How to Ice Climb Safely

Rock climbers often dread the coming of winter when snow and ice put a damper on their favorite sport. But it doesn't have to be that way. Many climbers have taken climbing adventures further by ice climbing. Ice climbing comes with its own set of challenges, but ice climbers swear that nothing else compares. Follow these steps to ice climb safely.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Winter wear appropriate for climbing
• Ice climbing boots
• Ice climbing tools, including crampons, gaiters, screw, axes
• Gloves
• Safety helmet

1. Dress for the weather. Rock climbers take boots and sometimes gloves along with their gear. Ice climbers must do that plus dress so that they don't freeze to death. Plan to take several pairs of gloves, so that your hands remain dry and warm. Fog and shatter-proof goggles make for a safer climb as well.
2. Familiarize yourself with winter mountaineering. Get your feet wet by climbing 45-degree mountains covered in snow before you tackle vertical ice. Understand that true ice climbing is colder and more difficult.
3. Find an experienced ice climber to go with for your first ice climbing adventure. Maybe a friend can loan you the gear. You want to make certain that you enjoy ice climbing before investing thousands of dollars for equipment.
4. Decide what type of ice climbing you want to try. Alpine ice climbing entails climbing a steep mountainside of compact ice and snow in order to reach the top. The other kind of ice climbing involves climbing frozen moving water, like a waterfall.
   
   Train for ice climbing before you leave home. Full body activities that involve core and pulling strength plus endurance prepare you best.
5. Choose an appropriate ice climb based on your experience. A rating scale helps you safely evaluate a climb based on the type if ice, grade of the climb and steepness.
6. Wear a helmet for safety. Ice climbers use axes and hammers to climb. You know you don't want that coming down on your head.