Getting ready for winter

Hello, I'm looking ahead to the winter coming soon in WI. I haven't ice climbed before but want to make the investment and get into it.

Does anyone have a suggestion list for gear for a beginer? I don't lead climb yet but will eventually. I already have a pretty good rack but need ice tools, screws, crampons, boots, and anything specific to ice climbing.

Budget is not a huge issue but hoping to spend around $250/ ice tool, $60/screw, etc

I like to purchase higher end things that I can grow with and not need to replace.

I plan on taking a ice climbing class to learn the basics and am looking for a good book.

Thanks

The list you wrote pretty much covers it besides clothing. Good ice climbing gloves and a separate belay glove are good investments.

You might want to reconsider the $ you want to invest if you want high end gear.... 250$ for tools?? that might get you 1...

and 60$ for screws? thats close to the price of 1...

It's the sad part of Ice climbing, it's frea%&ng expensive...

my bad, read your msg to fast, if you mean 250 per tool and 60 per screw you are spot on and you should get good gear! i would suggest X-Dream or X-All for tools and BD for screws.

The standard advice is still applicable - try before you buy. Boots need to fit well and match the volume/shape of your foot. Tools need to suit the swing you will have. You haven't climbed ice yet, but believe me, you will swing a certain way. It's a lot better to buy the type of tool that works best for you. Some folks take a big, long arc swing, and IME they do well with BD's tools Others are more wrist flick and pair up best with Petzl, Trango, or CAMP/Cassin. Crampons need to fit the boots you buy of course, but there are strong feelings out there when it comes to monopoint vs dual. Try both or buy a convertible crampon. Crampons are probably the safest thing to buy used (<$100); put the money you save into gloves.

Hopefully the folks who take you out the first several times will have a range of gear that you can test drive.

And screws aren't in the picture until you're leading.

I spent my first year ice climbing on a supper cheap budget I spent 50 $ and climbed maybe 10 - 15 times that season. I just bought a pair of used mountaineering boots and got a free pair of crampons from the 60's that worked ok.

Gear List
BOOTS
CRAMPONS

Borrow some ones Tools tell you know what you want / like

I think I climbed ice for two years before I bought my own screws.

"Try before you buy" is good advice, but, judging by the number of used tools for sale out there, I'd say no one follows it.

I vote that you should pick up some like-new used tools. You won't really know what you want until a few seasons in anyway. NEIce has a bunch of used pairs in their classified section. See if someone would ship to you? The BD Fuels seem good enough to me. Vipers are OK for starters.

If you absolutely want new, check out the Trango Raptors. They aren't as much of a price commitment as other options and I think they're pretty good tools.

Will Gadd suggested something like 150 pitches of ice climbing before leading. I'd consider doing that before you buy screws.

Boots are really important. Make sure boots fit with some room in the toe (this will help keep your toes warm) and that they won't let your heel lift at all when front pointing. You can test this by trying on the boots with the socks you will be wearing and standing on a ledge or stair with just the toe of the boot on the lip, with your heel hanging off the edge. You'll be looking for a single leather boot for now. Common choices are La Sportiva Nepal, Las Sportiva Batura, Salewa Pro Guide, Scarpa, etc. I run the Salewa Pro Guide.

Crampons are important, and they need to fit your boot. I like Grivel crampons but Petzl and Black Diamond are popular too. I suggest going for vertical front points. Some people prefer one front point, some prefer two. I like one, but I like my Grivel G14 crampons because I can switch between mono and dual.

You really can't go wrong with ice tools. People talk a lot about "finding the right tool for you" but in all honesty I think that it is more a matter of adapting to different tools. You'll find two general types: really technical tools for steep ice and mixed (Petzl Nomic, BD Fusion, Cassin X-Dream) and less technical tools, better for less steep ice, mixed and snow (BD Cobra, Petzl Quark, Cassin X-All Mountain). People climb all types of stuff with all types of tools. I chose the Cassin X-All Mountain because I'm mostly interested in Grade III-IV alpine ice and mixed routes that commonly have a lot of snow, requiring some plunging ability. Watch for sales, and consider buying used.

You can't go wrong with screws either. Buy ones that have a crank. I like the Petzl Laser Speed screws (not the orange, aluminum ones). Bulk up your rack with primarily 13cm screws, some 16cms, one or two 10cm (if you like the thin stuff) and one 22cm. The 22cm screw is the only one that I would consider buying of the new Petzl aluminum screws, because it has the greatest weight savings and you'll probably only place it at belays. You can get good deals on these, and shouldn't have to spend more than $50 a screw if you watch for sales (I just got a Petzl 10cm for $35 on Amazon).

Finally, you'll want to dial in your clothing. Just to give you an example, here is what I typically wear: Salewa Boots, wool socks, The North Face medium base layers, Outdoor Research Cirque Pants, Arcteryx Atom LT jacket (definitely one of the best jackets ever designed for ice climbing), a very thin beanie that fits well under my helmet, neck gaiter, and a big belay parka. Gloves are super important as well, I highly recommend having two pairs. I really like Outdoor Research gloves, but I have some Rab Baltoro gloves that are pretty nice too. Check Sierra Trading post for OR gloves, you can get some crazy deals (I believe I got my OR Contact gloves for $30).

Random: Buy Petzl Caritool ice clippers (not the BD version... trust me) and a hydroflask. You can boil water in the morning, leave it in the car/camp, and it will still be warm later in the day. Get a file to sharpen your crampons and ice tools. I like to climb with the BD Spinner Leash to avoid losing my tools when on a big route and sometime when leading.

IMO the trango raptors are great tools, and are cheaper new than some used tools.

I agree that everyone has a different swing even if you've never climbed ice but you can and will learn to swing according to the tool.

lots of good info here

iceclimbingforums.com/forum…