A Beginner's Guide to Ice Climbing

This guide to ice climbing highlights key aspects that you should consider before tackling the intense conditions found in winter climbing. Use it as a platform to be inspired or even start your own ice climbing adventure.

That’s the scientific bit. However, like rock climbing in the summer, all grades can feel easy or hard depending on a range of conditions. The dark art is in understanding these conditions and choosing accordingly.

For me, how hard a route feels (not graded) can also depend on your stress level – which depends upon weather conditions, ice conditions, quality of belays, your fitness, experience and how much of the leading you do. It also depends on how good your technique is. Dragging yourself up 60 feet of ice by doing continual pull-ups will feel a lot harder than walking up with axes for balance.

In time you’ll gain the confidence to strike the balance between going slowly and placing lots of gear, and moving confidently between rest points and runner placements.

• A pair of technical ice axes

• Crampons - rather than general mountaineering crampons this is the terrain where vertical front points or even mono points start to be of benefit

• Ice screws – the size and amount carried will depend on the length and nature of the route

• Leashes for axes - not essential but could help prevent dropping one and the resulting embarrassing situation

• Quickdraws, slings, carabiners and other suitable rock gear depending on the route

• Abseil tat and the knowledge of V-threads / Abolokov threads - very useful in retreat

• Helmet – essential - you’ll be grateful for this when your partner kicks ice down!

• Safety gear – goggles, fully charged phone, head torch etc

• Plenty of gloves! Belay gloves, climbing gloves, gloves for the walk in and fresh dry ones for the walk out

• Buff / balaclava

• Suitable winter climbing boots

• Full winter clothing

• Suncream & sunnies or goggles

You’ll want to read the ice in front of you. Are there existing hooks created by previous climbers that you can use? What is happening ahead – can you see bulges or a variation in the ice? What is the state of the ice? Is there ‘neve’, that magical term for snow formed by multiple freeze/thaw cycles, which will provide good axe placements, but may well be useless for placing an ice screw.

All of us tense too much when starting out. Try to relax. If you grip your ice axe too tightly, you’ll very quickly exhaust your arms and will end up flailing your ice axe around ineffectually. Learn how to obtain ‘rest positions’ on the ice and give yourself the chance to shake those arms out before moving on to the next sequence of moves.