Ice Climbing MITOC Winter School 2002 jae H

Ice Climbing MITOC Winter School 2002 jae H. Roh Jhroh@alum. mit. edu

Ice Climbing • • • Why you should not ice climb Basic techniques Common mistakes Safety Efficiency Taking Care of Gear Taking Care of Yourself Gear and Clothing Where and when to climb

Hazards of Winter Climbing • • • Winter, snow, cold, etc. Ice fall, rock fall, ice dams Crappy protection, long runouts Crampon catches during fall Bludgeon or impale by ice tools Avalanche

Basic Climbing Technique - Pick • Aim: Look for a pick placement – Indentations or seams – Not bulges – they break off – Reach high to maximize efficiency • Fire: Swing from shoulder, elbow, then finish with wrist snap • Or simply Hook on features • Listen!

Basic Climbing Technique – Crampon • Look for foot placement – Balanced position – Smaller steps than rock climbing – Look for stems, ledges, other features • Front pointing – Heel down, to place all 4 front points – Place foot, then don’t move – lifting shears out points • Flat foot, aka French technique – Stomp down • Listen

Basic Climbing Technique – sequence • • • SWING Kick Kick

Common Mistakes • Moving on sketchy placements – the tools and crampons are your self belay • Pushing instead of swinging the tools – let the tool do the work • –Heels too high – drop heels for solid crampon placements • Moving feet after setting crampons • Butt in too close to ice – hang off tools, butt out to kick • Over gripping tools – hang, rather than hold

Climbing Safely • Wear a helmet at all times near the ice • Keep your face away from the tools – Where will the tool go if it pops out? • Don’t “stack” your feet – Where will your crampon go if it slips? • Don’t glissade with crampons on • Practice snow climbing and self arrest

Climbing efficiently • Minimize tool placements • Reach high to place tool, climb up until its below your head • Stagger tool placements – also avoids “dinner plating” and cold hands • Exercises – Climb with 1 tool – Climb with no tools

Taking care of your gear – tools & screws • Remove a stuck pick by working up and down only • After removing an ice screw – Clear the ice core immediately so it doesn’t freeze in – Tap the head of the screw or blow in – Don’t hit the threads or sharp end

Taking care of your gear – rope • Watch the rope when you swing a tool or kick – The rope may also be behind you (top roping) – Belayers: don’t pull in just as the climber is swinging • Keep the rope off the snow – Wet rope = frozen rope – (figure 8 works best for rapping on a frozen rope) • Keep gear clipped – things fall quietly on snow

Taking care of yourself – Staying Warm • Two climbers can share one parka • Hands – Experiment w/ handling gear with gloves – Try windstopper gloves w/ light liners – Practice! w/ mittens in living room • Knots, tying in, belaying, clipping gear – Keep hands below heart, relax grip • Feet – Don’t bury your feet in snow – Too many socks = too tight = poor circulation = cold feet

Gear – Ice tools • Technical - Bent for clearance on vertical ice • Alpine – straight for snow climbing • Length 50 cm +/- 10 cm • Picks – Reverse curve (“stinger”, “cobra”) – Normal curve (“classic”) • Hammer v. Adze

Gear – Crampons • Most important to check fit with YOUR boots. – Multiple sizes, different shapes • Technical: rigid, vertical front point – better for hard waterfall ice • Alpine: flexible or semi-rigid, horizontal front point – better for glaciers or snow • Double front points more stable; Mono points for thin or mixed • Avoid extra attachment points (e. g. Mako “lacerator”) • Anti-balling plates are good

Gear - Ice Screws • Black Diamond, Express • Grivel 360

Gear - Clothing • • Leave your fancy Gore-Tex at home Bring extra gloves Fit your harness over all your layers Hat should fit under helmet

Where to Climb • Guidebook: Rick Wilcox, An Ice Climbers Guide to Northern New England 2 ed. (3 ed. Due next season) • Conditions: – http: //www. neice. com – http: //www. chauvinguides. com

Me • Jae H. Roh • jhroh@alum. mit. edu