelsea is up for that..?

Chelsea..?? I think we scared her away already

kirra wrote: Oh - hey Yeah..! Right-on ~blame it all on me.. so-k :)~ Dude, what do you expect, the Ice is gone-bye-bye. Now is the time to climb NAKED..!!! or almost Hey you guys are all editing yer posts on-the-fly and I can't keep-up You go NSFOD, take a female-ice-noob on RMNP route, You-2 Mark. Everyone would loves to slosh gear 5mi back into the Park to *maybe* get a few shreads-o-ice in. But Hey..! Maybe Chelsea is up for that..? Chelsea..?? I think we scared her away already

I think Chelsea is gone...but we're still havin' fun!

There are some peaks in the NW that have glaciers and ice on them and are great for the summer - not much more far fetched than slogging into RMNP for a taste of "alpine". Alaska can be quite nice this time of year, too. WTF???

Wait until next winter. Enjoy the warmth. Climb NAKED..!!! or almost.

Deaun Schovajsa wrote:Alaska can be quite nice this time of year, too. WTF??? Wait until next winter. Enjoy the warmth. Climb NAKED..!!! or almost.

1 day of heat this weekend was NOT enough to defrost from a looong winter..!!!
Where did the weather go to sh*t on Monday

Mark Cushman wrote:also the clinics at the Ouray Ice Festival might be useful (or Chicks With Picks) and are relatively inexpensive.

CWP -- Don't really call $1,250 (no shower/room) inexpensive and you'll miss out on meeting the Ice-celebs with cool-pick-tips to share. Ouray is a better deal with more folks to party/mix with.

kirra wrote:Don't really call $1,250 (no shower/room) inexpensive and you'll miss out on meeting the Ice-celebs with cool-pick-tips to share. Ouray is a better deal with more folks to party/mix with.

The Ouray clinics were what I was calling inexpensive.

I didn't know the CWP festival was that expensive. I've been down there when the clinics have been going on and have been to the slideshow/auction twice, and it looked like everyone was having a good time and learning a lot. They have a good program, IMO. Having said that, they do offer a scholarship:

chickswithpicks.net/scholar…

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

Leo Paik wrote:One trick with ice up high is your margin for error drops considerably once you start with mile(s) of approach.

I was curious what you meant by this & could x-plain a bit more (I'm always open to learn new tricks from any-ol'dog :)~ Thanks for the solid-n'ice advice..! ~ Kirra