[quote]etaco wrote:
Renton wrote:
Play time in Norway
That’s always looked like fun to me. How do you get into that, assuming you don’t live next to a glacier? (meaning what kind of training is needed before going on a trip some place to do it?)[/quote]
I started walking mountains with my dad many (MANY!) years ago. The conditioning is awesome - thousands of feet up the trail and thousands of feet back down.
When we were up high I always used to see awsome looking less trodden paths which my dad would tell me about - always saying that we’d do them when I was a bit older.
We never did. He died before I had the chance to walk those trails with him. It instilled within me a love of rock though.
When on leave I’d walk the paths for the memories it gave me and soon I started hitting the low, then high grade scrambles. Military training had taught me to climb and abseil but I never really got a thrill from rock climbing.
The biggest mountaineering thrill I got was years ago when on a training mission over crib goch (Pictured in my profile). We traversed it at night in deep winter, in a massive storm. 80 ish guys, roped in three’s, full kit. Force 10 snow storm raging around us. Total and utter buzz.
That’s when I knew I liked the ice. After that my climbs and walks were mainly done during the winter in extremely adverse conditions. Ice climbing was a natural part of that.
As to what skills you need to learn, as long as you are fit there’s no reason to not get out there and do it, under instruction.
Winter walking is great to teach the weather (Very important on a big mixed route climb) and I’m lucky enough to have Scotland just a few hours away with some of the toughest winter terrain in the world. It also teaches you good control of your crampons and axes. How to avoid being killed when you fall down a steep slope etc.
Basic rock climbing and rope work skills are also essential and teach you how to climb as a team.
There’s a lot in rock climbing with ropes that works with ice - different tools (Ice screws rather than cams etc) but it’s very much about making yourself safe in the event of a fall. The main difference is you need experience to tell you what sort of ice you are on, tell tale colours that say to you “traverse this and you are dead” - made a lot easier in places like Norway where there is usaully good thick ice.
Not being big headed here but it is a very tough and dangerous sport to do in the great outdoors. There are so many variables. Especially when you start to solo ice.
I’d look at getting some climbing wall experience and learning rope work. Then move on to an inside ice wall - don’t know if you have them in the US but we have quite a few here in the UK. Meanwhile get some mountain experience too, big high trails with plenty of scrambling, and winter work where crampons are required.
As far as training, it’s all about strength and balance. If you can do a good number of pullups and you have good leg and core strength you’ll be fine. A head for heights helps too!
Finally, get your ass out here to the UK and hit the Cairngorms with me in the winter. I can show you some routes that’ll blow your mind and beat the shit out of near enough anything in the Alps.
