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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- What is good ice climbing? How do you climb ice with more flow, security, and enjoyment? I spend a lot of my winters teaching clinics and working on technique with everyone from novices to WI6 leaders. I shot this video last year and thought it would be fun to share and talk about. Joseph has done a whack of climbing on ice, and wanted to get better. The first video shows where he's at, then I comment on it, then the last video is his final climb of the day. He was thrashed, but his movement is better, and more important his understanding of ice climbing is far far better. I love these days working with people, it's a privilege to help people climb better and have fun in the mountains. A few things Joseph is doing right in the first video:
-Tools staggered. He understands modern technique.
-Trying to drive the motion with his legs.
-Looking at where he swings.
-Bending his knees and hips to kick (mostly).
-Getting his waist away from the ice to kick, and mostly standing up with straight legs.
-He's going up!
I get into potential improvements and thoughts in the video. I hope this is helpful for everyone, good fun.
-WG
Best thing I learned ice climbing is to step with your opposite foot towards your high tool then bring the other foot to make your sturdy base, rather than step wide with the leading foot. Really made my climbing more secure, with fewer wobbles and leading ice became so relaxing, I could be yelling jokes to other climbers and my belayer while placing screws! A sharp contrast to feeling slightly panicked the year before. Have Stas Beskin and Will Gadd to thank for helping me get there!
Excellent balance examples and overall refinements of technique presented here. Great instruction!
Wow, such an improvement in a single day.........I wish I had someone coaching me like that back in the day........great tips to be sure!!!
To be fair, he was going for the concave bit of ice, but rightfully noticed that the rope he was hanging of was in the way, thus choosing a (worse) different spot... He saved you a couple of bucks, Will ;-)
I've started ice climbing some years ago and the question "what is good ice climbing" has been my number one focus from day one. Trying to answer that question = improving time and time again. You and Jeff Lowe had it dialed in years ago. It seems ice really has that single 'best approach', unlike rock climbing... Monkey hang!
Soon the ice is back and I can start repeating my favourite mantra: Swing, hips out, feet up, feet even, hips in: step into the triangle, swing! Ah looking forward to it!
Hi Thomas, glad you enjoyed it, keep moving!
Great! We need more of this examples, because ice climbing its so complex, its great to learn always new small things, specially ice feet work, that i found my kryptonite 😭
Thx
Great video!
Fantastic as always, Will! More of these, please?
More to come!
Thx Mr. Gadd for this Video. Did my first lead today on a 3 pitch WI5, had a hard time! I know i can move, but it felt pumped after few meters. i grapped my iceaxe so hard, is there anything i can do for my Head beside climbing lead over and over again? i mean every single pitch was the hardest pitch in my life.. stay safe m8!
@Malcolm Hansell I did it, did alot WI4 pitches. I thought if i can climb hard rock, i should be able to climb hard ice too... leading now WI4 without any problems.. getting used to my axes and dry tooling in sommer now and maybe next year then. But thanks for the advice! Stay safe!
Baserape Umad (?!) When I hit a wall in my progress and my head starts spinning and I can't get out of my own way, I hire an experienced, qualified guide. The path to enlightenment is a professional critique and a day of fun!
What does this mean? "You've been on the queen of lean"? "Oh yeah I've been doing laps on the queen"
Colin Johnson- I thought he said Queen of Moline, as in the name of some ice climb where the climber has practiced and climbed repeatedly (done "laps") and improved, but still has room to improve more with some fine tuning.