Scraping?

The link below would be easily dismissed as pure clickbait, were it not for the fact that Stas Beskin scraped his way up some pretty outrageous pillars with it. I've scratched on thin ice, but not quite the same way he's demonstrating here (and obviously nothing remotely as wild). Is there something genuinely new here? 

https://www.climbing.com/videos/stas-beskin-demonstrates-new-technique-for-climbing-delicate-ice/

I mean, he's basically just dry-tooling, right? He makes a little scratch to give him a spot to grab, then basically just places as if it were rock.

From my limited attempts at dry-tooling, I would just deem this to be effing terrifying, LOL. So I'm gonna be on all placed feet and tools, everything feels tenuous, trying not to breathe and end up slipping off some tiny edge...but then also change the rock to ice and put me on a tiny sketchy pillar instead of a wall...Geezum. Just never gonna be that hardcore.

It's no joke. When you're on something super weak, you don't want to be swinging (or kicking, something he fails to address in his video). I see scratching as just an extension of hooking in divots and pockets, which is what I focus on when the ice calls for utmost delicacy. The guy is certified badass though.

Disclaimer - while I value highly the ability to tread lightly, and seek out opportunities to do so, I'm a confirmed toprope tough guy in such situations.

Goran Lynch wrote: Is there something genuinely new here?

I don't know if there is something 'genuinely' new (basically climbing on dime edges) - but I don't know if I have seen anyone take this method and deploy it as deftly as he has. The pillar he is on at the start of the video with is truly horrifying. The dude is a total hardman doing it on lead to be sure.

Will Gadd has a pretty active Facebook thread indirectly about what stas was doing. Worth a read.

It looks effective but he mentions how critical tool/pick are. I expect the angle and sharpness of your pick will have a massive inpact on the efficacy of this technique. Perhaps it could also be an effective method for weaker climbers on more typical water ice? I know girls I climb with who can get bomber feet all day but struggle with getting the picks to do anything but bounce. Excited to try this next time I find some ice. 

Porter McMichael wrote: It looks effective but he mentions how critical tool/pick are. I expect the angle and sharpness of your pick will have a massive inpact on the efficacy of this technique. Perhaps it could also be an effective method for weaker climbers on more typical water ice? I know girls I climb with who can get bomber feet all day but struggle with getting the picks to do anything but bounce. Excited to try this next time I find some ice. 

I tried scratching today following a couple pitches of ice and I gotta say it worked better than I thought it would, but IMO, this technique is better utilized by stronger(and real bold) climbers, not weaker ones. 

People that regularly experience pick bounce should consider getting a bit stronger and working on technique, it is more about endurance than power, knowing where to swing and how is super important.  So much of the swing is in the flick of the wrist and the extra speed and acceleration that adds to the swing rather than trying to tomahawk the tools on each placement, at least in my limited experience.

It's not new, stas is just the man.

I just heard a story yesterday about a local Adirondack hardman doing just that. It’s nothing new.

Bill Kirby wrote: I just heard a story yesterday about a local Adirondack hardman doing just that. It’s nothing new.

Ian Osteye?

Greg Shea wrote:

Ian Osteye?

 Nope, I’ve hired Ian Osteyee. His technique is different. He swings lightly and uses that bird beak we file off our Cassin picks for purchase.

I use very gentle tapping motion on thin scary stuff but will certainly try the scrapeing method.