The appeal of ice climbing

So, what is it about ice climbing? I get it if your up in Canada or alaska and their is nothing else to do, but why do people seek out ice to climb? To me it's miserable. I hate being cold, the protection is essentially non existant, and your dealing with a medium that goes from solid to gas when warmed. Why not just go climb a rock?

it's what separates the men from the girls

also: it's fun

Mark Twight said it "doesn't have to be fun to be fun".

And just to look at those amazing aesthetic lines, in the beautiful winter mountains. Who wouldn't want to climb them?

Besides it's a gear junkies wet dream.

n00bw1b00b wrote: it's miserable...cold, the protection is essentially non existant, and your dealing with a medium that goes from solid to gas when warmed.

You missed the screaming barfies, that's what makes ice climbing fun. That and whiskey.

don't forget the manspoon through those long winter nights.

Ice climbing hones your skills so you can hit harder and more technical mountaineering routes. Top roping last year and learning to ice climb opened up a few couloirs for me this past season that I woudn't have donw without ice tools.

Still not convinced. I see the point your making, Scott, but seriously, people venture out just to ice climb... not climb in the alpine, just hack your way up some ice. OK?

Probably along the same lines of why people rock climb. Who knows really. Just being out there with friends, enjoying the mountains, using your mind and body.

Not every day climbing rocks is fun...hot, sunburned, dehydrated etc. I have had great and bad days on both.

n00bw1b00b wrote:Still not convinced. I see the point your making, Scott, but seriously, people venture out just to ice climb... not climb in the alpine, just hack your way up some ice. OK?

You sound like my ex girl friends. Maybe you should also remind me how dangerous it is =).

n00bw1b00b wrote:So, what is it about ice climbing? I get it if your up in Canada or alaska and their is nothing else to do

Wow you are very ignorant. I'm Canadian and I rock climb outside more in the Winter than I ice climb. Ohh and BTW we don't live in Igloos.

Maybe this test shed some light on the mentality of ice climbing.
One question IQ test:
Do you want to go ice climbing?
Response: Surely you Jest.
IQ: 150+
Response: Sounds a little crazy, I'm not interested
IQ: 125-150
Response: Maybe someday, I'll call you
IQ: 100-125
Response: I'd like to give it a try. Will you take me sometime?
IQ: 80-100
Response: Do we have to wait until morning?
IQ: 50-80

I'm at about 65 and I'm guessing n00bw1b00b is more like 135.
I lifted this from Jack Hunt's intro from Life by the Drop, the SLV ice/mixed guide

n00bw1b00b wrote:I hate being cold

wear more clothes.

Will Butler wrote: You sound like my ex girl friends. Maybe you should also remind me how dangerous it is =).

Hahaha, every time I go ice climbing my wife cleans the whole house because she's so nervous she can't stop moving

Ben Botelho wrote:it's what separates the men from the girls

Wrong, I have several of my best ice climbing partners are women.

My Wife at play


Ice climbing seperates the candy ass climber and the real climbers.

My Wife making an snow angel, Montana Style.


Besides how are you going to rock climb when the clifs are covered with ice and snow? Rack up a broom and ice scraper?

Ben Botelho wrote:it's what separates the men from the girls

I sooooo disagree!!!! It may separate the women from the boys though......

It is a good thing the OP doesn't understand...... Stick to skiing in the winter!!!

:-)

n00bw1b00b wrote:So, what is it about ice climbing? I get it if your up in Canada or alaska and their is nothing else to do, but why do people seek out ice to climb? To me it's miserable. I hate being cold, the protection is essentially non existant, and your dealing with a medium that goes from solid to gas when warmed. Why not just go climb a rock?

Well in the world of science, when the solid form of water, which we shall call, of let's just say, ice, gets warmer it turns into a liquid, let's call that water.

Unless you ice climb on dry ice and shit just sublimates instantly when warm.

But trolling can only be so easy huh?

haha girls are not the same as women, am I right

......and most male climbers are boys....

oh snap! haha

There is no appeal. Mind your business, nothing to see heren move along...

Any one interested in learning ice, it is terrible, but I hear snow boarding rocks!