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esljunkie34
Jan 6, 2005, 7:42 PM
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just curious how every1 got started ice climbing.
who/when/what/where/why?
i was thinking about starting,but i've only been climbing in the gym for a year. i'm thinking in may be a little premature. plus expensive.
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euroford
Jan 6, 2005, 7:53 PM
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i went to an ice fest, got some demo gear and hopped on a toprope.
you really can't beat that for an easy intro. unless you have a well equiped friend who can take you this is the only sensable route.
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slobmonster
Jan 6, 2005, 7:53 PM
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I was eighteen, long hair, no car, with a job at the base of Mt Washington, NH. There was basically nothing else to do, but learn to climb ice.
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euroford
Jan 6, 2005, 7:54 PM
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i can picture that:
"huh, man, i'm bored.... i think i'll go buy some ice tools"
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esljunkie34
Jan 6, 2005, 7:59 PM
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so the ice fest was the starting point? how'd u learn? where'd u practice?
i don't live near ice, and always wondered how ppl kept up on the sport during summer.
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flynbrian
Jan 6, 2005, 8:09 PM
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Soloed the Silver Cascade (I NEI2) in Crawford Notch. I borrowed some gear that didn't fit and followed my buddy up it. After that "little" outing I went to EMS and bought some gear. The rest is, as they say, is history.
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discolegsyndrome
Jan 6, 2005, 8:18 PM
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Went to an ice fest last season.. totally marveled at what people can do.
This year being my first season, I maxed out the credit cards.. gots books, tools, boots, beef jerky you name it..
My intro was a 25 foot mini crag where my partner and I set up some top ropes. I haven't led anything larger than that yet but I've followed up to WI4.
Ice climbing.. it's addictive!
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brianthew
Jan 6, 2005, 8:21 PM
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Got interested by reading books and such, went to an intro clinic at the local gear shop being held on an artificial ice wall. Then, I borrowed some tools and got some used boots and crampons and went to a mini-ice crag in St. Paul. Next thing I know my checking account balance has been nuked and I'm skipping classes to climb ice.
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squeakyclimber
Jan 6, 2005, 8:22 PM
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I got started by working at REI and realizing that I got half off an ice course taught by CMS. AFter those two days I came back and prodealed some crampons, tools, and screws. Its no wonder why I worked at REI for 6 months and never brought home any money.
Or...
You could start like my friend. I took him up Lincoln falls in the dark for his intro to ice climbing. The rope was so frozen that I had to belay him up with a body belay. Yet he still wants to ice climb in the future (something must be wrong with him :lol:), but then again his first alpine climb was kelso ridge on Torries peak durring winter. Three feet of snow, a blizzard and getting lost on the way down all added up for a 14 hour day.
And Then..
There was the friend that I had do the Bell Cord Couloir as his second couloir climb. He no longer wants anything to do with snow climbing, or ice.
The point is that you should have some one take you up an intense climb and find out if you really want to do it.
By the Way...
If you cant tell I rock at taking people on nice mellow intro climbs
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slobmonster
Jan 6, 2005, 8:47 PM
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In reply to: i can picture that: "huh, man, i'm bored.... i think i'll go buy some ice tools"
I scrounged.
Broken-pick piolet = primary tool.
Borrowed a fully-worked and ancient Grivel for second tool.
Crampons... can you say "strap on?" Rusted SMCs that I fitted to my Limmers.
Living right there, with a combination of youthful zest (i.e. energetic inexperience), no money, and days off work with no possible escape led to exploring the ravines and local (small) waterfalls in horrendous weather.
I have learned to be far more selective.
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e_wire
Jan 6, 2005, 9:51 PM
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Rented equipment at a local store - went out to a small ice crag I knew, installed a top-rope, and we were off. Lot easier to learn then rock... but much more dangerous. Why? More falling stuff and you're climbing with mid-evil weapons in hand and feet :shock:
That's it...
e_wire
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esljunkie34
Jan 6, 2005, 9:52 PM
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In reply to: Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2005 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: your intro into ice climbing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I got started by working at REI and realizing that I got half off an ice course taught by CMS. AFter those two days I came back and prodealed some crampons, tools, and screws. Its no wonder why I worked at REI for 6 months and never brought home any money. Or... You could start like my friend. I took him up Lincoln falls in the dark for his intro to ice climbing. The rope was so frozen that I had to belay him up with a body belay. Yet he still wants to ice climb in the future (something must be wrong with him ), but then again his first alpine climb was kelso ridge on Torries peak durring winter. Three feet of snow, a blizzard and getting lost on the way down all added up for a 14 hour day. And Then.. There was the friend that I had do the Bell Cord Couloir as his second couloir climb. He no longer wants anything to do with snow climbing, or ice. The point is that you should have some one take you up an intense climb and find out if you really want to do it. By the Way... If you cant tell I rock at taking people on nice mellow intro climbs
haha yeah... but too bad u live in denver. i'm in SF.
REI might be worth a shot tho. i don't know any ice climbers, but if they have classes, good idea to check out. thanks for the tip.
another question:
how much have u all spent on ice gear? i'm estimating about
hmmm...
$700-$1000
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redpointron
Jan 6, 2005, 9:52 PM
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about 7 years ago...
i realized that i was never gonna climb 13a, didn't look that great with my shirt off, and had tons of money my wife didn't know about to spend.... :wink:
SO...
i went with a small group to munising for a weekend and loved it.
oh yeah, i, also, never realized that southern indiana wasn't an ice climbing mecca :evil:
it's a cruel, cruel world
regards
r.r.
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edge
Jan 6, 2005, 9:54 PM
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I got hooked on rock climbing when I was 16. At the time, there were no indoor gyms, so to continue climbing through the winter, ice was it.
I bought a pair of boots from the EMS attic for $15. SMC hinged crampons were a big purchase, as was an ice axe. I made an ice hammer in wood/metal shop in high school as a second tool. I still have it, but only used it for the first season.
EMS was getting rid of Salewa half screws (think of a real skinny tubular screw, with half of the barrel missing for it's entire length, except for the extreme, toothed end) for $5 a piece. I still have a few of those too, but only use them to threaten my kids with disfigurement.
I used my rock climbing 3/8" Goldline twisted rope for the first season. My first route was Cinema Gully, a grade 2 on Mt Willard in NH. After that I soloed Central Gully on Mt Washington. Two years later I had climbed the Black Dike, Repentance, soloed all of the Huntington's gullys, and climbed all of the routes in the Frankenstein Amphitheatre.
BTW, 9 of the 10 times that I was sure I was going to die happened while ice climbing. During routes, I swore off ever climbing ice again at least 45-60 times. I haven't done any ice routes for the last 6 years, but am looking forward to doing some remaining projects this year. Pray for me...
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brad84
Jan 6, 2005, 10:10 PM
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a fine climber, psychotic at that, took me under his wing where i got my first route and lead on pinnacle gulley ai3. there we climbed quickly, sometimes simultaneously, threatened to cut a few frenchies ropes and summitted- a fine partnership. who can ask for more? certainly this whole ice thing is for me....
...see you out in the cold one day.
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sandbag
Jan 6, 2005, 10:23 PM
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1997 My roommate needed a belayer, i had crampon compatible mountaineering boots, and a harness. He supplied the Rambos, the Pulsars, and the ice screws. I slipped and skittered my way along the approach while he cramponed up the frozen stream to the WI3-4 falls where, i met with most eager and excited anticipation, my only addiction until i started learning to fly. took me 7 years to give in and actually buy the gear, but i felt i did pretty good delaying gratification for that long....
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punk
Jan 7, 2005, 1:30 AM
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b/c it was there
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rendog
Jan 7, 2005, 2:38 AM
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started climbing rock and when the season ended, me and my partner decided to give ice a try. We borrowed all the gear we could from friends and the like, axes, screws, crampons the whole nine yards. we then went up and did a climb called LInda Ice Nine in Lake Louise. a moderate WI4. a good intro to ice we were told. so out we went, switching leads the whole way. Chris got the first crux pillar, I got the second, both grade 4 pillars.
haven't looked back since.
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lambone
Jan 7, 2005, 2:45 AM
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1995 moved to Bozeman, too broke to afford a ski pass...nothing else to do in that town during winter but drink. a friend bought a used set-up of crap gear, we suffered trying to place dull screws with wet frozen mittens and WI3 was totaly epic. those were the days! :)
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roc-ray
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Jan 7, 2005, 4:25 PM
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Looked for Ice at a local climbing area, but the falls was gushing. So turned to a cliff and drytooled up a 5.9 rock route. I know it is taboo to do that, but I was young. BTW I did not know the difference between ice tools and ice axes as I had 3 foot ice axes. Needless to say, I took a couple of falls, and scared the hell out of myself. I took a complete mountainering course the next year.
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gritstoner
Jan 7, 2005, 4:33 PM
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i was up in aviemore (scotland) for hogmanay, as a laugh, i scrounged the tools, an alpine hammer and an old snowdonia curver (which i still have both of) and a pair of crampons. walked into the corries and soloed a grade 2. that was 6 years ago, havent looked back since.
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sarcat
Jan 7, 2005, 5:26 PM
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Signed up for an intro class through Exum. Kim Chismazia was the instructor and I feel in love. (Not with her, with the ice).
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rendog
Jan 8, 2005, 1:51 AM
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that would be Kim Csizmazia. just so ya know.
the tattoo that I have on my back was inspired by a pic of her that Will took on "Ain't Nobody here but us Chickens" M8. was on the cover of the 1st mixed guide
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jimdavis
Jan 8, 2005, 3:37 AM
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A climbing buddy of mine came to grab me at work, 9pm...told me to grab boots and crampons and a headlamp.
We drove to a little Ice crag nearby, maybe 20 yards off the road, he put the tools in my hand, (told me ahead of time they sucked) and told me to figure it out... up 30 feet of 80 degree ice.
It kicked ass.
Cheers,
Jim
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brent_e
Jan 13, 2005, 4:11 AM
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I found boots that my dad bought a long time ago...Galibier Makalus, I think. I bought some Footfangs, made some tools with BD picks, and messed around on a toprope. Nothing worked but I loved it. So I got SM9's, Fly's, and Terminators. Now i'm poor and sad because IT WON'T GET COLD IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO!!!!!!!!!!! bugger.
Cheers
Brent
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