Intro to Ice Climbing

Howdy Y'all,

I need some help. A friend of mine just took me out ice climbing and now I'm hooked, but I really don't know anything about what I'm looking for when buying gear and especially since ice climbing gear is so expensive and there seems to be a wide range of things that are very similar. I'm also just getting into it, so I'm curious if there's any "beginner" gear that would be good but might not break the bank as much. Any advice at all is much appreciated!! And if you have something you want to sell or part ways with for a fair price, lets talk. 

The first and most important purchase, is a WELL fitting boot. Travel if you need to, to try them on.

If you go up to The Mountaineer in Keene Valley NY, you'll find a good selection and a knowledgable staff. They are great at fitting boots. Well worth the travel and any premium cost over buying online. A bad fitting boot is either cold or sloppy but will undoubtedly ruin your experience.

Typically if you have friends that already ice climb they'll have tools and crampons to loan you, until you can buy your own. But even these can be rented for cheap.

Anyone have any thoughts on if I could use the La Sportiva Glacier WLF as a first pair of ice climbing boots?

Got a pair of like-new La sportiva nepal cube gtx size mens 10 (43) in new paltz.   Not sure what size you'd be but Id give them to you for $400.

Definitely make sure wherever you buy them you get the correct size so you dont end up trying to sell them a year later on MP because you've been bashing your toes like an idiot.  

Matt Jwrote:

Got a pair of like-new La sportiva nepal cube gtx size mens 10 (43) in new paltz.   Not sure what size you'd be but Id give them to you for $400.

Definitely make sure wherever you buy them you get the correct size so you dont end up trying to sell them a year later on MP because you've been bashing your toes like an idiot.  

I’m a 41.5 - 42 unfortunately 

Tucker,

I have those boots and I wear them for hunting and hiking. They are too soft for actual ice climbing. Save a little more and get a true ice/mountaineering boot that fits and has a full shank. 

Brent Moorewrote:

Tucker,

I have those boots and I wear them for hunting and hiking. They are too soft for actual ice climbing. Save a little more and get a true ice/mountaineering boot that fits and has a full shank. 

Awesome, thanks for the tip!

Get proper boots. One show quiver: LaSportiva Nepal Cube GTX. I'm using it for ice/mix. I've also used them a few times on the glacier travel. They're a little stiffer, but still doable.I wouldn't be afraid to call them a timeless classic that can handle a lot of mountaineering activities. It doesn't have any modern gadgets like  BOA style lacing tweaks and that makes it relatively indestructible.  I'd recommend getting some proper warm socks to go with it and lots of wax to maintain the leather, because then they'll last you a long time :) 

After some time look for crampons. One model is still relatively usable across multiple winter activities. I'm looking for new ones myself and I am set on the Petzl Lynx. They're a bit more expensive, but they're easily modifiable and if something breaks on them, it can be replaced. I think they are worth it in a longrun.  

And only after that look for ice tools. They are expensive and they differ a lot. Try as many as possible. 

Once you have all that, then it starts to make sense to look around for ice screws. They're expensive and you need a lot of them. Plus, you're not likely to be climbing on lead now anyway, and if you do, ask your friend (the only exception is one ice screw about 19 cm for crevase rescue).

Good luck and don't rush it! 

Matěj Eberlewrote:

Get proper boots. One show quiver: LaSportiva Nepal Cube GTX. I'm using it for ice/mix. I've also used them a few times on the glacier travel. They're a little stiffer, but still doable.I wouldn't be afraid to call them a timeless classic that can handle a lot of mountaineering activities. It doesn't have any modern gadgets like  BOA style lacing tweaks and that makes it relatively indestructible.  I'd recommend getting some proper warm socks to go with it and lots of wax to maintain the leather, because then they'll last you a long time :) 

After some time look for crampons. One model is still relatively usable across multiple winter activities. I'm looking for new ones myself and I am set on the Petzl Lynx. They're a bit more expensive, but they're easily modifiable and if something breaks on them, it can be replaced. I think they are worth it in a longrun.  

And only after that look for ice tools. They are expensive and they differ a lot. Try as many as possible. 

Once you have all that, then it starts to make sense to look around for ice screws. They're expensive and you need a lot of them. Plus, you're not likely to be climbing on lead now anyway, and if you do, ask your friend (the only exception is one ice screw about 19 cm for crevase rescue).

Good luck and don't rush it! 

Very helpful, thanks so much!

you have to try them on . sportiva are narrow and don't fit everyones foot. other brands may have different issues with fitting . i literally can not wear sportiva but fit well in scrapa.  you will have to find out what fits you. for ice climbing boots I ended up in asolos.  as others have said mountain boots are the most critical part of the package.  after you get the boots any modern crampon and ice tool will work for you. get what is on sale or affordable used.  In regards to ice tools make certain that you do get a current model as some tools no longer have replacement picks available. 

thoughts about boots & crampons:  beginners are often steered towards relatively heavy boots with stiff uppers.  this may initially make front-pointing less fatiguing,  but over fifty years of climbing ice, I have gravitated towards progressively lighter more flexible uppers.   many of my long-time partners have made a similar progression.  more ankle flexibility makes it easier to keep you heels below your front-points, and permits a wider variety of footwork.  A truly rigid sole is non-negotiable, but a lighter more flexible upper may serve well if you plan to climb in them for more than a couple of seasons.  For crampons, spend enough for a model with replaceable points.  Pons work best when sharp, and I go through lots of frontpoints.  these days, Petzl, BD, and Camp/Cassin all offer models where you can replace the entire front section - which means you don't have to retire them when the secondary & tertiary points have been filed to uselessness.

as others above have suggested, try lots of tools before committing.  find one that "matches your swing".  Grip style and geometry can make dramatic differences.  For me, a triigger-finger support makes a huge difference - like power steering for the pick, but plenty of others don't seem to value this feature.  I find the most aggressive tools with dry-tooling grips to be less forgiving on less-than-vertical ice, while a tool with a more "natural" swing may be more comfortable as an "all-rounder".  Again, lots of variant, strongly held opinions.   Opinions, though, are like assholes - everyone has one, and most stink.  

so as much as possible, try before you buy.  and this applies to boots, too.  if you have a partner, mentor, or acquaintance with boots your size, ask to demo.   different boots really do climb differently, and what works best for the guy/gal selling the boots may not work best for you..If you're a skier, try climbing in your ski-boots.  plenty of ski-mountaineers do, and I know guys who ciimb to Wi5 in plastic ski boots.  you can likely get away with this for a number of seasons until you find the boot you feel like you were born in.

so I repeat:  get some mileage, and borrow/demo everything you can get your hands on before committing big bucks..

-Haireball

Curt Hairewrote:

thoughts about boots & crampons:  beginners are often steered towards relatively heavy boots with stiff uppers.  this may initially make front-pointing less fatiguing,  but over fifty years of climbing ice, I have gravitated towards progressively lighter more flexible uppers.   many of my long-time partners have made a similar progression.  more ankle flexibility makes it easier to keep you heels below your front-points, and permits a wider variety of footwork.  A truly rigid sole is non-negotiable, but a lighter more flexible upper may serve well if you plan to climb in them for more than a couple of seasons.  For crampons, spend enough for a model with replaceable points.  Pons work best when sharp, and I go through lots of frontpoints.  these days, Petzl, BD, and Camp/Cassin all offer models where you can replace the entire front section - which means you don't have to retire them when the secondary & tertiary points have been filed to uselessness.

as others above have suggested, try lots of tools before committing.  find one that "matches your swing".  Grip style and geometry can make dramatic differences.  For me, a triigger-finger support makes a huge difference - like power steering for the pick, but plenty of others don't seem to value this feature.  I find the most aggressive tools with dry-tooling grips to be less forgiving on less-than-vertical ice, while a tool with a more "natural" swing may be more comfortable as an "all-rounder".  Again, lots of variant, strongly held opinions.   Opinions, though, are like assholes - everyone has one, and most stink.  

so as much as possible, try before you buy.  and this applies to boots, too.  if you have a partner, mentor, or acquaintance with boots your size, ask to demo.   different boots really do climb differently, and what works best for the guy/gal selling the boots may not work best for you..If you're a skier, try climbing in your ski-boots.  plenty of ski-mountaineers do, and I know guys who ciimb to Wi5 in plastic ski boots.  you can likely get away with this for a number of seasons until you find the boot you feel like you were born in.

so I repeat:  get some mileage, and borrow/demo everything you can get your hands on before committing big bucks..

-Haireball

I was wondering about the ski boot trick! It honestly doesn’t sound like a terrible idea, and would save me loads of money for a while. Thank you so much for the advice!

Demo all the gear. Mountainfest 2022 is in 2 weeks at the mountaineer in keene valley. No indoor events but they do have gear demos from la sportiva, bd, petzl, grivel, cassin and others. You can hire a guide too. They have a more valuable opinion for the type of climbing you want to do and the type of gear you need for your region. Don mellor and the matts from rock and river are the guys that come to mind for me who id ask first. 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

you have to try them on . sportiva are narrow and don't fit everyones foot. other brands may have different issues with fitting . i literally can not wear sportiva but fit well in scrapa.  you will have to find out what fits you. for ice climbing boots I ended up in asolos.  as others have said mountain boots are the most critical part of the package.  after you get the boots any modern crampon and ice tool will work for you. get what is on sale or affordable used.  In regards to ice tools make certain that you do get a current model as some tools no longer have replacement picks available. 

FWIW the new generation of Nepal Cubes are not terribly narrow. I have the same size in those as I have in my Scarpa Ortles GTX and my Hanwag trekking boots (which are definitely roomier) and they are comfortably tight but they don't squeeze. I also own an older pair of Nepal Treks and I have those one half size up from the other ones. My feet are normal-to-wide with my right foot being wider than my left foot (for which the additional tongue of the new Cube comes in handy). 

I just sent back a pair of sportiva summer mountainering / high top approach  shoes . they looked like clown shoes on me.   I should have known better....   I don't know where they even find people with feet that narrow and long... 

Yeah the Nepal Evo were wide. I tried on the Cubes and they seemed about the same. The Scarpa Phantom Tech are a smidge wider.

The LS Trango are narrow.

I agree, my Nepal Cubes seem much wider along the whole foot in the same size as the Trango Towers, had to sell those due to pinky toe blisters.