How to Sharpen Ice Climbing Tools

Having sharpened ice climbing tools can be a matter of life and death when scaling a virtual wall of ice. You want to have the sharpest points possible since your tools must hold you under freezing and slippery conditions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Use a 10-inch Mill Bastard file, although you can get by with a shorter version. Put your ice climbing tools in a vise while sharpening to make the process easier.

2. Stroke the file away from you. If you draw the file back toward you, it becomes dulled and less useful. Make your sharpening strokes smooth and even.

3. Work on honing the flat surfaces into sharp points. Follow the existing points, and do not try to change their direction.

4. Sharpen from the front of the tool to the back. This helps to maintain the points.

5. Buy replacement points for your crampons. Filing eventually will wear down your ice climbing gear. Replacing the points will ensure you'll be able to dig into the ice and rock surfaces.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use rotary cutting tools to sharpen your ice climbing tools; the high RPM's of the iron cutting wheel may damage your ice climbing gear.

Resources

• Everest Gear has all the sharpening gear you need.
• CPS Outdoors sells Mill Bastard Files, preferred for ice climbing gear.

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