How to Pick Ice Climbing Equipment

Ice Climbing on Mount Ranier

Although ice climbing and rock climbing are similar in terms of the nature of the sport, different equipment is required for each. The equipment used for ice climbing is much more specialized, taking into account the cold weather conditions and the difference in terrain. Because the ice climbing equipment you choose can save your life, it is important to pick the right equipment. Here’s how to pick ice climbing equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Spending Budget

Instructions

How to Pick Ice Climbing Equipment

1. Accept the fact that it will be cold. That’s the nature of ice, so dress appropriately. You should pick hats, coats and gloves that will keep you warm, but without restricting your range of motion too much. Your clothing will need to allow you full use of your arms and legs, and your gloves will need to give you enough flexibility to set and remove your anchors while climbing.

2. Choose your ice ax. The ice ax traditionally consists of a stable handle to prevent slipping, a long curved pick to stab into the ice, and sometimes a hammer on the opposite side of the pick. Climbing frozen waterfalls typically requires a heavier ice ax with a leash that can get in your way, while mixed terrain climbers usually opt for a lightweight model without the leash. The best way to pick your ice ax is to just pick it up and see if it feels like a naturally extension of your arm. You will need to get two: one for each hand.

3. Choose between crampons and fruit boots. Crampons are very large, sharp metal cleats that strap onto the bottom of your climbing boot. Fruit boots are climbing boots that already have the crampons built into the sole of the boot. Which you choose is largely a matter of which you are more comfortable with, and whether or not your boots are used solely for ice climbing, or for other sports as well.

4. Whether you choose crampons or fruit boots, you will also need to select the style of spikes that you will use. The options will be dual-point spikes or mono-point spikes. Dual-point spikes will provide you with a little more stability and balance, but they will not penetrate the ice as deeply as mono-point spikes. Mono-points are the most popular options for mixed terrain ice climbers.

5. Buy some ice climbing screws. These large screws are screwed into stable ice to form an anchor. The anchor is set by the first climber in the team, and removed by the last. It is important for the lead climber to have a large enough number of screws to anchor through the climb.

Tips & Warnings

• Never go ice climbing alone. Teams of two or more people should always take part in the climb, although more than two can become cumbersome for some people.