Chipping Ice

So I went to the Ice Fest to get my once a year Ice session out of the way and now I’m thinking about Ice gear. Ice climbing is pretty much all about chipping. They even make tools for your hands and feet to chip. Chip a hold with your ice axe and pull up, chip a hold with your crampon and step up, next ice axe, next hold. All these Ice climber are a bunch of sorry ass chippers.

I did do one route that was pretty fun. It was kind of a mixed climb. The first 25’ was a ribbon of ice that was no more than a half an inch thick and about 8 inches wide. I was amazed that the axes and crampons stuck in such thinness. There was a couple toe in, or maybe I should say crampon ins, on edges and scoops that there would be pretty tough to use with rock shoes. Of course the tip of the crampon just made the hold a little bit better. I guess it was a pretty hard route, I just thought it was fun.

Then I did some try tool routes. That’s just not right. But I guess it is kindof cool to be able to climb outside when its almost zero degrees out and have warm clothes on! On one “dry tool” route I had to put away the ice tools and hand jam with gloves on for about 15’.

I wish I would stop looking at Ice gear now. La Sportiva makes some boots with crampons bolted right to the bottom - wicked cool. And the Ice axes are like mid-evil weapons you get to toss around at the ice. Of course you have to go leashless. Leashes seem like cheating – kindof like pulling on quickdraws and claiming you flashed a route or something.

I did score a new 70 m rope. Second time at Ice fest, second rope won. If anything I’ll have to keep going to Ice Fest for the ropes.

Hilti.