Getting Started Ice Climbing

I'm gonna go ice climbing. Wait a second. Didn't you click on a video titled Getting Started? Let's address the basics. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I said address, not undress. All right, let's get this guy some clothes. First, you're gonna need some base layers and some nice socks. Let's add a fuzzy fleece layer and a warm hat to top things off. Next, you need some soft shell pants and a mid-insulating layer to trap in the heat. On top of that, we'll throw on a shell. Soft shell or hard shell, doesn't really matter. To finish things off, some rigid mountaineering boots, a giant warm puffy, and most importantly, gloves. Definitely don't ice climb in your underwear, folks. Okay, now we're ready to go out. But where do you go ice climbing? Where do you find ice? Well, for waterfall ice, you'll need a place with shady cliffs, a water source, and freezing cold temperatures. And since we're talking about getting started, let's look for lower angle, stable ice with limited overhead hazard, such as rockfall or avalanches. Okay, this one will do. Maybe you can access the climb from the top, but in most cases, you'll need someone to lead to set up the rope. From there, it's pretty much the same setup as any other top roping scenario, such as in rock climbing or in a climbing gym, with a notable difference. We'll want to keep the belayer out of the way of falling ice. Instead of a wide variety of handholds, like you find in rock climbing, every hold will look like this. You might have heard of ice picks, but they're really called ice tools. And yes, it matters. Next, crampons. We'll choose a technical crampon with a vertical front point. And of course, we'll need a harness and a helmet, just like in rock climbing. So how do we get you here? I got started ice climbing. I went climbing with a friend for the first time, and it was the most miserable day of climbing I've ever had in my entire life. My friend Ian, who had ice climbed before and knew how to do it, took me to Boulder Canyon. We started ice climbing together. I got into ice climbing through my college outdoor program. I had some friends and colleagues who were willing to take me out. I eventually hired a guide and climbed for a couple days with a guide, and I actually learned something. And I've enjoyed it a lot more ever since then, to the point that I now make a living doing it. So that's kind of cool.