in rock climbing or sports climbing it’s very common to push yourself to the limit and falls are embraced and trained for, ice climbing is not the same at all so it is a pretty good advice actually
It's uncommon to tie in to your ice axes these days both bc its faster to have them unleashed while climbing and bc if you fall there's less of a potential for them to impale you. However, while setting up an anchor with my screws I'd often tie in to one ice axe as an anchor point or as a backup while belaying off an ice anchor setup.
I always had mine leashed to my wrist, it was pretty easy to get them on or off as needed. Falling was so undesirable that getting impaled was often the least of my worries.
I learned ..ice climbing is all about the right temperature and texture.. and it takes all these years of experience to simply never understand or judge conditions. Thanks.. nuthing for my kind
Really nice video and some good examples of falls. Also, really great that you speak to some of the hazards of falling on ice. I broke "the first rule of ice climbing" last season as I fell on a single pitch ice climb. That was indeed a really gnarly experience and I was lucky nothing really happened - except I had to change underpants ;)
I've taken two whippers on ice screws. On my first fall, i had just told my belayers that the ice screw I had just placed was horrible. My axe ripped out of some chandeliered garbage. All was well. 😁
For ice cragging, I never use leashes. I am the only competent lead climber in the group I go with, hopefully that changes soon when my 2 friends start practicing leading easy terrain, but Id rather climb with one tool or take a clean tool less fall than potentially take a fall with ice tools attached to big rubber bands, ie slingshots aimed directly at my groin. Plus if I need to rest in a hard section, I just get a tool gutenstuck then clip in with a personal to the eye. Losing a tool is better than being impaled by one.
leashes get in the way. they get tangled with the rope and eachother. they make it harder to match and are a pain with mixed climbing. i only use leases on routes where dropping a tool with be catastrophic (big alpine routes with an involved/steep descent or routes that you can't bail down on). you also make it sound like leashes will catch you if you fall. that is unlikely. they might hold static body weight but if you take a small whipper onto your leashes, they will break
I did two ice pitches in my entire life. TR Boston one cold but sunny day. Got my first experience of a dinner plate. Followed Vera Cruz (Catskills) on like a -5 degree F day. Got the screaming barffies in my hands before I knew what that was called. BITD I had original Lowe Foot Fangs that tore through clothing like they tore through soft ice, a Chouinard short axe and a Grivel ice tool. I hated ice climbing. Later that spring (1982), my ice gear got stolen; and I was not too upset. I surf all winter in NJ, but happily no longer an ice climber.
Hey take this or leave it, but gear has changed a TON since ‘82. If the ice calls to you again, you’ll find a different experience with single boots and x-dreams
8:20, serious question... What do you do as a belayer in that situation if ice boulders that size are coming down onto your rope? Do you just give out as much slack as possible?
@@Nerudah He had a youtube channel called Dominik Socha, he was mainly doing risky free solo climbs and yea he died in Slovak Tatras doing a winter climb sadly. He was very young too early 20s
If you want to look like a "pro" (on a competition) you will not tie into your ice axes. I know some Alpine guides swear to having their ice axes free (probably ego/school of ego). When you want to constantly switch between left/right axe (for example while traversing) it is easier if you are free of any tethers to the axes. But yeah - since it makes you much safer and less prone to getting stranded or having to downclimb to retrieve it - always tie into the axes.
I've never heard of anyone be tied in to their axes at all time. Leashed in with elastic cordes sure if you are in some long multipitch, but those are not meant to hold your weight and even that has some potential risks if you fall as it will slingshot the axes back in your face.. . If you quickly want to secure yourself people might use their anchor tether and clip into an ice axe really secured in the ice in a pinch as, last resort but that's all.
@@Orwan01 I agree - this is in the context of multipitch ice/mixed climbing or for making you extra safe while lead single pitch ice climbing. (edit: specifically on the ice climber who could have screwed the ice screw single handed (standing with such stiff shoes on a ledge usually gives you no feedback on when you are out of balance so yes - keeping one axe in is better than having a leash probably) and the last one dropping the ice axe...(this is what I meant)) It indeed takes much more practice on the ice to start leading, so safety first. And last resort and just in case are the things that usually keep you alive. For competition - yes, you are doing much more complex and hard moves where any straps will fail you. The fails in the video were either with inexperienced or over-confident climbers and we are here to learn from their bad experiences. As BetaClimbers pointed out - you always want to have your axes over your head so you can secure them and that a slip will not result in a very dynamic fall. Then being tied-in not with the fancy elastic leashes (that are probably rated to ~1-2kn) but let's say 7mm accessory cords with a swivel will give you a safer experience.
I am such a newby rock climbing little virgin right now but watching every single one of your videos 100% gives me soooo much knowledge .. not only on the correct things to do but also the WRONG things to do .. hopefully u read this personally amd maybe somewhere down the road i get myself mentioned on your Chanel .. hopefully not in a "how not to" video lol .. love from glasgow , scotland x (ps Glasgow is actually said .. Glaz - go .. x
So I have noticed over the years that’s is has become more popular to not tie into your axes. I’m of the opinion that this is a step in the wrong direction. Let me know what you think.
In very demanding climbing the leader is often switching hands and doing hand matches on the tools. That is the reason going leashless and not clipping.
Well some may say, it gives you the chance to throw your axes away in case of a fall, without having them as rubber banding blades coming back at you... but I mean, nothing against you having long leashes to keep them away!
@@FlatOutFE On shorter multipitch ice climbs and/or single pitches I tend not to climb with leashes exactly for the reasons you are mentioning. Especially on traverses or mixed terrain you would like as much freedom as possible. On big alpine climbs or longer multipitches of steep ice I more or less always climb with leashes as I don't want to end up like that guy at 9:20.
@@FlatOutFE that’s a good point, I guess if you are doing a more fast passed competitive style of ice climbing leashes will just get in the way. But they must have a couple extra axes Incase they fall and the axe is left in the ice above?
A reason not to be tethered to your ice tools: when you fall off (say you lost your grip on a tool so it remains stuck in, or even both tools remain stuck in...) very quickly you hit the end of the slack in the tethers, this will be like a mild daisy chain fall, which shock loads the tethers sending your tool or tools rocketing right for you. Even if that doesn't have bad consequences now you're falling with these sharp tools flailing around you (you cant get away from them because they're tied in right by your crouch) during the fall, which could be a very long one. Better have put a Screamer (or better still a Zipper Screamer) on that screw that's supposed to catch you. On a longer climbs and especially remote climbs it wouldn't be a bad idea for a "third tool" to be carried. A team of two climbers could bring a single third tool to be carried by whoever is leading at the time. That seems like a reasonable option to provide some insurance against a lost tool in a scenario where such a mistake would be dangerous. Otherwise, realistically a climber should be disciplined enough to be confident in their ability to not drop a tool. Old school wrist leashes could be a viable option. They may be inconvenient but pose less than tethering leashes tools to your belay loop.
I wouldnt want it tied to me necessarily. Think of it like falling with a knife, you wouldnt want it tethered to you where it could get trapped under you or fall the perfect way where it would stab into you. I would much rather be able to toss the axe a good distance away so i have no chance of it stabbing me.
It safer to top rope just to the side like the dude in one of the later ones. As you can see what happens to the ice. When a big chunk let's go you will generally start a slight barn door effect and the chunk ends up falling away from you instead of on you.
It doesn’t sound like you have actually been on ice. My first ice climb, was leading, in Colorado in 78 or 79. It’s big fun, BUT the leader shall not fall. Climbing ice without leashes has always bewildered me.
The new leashless tools are actually better to climb on without leashes and not as pumpy as they may seem. Older tools use a wrist leash because there’s nothing to keep your hand from sliding off and you could hang your weight off of them straight arm. I plan on using some old BD black prophets this winter so I can listen to the drivel lol.
if your mixed Alpine Climbing and fall and your leash catches on a rock it will spring load and whip off in a motion that could absolutely impair you. on an alpine climb like that, where you aren't fully dry tooling, I can see why he did have it tied on.
It looks like the guy trying to do an ice axe arrest didn't manage to get his weight on top of the axe.... Having it out Infront of you is kinda useless
Joe Simpson of ‘Touching the Void’ fame, fell while ice climbing in the Karakoram; his knee snapped the wrong way and the crampon tore his nose almost completely off.....Eeeek!
Third 'clip,' excuse pun; crampons might have been a good idea, they're on a snow slope not ice, see they're 'carrying' snowshoes! so too steep to use them. Looks more dramatic than actuality, probably better to do a controlled glissade in that situation.
well, if that out of control sliding climber (3rd clip) had on crampons, they *could* have suffered snapped ankle(s) or other broke lower leg issues and/or just flipped off into cartwheel zone when they (crampons) caught on whatever... not a good idea to *intentionally* do any glissade etc with them on...
Do people not learn to fall arrest with a walking axe before attempting stuff like this? That technique was awful, and I'm amazed both climbers went at the same time. The difference between the two could be life or death if there was a drop below, even a relatively small one of 20ft would hurt.
5:15 unfortunately he is not using the right technique... he put the head of the axe into the snow, but as soon as he load the weight, the spike at the bottom catches and send the axe flying again! I guess the guy should have put the second hand closer to the bottom of the axe and arched the body a little bit more 🤔
2:10 do you mean soloing or leading? We encourage people to lead climb in approachable ice after a solid season. Soloing.....no way. Sadly the publicity and cool videos of soloists gave people a false sense of safety. This habit of not securing the ice axes is sadly too common in Europe. They argue that the climber can switch axes to progress more swiftly and it is extremely popular in the mixed climbing community. Fun fact: when the same people travel to engaged remote ice walls in the andes, the tie up their ice axes. I guess it has to do with the sensation of safety. If Europe = safe. If Andes = risky. But the ice axe can fall (and does fall) in the Alps too. And all the videos and banners of great climbers on the nice gear shops do not use the slings. Everyone is too cool. Then the recreational wants to imitate and it's all trouble.
can someone explain ice climbing to me? like why do people do it? I know I know, I as a rock climber am being very hypocritical, my sport is just as dumb and pointless. but it just seems so dangerous just to ladder up some ice. and it always looks like people have very little protection. AND YOU CANT FALL?!! I fall all the time rock climbing so I'm not sure if I could get into something that I only get a couple chances at. side question, do you get absolutely soaking wet doing this?
You realistically cannot fall on rock as well if we are talking alpine leads, gear can be sketchy and far apart, with often swings over an edge or falls to a ledge even if you are several draws/pitches of the ground. The is unwritten rule that you do alpine climbs 2 grades below your usual on-sight grade. Ice climbs are the same, The guys here broke the #1 rule - never accept anything else than a solid placement. And mostly you train on the steep stuff to do some nice "easy" climbing to top of the big mountain later when you are solid. Not to mention that most of the times the screws will hold, if the ice is good and you wont cut the rope. Also that why you always use, even for rock, 2 ropes instead of one. So as everything, you can make it as safe as you want to and as they say, if you think this is dangerous, try routine, that will kill you. Btw if you never iceclimbed, you will pop out after 3 meters as some of these guys :D its not so hard as rock, but its not so straight forward as well.
Last question, yes you can get entirely soaked, particularly if climbing waterfall ice, good shells and gloves are key. Ice climbing was a natural progression out of need for alpine climbing, where snow and ice form natural weaknesses through otherwise very hard lines. Ice tends not to be as vertical as most rock, climbing, and you have more options for placing picks than the limited moves in climbing (to a point), so there is not as much chance of falling as in rock climbing
Think about the end goal of climbing in general… getting to the top of a mountain. It’s quite common for shady alpine routes to hold ice nearly year round. So just like rock climbing, you build your ice skills at the crag to be able to complete your alpine climbs up high!
First guy was just in "brain switched off" mode and pulled both axes out at the same time while soloing. Walk back to the Honda before the swelling starts. Your day is over.
So you don't actually ice climb much do you? You no longer tie into your tools. That stopped about a decade ago. The spinner leashes manufactured by the ice climbing companies state clear they are NOT designed to hold body weight. So the only reason to tie in is long routes where dropping a tool could be a problem. Otherwise the leashes are just an unnecessary hassle. You don't carry pitons and a hammer anymore, you no longer need to be tied to your tools either. As for falling the risk is your feet stop the rest of your body keeps going and you break an ankle. A fall from as little as 2m could do this, that's why you don't fall. Most of these videos were guys with poor technique not maintaining 3 solid points of contact with the ice. I will leave it at that. But what do I know after 30 years ice climbing, oh and I am leashless on everything except 3+ pitch routes where dropping a tool means starting again at the bottom
dude's yelling "how you feel" at the faller before he even hits the ground lmao
Strange audio. I thought instantly it’s neurotic new USA
He wanted to know if the guy thought he broke a bone or something
Not falling is actually pretty good advice for all types of climbing. I am gonna have to make a note of that one...
in rock climbing or sports climbing it’s very common to push yourself to the limit and falls are embraced and trained for, ice climbing is not the same at all so it is a pretty good advice actually
It's uncommon to tie in to your ice axes these days both bc its faster to have them unleashed while climbing and bc if you fall there's less of a potential for them to impale you. However, while setting up an anchor with my screws I'd often tie in to one ice axe as an anchor point or as a backup while belaying off an ice anchor setup.
I always had mine leashed to my wrist, it was pretty easy to get them on or off as needed. Falling was so undesirable that getting impaled was often the least of my worries.
Yeah leashes are dumb. How hard is it to not drop shit while climbing? Maintaining positive control of your gear is fucking basic entry level shit.
Remember: if you miss even ONE episode of climbing fails it might literally kill you.
I learned that I'm happy I've been avoiding Ice Climbing this whole time.
I learned ..ice climbing is all about the right temperature and texture.. and it takes all these years of experience to simply never understand or judge conditions. Thanks.. nuthing for my kind
seriously. I'm an avid climber, but I have absolutely 0 desire to go ice climbing
Aside from the guy who got hit in the head with falling ice and the avalanche of ice, these were all easily avoidable climber errors.
Really nice video and some good examples of falls. Also, really great that you speak to some of the hazards of falling on ice. I broke "the first rule of ice climbing" last season as I fell on a single pitch ice climb. That was indeed a really gnarly experience and I was lucky nothing really happened - except I had to change underpants ;)
Good to hear you made it out okay 👍🏻
I've taken two whippers on ice screws. On my first fall, i had just told my belayers that the ice screw I had just placed was horrible. My axe ripped out of some chandeliered garbage. All was well. 😁
For ice cragging, I never use leashes. I am the only competent lead climber in the group I go with, hopefully that changes soon when my 2 friends start practicing leading easy terrain, but Id rather climb with one tool or take a clean tool less fall than potentially take a fall with ice tools attached to big rubber bands, ie slingshots aimed directly at my groin. Plus if I need to rest in a hard section, I just get a tool gutenstuck then clip in with a personal to the eye. Losing a tool is better than being impaled by one.
clean falls and ice climbing don't belong in the same sentence
@@user-do2rb6rp8z agreed, but I think he means falling without tools attached to him
The last climber is Dominik Socha in the High Tatras.
I really liked his videos..
He died in the mountains. His videos are full of examples of risky decisions.
I only saw a few of his videos before I found out he'd passed away. His content looked scary but awesome. RIP
I love the Vysoke Tatry!
His Videos were simple but awesome💔
leashes get in the way. they get tangled with the rope and eachother. they make it harder to match and are a pain with mixed climbing. i only use leases on routes where dropping a tool with be catastrophic (big alpine routes with an involved/steep descent or routes that you can't bail down on). you also make it sound like leashes will catch you if you fall. that is unlikely. they might hold static body weight but if you take a small whipper onto your leashes, they will break
And to add to your point, it’s very uncommon for people to weight tools. Competent ice climbers rarely get pumped, especially on WI4 or below
I did two ice pitches in my entire life. TR Boston one cold but sunny day. Got my first experience of a dinner plate. Followed Vera Cruz (Catskills) on like a -5 degree F day. Got the screaming barffies in my hands before I knew what that was called. BITD I had original Lowe Foot Fangs that tore through clothing like they tore through soft ice, a Chouinard short axe and a Grivel ice tool. I hated ice climbing. Later that spring (1982), my ice gear got stolen; and I was not too upset. I surf all winter in NJ, but happily no longer an ice climber.
Hey take this or leave it, but gear has changed a TON since ‘82. If the ice calls to you again, you’ll find a different experience with single boots and x-dreams
8:20, serious question... What do you do as a belayer in that situation if ice boulders that size are coming down onto your rope? Do you just give out as much slack as possible?
9:32 that's in High Tatras, unfortunately Dominik is not among us anymore.
Sorry to hear. Did he die climbing if I might ask?
@@souslesbombes Yeah, he died in the mountains.
"...nature is trying to kill you with its cold cold icy chill of death". Now that's a good woven pleonasm!
9:20 Guy was climbing in Tatra mountains in Poland. Unfortunately, he died in February 2020.
wow . . .
who'd have guessed...
@@Nerudah He had a youtube channel called Dominik Socha, he was mainly doing risky free solo climbs and yea he died in Slovak Tatras doing a winter climb sadly. He was very young too early 20s
He was Polish beut I think the climb on the video is in the Slovak side of High Tatras. I might be wrong tho
Dominik Socha is dead?!! Woah...
I love this channel... I have no want to ice climb but I love your videos! The ending was great!
Good stuff! Love the content variety!
Lol, I liked the previously uploaded video and TH-cam said it doesn't exists. Thanks Josh for sharing this with us.
Yeah I had an editing error I had to re upload thanks for coming back! 🤙🏻
If you want to look like a "pro" (on a competition) you will not tie into your ice axes.
I know some Alpine guides swear to having their ice axes free (probably ego/school of ego).
When you want to constantly switch between left/right axe (for example while traversing) it is easier if you are free of any tethers to the axes.
But yeah - since it makes you much safer and less prone to getting stranded or having to downclimb to retrieve it - always tie into the axes.
I've never heard of anyone be tied in to their axes at all time. Leashed in with elastic cordes sure if you are in some long multipitch, but those are not meant to hold your weight and even that has some potential risks if you fall as it will slingshot the axes back in your face.. . If you quickly want to secure yourself people might use their anchor tether and clip into an ice axe really secured in the ice in a pinch as, last resort but that's all.
@@Orwan01
I agree - this is in the context of multipitch ice/mixed climbing or for making you extra safe while lead single pitch ice climbing. (edit: specifically on the ice climber who could have screwed the ice screw single handed (standing with such stiff shoes on a ledge usually gives you no feedback on when you are out of balance so yes - keeping one axe in is better than having a leash probably) and the last one dropping the ice axe...(this is what I meant))
It indeed takes much more practice on the ice to start leading, so safety first. And last resort and just in case are the things that usually keep you alive.
For competition - yes, you are doing much more complex and hard moves where any straps will fail you.
The fails in the video were either with inexperienced or over-confident climbers and we are here to learn from their bad experiences.
As BetaClimbers pointed out - you always want to have your axes over your head so you can secure them and that a slip will not result in a very dynamic fall. Then being tied-in not with the fancy elastic leashes (that are probably rated to ~1-2kn) but let's say 7mm accessory cords with a swivel will give you a safer experience.
The way you climbed into the void sent me
I am such a newby rock climbing little virgin right now but watching every single one of your videos 100% gives me soooo much knowledge .. not only on the correct things to do but also the WRONG things to do .. hopefully u read this personally amd maybe somewhere down the road i get myself mentioned on your Chanel .. hopefully not in a "how not to" video lol .. love from glasgow , scotland x (ps Glasgow is actually said .. Glaz - go .. x
Right on, start low and slow 🤙🏻
So I have noticed over the years that’s is has become more popular to not tie into your axes. I’m of the opinion that this is a step in the wrong direction. Let me know what you think.
In very demanding climbing the leader is often switching hands and doing hand matches on the tools. That is the reason going leashless and not clipping.
Well some may say, it gives you the chance to throw your axes away in case of a fall, without having them as rubber banding blades coming back at you... but I mean, nothing against you having long leashes to keep them away!
@@FlatOutFE On shorter multipitch ice climbs and/or single pitches I tend not to climb with leashes exactly for the reasons you are mentioning. Especially on traverses or mixed terrain you would like as much freedom as possible. On big alpine climbs or longer multipitches of steep ice I more or less always climb with leashes as I don't want to end up like that guy at 9:20.
@@FlatOutFE that’s a good point, I guess if you are doing a more fast passed competitive style of ice climbing leashes will just get in the way. But they must have a couple extra axes Incase they fall and the axe is left in the ice above?
@@BetaClimbers typically no extras. I'm old school, 50 years old, and climb with leashes. 😁
A reason not to be tethered to your ice tools: when you fall off (say you lost your grip on a tool so it remains stuck in, or even both tools remain stuck in...) very quickly you hit the end of the slack in the tethers, this will be like a mild daisy chain fall, which shock loads the tethers sending your tool or tools rocketing right for you. Even if that doesn't have bad consequences now you're falling with these sharp tools flailing around you (you cant get away from them because they're tied in right by your crouch) during the fall, which could be a very long one. Better have put a Screamer (or better still a Zipper Screamer) on that screw that's supposed to catch you.
On a longer climbs and especially remote climbs it wouldn't be a bad idea for a "third tool" to be carried. A team of two climbers could bring a single third tool to be carried by whoever is leading at the time. That seems like a reasonable option to provide some insurance against a lost tool in a scenario where such a mistake would be dangerous. Otherwise, realistically a climber should be disciplined enough to be confident in their ability to not drop a tool.
Old school wrist leashes could be a viable option. They may be inconvenient but pose less than tethering leashes tools to your belay loop.
Keene valley has tons of ice. See some sights with the family and shoot for the dacks!
I wouldnt want it tied to me necessarily. Think of it like falling with a knife, you wouldnt want it tethered to you where it could get trapped under you or fall the perfect way where it would stab into you. I would much rather be able to toss the axe a good distance away so i have no chance of it stabbing me.
throw a swivel in there when attaching to your axes to your harness, keeps things manageable.
Watching this, it just looks like Ice Climbing is the most terribly dangerous thing to do.
It’s fun if done right these guys are pretty bad examples 😂
Man you are awesome! It's pretty much impossible to not at least smile seeing you in that chair all geared up haha
Love your videos man
It safer to top rope just to the side like the dude in one of the later ones.
As you can see what happens to the ice. When a big chunk let's go you will generally start a slight barn door effect and the chunk ends up falling away from you instead of on you.
It doesn’t sound like you have actually been on ice. My first ice climb, was leading, in Colorado in 78 or 79. It’s big fun, BUT the leader shall not fall. Climbing ice without leashes has always bewildered me.
I was thinking the same thing… he keeps talking about being “tethered” to tools… watch any modern ice climbing and they use “leashless” tools
The new leashless tools are actually better to climb on without leashes and not as pumpy as they may seem. Older tools use a wrist leash because there’s nothing to keep your hand from sliding off and you could hang your weight off of them straight arm. I plan on using some old BD black prophets this winter so I can listen to the drivel lol.
5:25 Thats the first thing we were shown on the mountain before doing a tour
4:10 looks like he is climbing a wall of yellow snow 🙊
if your mixed Alpine Climbing and fall and your leash catches on a rock it will spring load and whip off in a motion that could absolutely impair you. on an alpine climb like that, where you aren't fully dry tooling, I can see why he did have it tied on.
10:34 OOPS, shoulda tied my ice axe in!
Thank you, man! Glad you are back 👍
I can’t no more breathe ! So so interesting …thank you !
In Europe we dont tie in our ice axes, because its more likely to get hurt. And the straps wont hold a fall anyway.
It looks like the guy trying to do an ice axe arrest didn't manage to get his weight on top of the axe.... Having it out Infront of you is kinda useless
Ice climbing is no joke, hazards galore
The costumes make these hilarious.
The glove slapping for clip switching was a+
You never want to fall while ice climbing, cause your just a falling flailing bag of guts 🫀and knives 🔪
Hilarious and true
Well, that's pretty much why I don't ice climb. It's cold, wet, and stuff is always falling on you. That and I'm a big sissy!
Ice holes, nice. Lol
Falling while ice climbing.... like falling while holding your whole knives drawer... and landing on top of it.
which rythm were you singing in the begginning?
9:43 watch him losing the other one in the same way🤣
this guy is a czech* climber, died in tantra last year.
*polish
@@MrProphetius RIP... anyway he did what he did
@@MrProphetius Not Czech, Polish ;)
@@ajdo0s_008 thx
my man rocking the BD prophets from 1890 daaaaamn! they on loan from the rock and snow museum cabinet ? lolol jk jk luv u
🤣
The end though... Lol
It’s like normal climbing on heroic mode
In the last video the climber is not anchored anywhere? I never ice climb so it’s a little weird to me. It seems that they are all free soloing ..??
Other people’s “iceholes” lol
Lots of ice 2000 km north of there at moment lol
Joe Simpson of ‘Touching the Void’ fame, fell while ice climbing in the Karakoram; his knee snapped the wrong way and the crampon tore his nose almost completely off.....Eeeek!
He was climbing in the Andes, though
i knew a guy in college who bounced an ice axe off rock and took out 2 front teeth. he was not pleased with the universe for a few months.
Great extro!
Gutts and knives!
lol i saw my workplace in that first photo
\
use tethers when its crucial not to loose your tool... (i.e. ...you decide)
Has this person ever ice climbed before
I am also getting the feeling he’s commentating on something out of his league
Third 'clip,' excuse pun; crampons might have been a good idea, they're on a snow slope not ice, see they're 'carrying' snowshoes! so too steep to use them. Looks more dramatic than actuality, probably better to do a controlled glissade in that situation.
well, if that out of control sliding climber (3rd clip) had on crampons, they *could* have suffered snapped ankle(s) or other broke lower leg issues and/or just flipped off into cartwheel zone when they (crampons) caught on whatever... not a good idea to *intentionally* do any glissade etc with them on...
so, if you doing a figure 4 your telling my axe should be anchored to my hips...sounds terrible
Lol 😂 that’s a whole nothing level of ice climbing your talking about.
nICE 😉👍
Do people not learn to fall arrest with a walking axe before attempting stuff like this? That technique was awful, and I'm amazed both climbers went at the same time. The difference between the two could be life or death if there was a drop below, even a relatively small one of 20ft would hurt.
Ice climbing fails is a bit redundant :)
8:48 - Is he trying to cut his toprope :)
Using ice axes is aid???
helll f yes
5:15 unfortunately he is not using the right technique... he put the head of the axe into the snow, but as soon as he load the weight, the spike at the bottom catches and send the axe flying again! I guess the guy should have put the second hand closer to the bottom of the axe and arched the body a little bit more 🤔
Do you even climb ice
Only when it’s cold outside.
great compilation! 🫣 it reminded me of my own mistakes!
2:10 do you mean soloing or leading?
We encourage people to lead climb in approachable ice after a solid season.
Soloing.....no way. Sadly the publicity and cool videos of soloists gave people a false sense of safety.
This habit of not securing the ice axes is sadly too common in Europe. They argue that the climber can switch axes to progress more
swiftly and it is extremely popular in the mixed climbing community. Fun fact: when the same people travel to engaged remote ice walls
in the andes, the tie up their ice axes. I guess it has to do with the sensation of safety. If Europe = safe. If Andes = risky. But the ice axe
can fall (and does fall) in the Alps too.
And all the videos and banners of great climbers on the nice gear shops do not use the slings. Everyone is too cool. Then the recreational
wants to imitate and it's all trouble.
Ice climbing is not bolted sport climbing. bring a little humility and experience to it. then you can go to 8000 meters
love that jacket fucking sweet a onezy or how ever you spell it
oops
Darwin sport of the century.
Here’s the REAL reason you shouldn’t tie into axes.. because Ice climbing is WHACK, don’t ice climb 😂
can someone explain ice climbing to me? like why do people do it? I know I know, I as a rock climber am being very hypocritical, my sport is just as dumb and pointless. but it just seems so dangerous just to ladder up some ice. and it always looks like people have very little protection. AND YOU CANT FALL?!! I fall all the time rock climbing so I'm not sure if I could get into something that I only get a couple chances at. side question, do you get absolutely soaking wet doing this?
You realistically cannot fall on rock as well if we are talking alpine leads, gear can be sketchy and far apart, with often swings over an edge or falls to a ledge even if you are several draws/pitches of the ground. The is unwritten rule that you do alpine climbs 2 grades below your usual on-sight grade. Ice climbs are the same, The guys here broke the #1 rule - never accept anything else than a solid placement. And mostly you train on the steep stuff to do some nice "easy" climbing to top of the big mountain later when you are solid. Not to mention that most of the times the screws will hold, if the ice is good and you wont cut the rope. Also that why you always use, even for rock, 2 ropes instead of one. So as everything, you can make it as safe as you want to and as they say, if you think this is dangerous, try routine, that will kill you. Btw if you never iceclimbed, you will pop out after 3 meters as some of these guys :D its not so hard as rock, but its not so straight forward as well.
@@VeselenyiVlado duly noted 👍 good explanation
Last question, yes you can get entirely soaked, particularly if climbing waterfall ice, good shells and gloves are key. Ice climbing was a natural progression out of need for alpine climbing, where snow and ice form natural weaknesses through otherwise very hard lines. Ice tends not to be as vertical as most rock, climbing, and you have more options for placing picks than the limited moves in climbing (to a point), so there is not as much chance of falling as in rock climbing
Practice for mixed climbing and mountaineering
ice climbing looks so dumb. like bro why? i get it that it’s a big FU to winter but compared to rock climbing where there are no knives?!?!
Think about the end goal of climbing in general… getting to the top of a mountain. It’s quite common for shady alpine routes to hold ice nearly year round. So just like rock climbing, you build your ice skills at the crag to be able to complete your alpine climbs up high!
Wtf is an eye sack?
First guy was just in "brain switched off" mode and pulled both axes out at the same time while soloing. Walk back to the Honda before the swelling starts. Your day is over.
So you don't actually ice climb much do you?
You no longer tie into your tools. That stopped about a decade ago. The spinner leashes manufactured by the ice climbing companies state clear they are NOT designed to hold body weight. So the only reason to tie in is long routes where dropping a tool could be a problem. Otherwise the leashes are just an unnecessary hassle. You don't carry pitons and a hammer anymore, you no longer need to be tied to your tools either.
As for falling the risk is your feet stop the rest of your body keeps going and you break an ankle. A fall from as little as 2m could do this, that's why you don't fall. Most of these videos were guys with poor technique not maintaining 3 solid points of contact with the ice. I will leave it at that.
But what do I know after 30 years ice climbing, oh and I am leashless on everything except 3+ pitch routes where dropping a tool means starting again at the bottom
Whole video is a guy who doesn't have a a clue about ice climbing trying to explain why you shouldn't fall ice climbing... Smh
Pretty much my first reaction from the first clip. He couldn't even be bothered to google the benefits of climbing leash less.
@@AlpineTrails agreed
9:42, dude almost drops the second one too, lmao.