You know what Jams My Cams? Ice Climbing, nearly everything about it save the “climbing” part.
I honestly think that the sport of ice climbing is pretty cool, but there are some barriers to entry that make it perhaps the most difficult of disciplines to enter and therefore somewhat annoying to us lay-people. Of course, there is a whole new set of skills that you must acquire and new pieces of gear to learn how to use, but if you now anything about me, that is the fun part. I love learning new things and talking about, shopping for, caring for, and testing new gear is my heaven. All of that doesn’t really bother me so much as the three major obstacles listed below:
Cold Temperatures
To quote myself, “I’m not a quitter, but I am a sissy.” It’s funny I should be adverse to the cold when I already ski which also takes place outside, usually around the same time that the ice should be good for climbing in most parts. The truth about most rock climbers, including me, is that we have a relatively low body fat content and muscle is a terrible insulator. Essentially, I shed heat like a wood stove in a cabin, but you toss it in the snow and it cools down pretty fast. I would argue that with skiing you are always moving, but that gets broken up with lift time and if the line is too long, you get cold again, then get warm on your next run looking for a shorter lift line. That sounds basically the same as the climber vs. belayer position, one is roasting from effort and the other is freezing because they are standing still. Usually, if you are on a big enough mountain or the slopes are oriented well, you can follow the sun and/or get out of the wind on super cold days, which is totally the opposite notion for ice climbing. Sun kills ice so they seek the shade, and the wind is almost a certainty for those exposed faces and through the valleys. Gross. Finally, with skiing, I can always retreat inside if it gets too cold and pay $10 for a hot chocolate (add Kaluha for $3 at the bar or bring your own). Ice climbing, not so much, but you can melt some snow and get a hot cup of tea. Look, I have been bouldering when it was down in the teens plus a wind chill so I have been out climbing in the cold, and I know that with ice climbing I would have more layers on the most important parts like my hands and feet what with the gloves and the boots, but the cold sucks. I have been cold before, even been hypothermic once or twice with good winter gear on due to extended time outside. I hate being cold and if that makes me a sissy, then so be it. I will admit it freely and proudly because I know what I like and what I like is to be warm.
Location/Local Climate
Now I am not saying that ice climbing takes place in bad locations, in fact, many photos of ice climbing I have seen are buried in some of the most beautiful landscapes ever photographed. The real truth here is that you have to either live near a noted area that gets ice or travel every time you want to go out. What I love most about bouldering and many single-pitch routes is that there is something in almost every state, except Louisiana (just ask John Sherman). There are simply more opportunities in those disciplines within a shorter driving radius than ice climbing. I know I drive some great distances to go climbing, but that is out of choice, not out of necessity. Also, those rocks are pretty much always there. When thinking about location it is important to think about the local climate and the simple fact that it is different every year because that has a major effect on the conditions of the ice. One year it could be bullet water ice and the next it could be fragile snow ice or not even there. Call me needy, but I like a little bit more reliability in my pursuits, and wouldn’t it be awful if you are planning a trip all week with conditions looking good but then a freak heat wave makes it unsafe to climb when you are halfway there. Some would argue that this is exactly why ice climbing is so special, because you never know when you are going to get to do a route again, and the route is always changing, sometimes frequently over the course of a season making each ascent that much more special. I look at this way, if the rock is wet, I look for another area or a sheltered project, but heat is all around and affects everything equally. It is a question of risk versus reward and my safety is more important to my loved ones than any intrinsic achievements I may find. I want to be in control, not at the mercy of the weather and and of the ice. I know rockfa
ll happens, usually after major rain storms, but rarely am I ever afraid that the very piece of rock I am climbing to is going to cut away and take me and my anchor and my partner with with it.
Cost of Entry
The gear, man, that sh*t is expensive! I should also note here that I only ski because it is part of my job and I got a serious discount on my equipment, so it is pretty cheap for me and I feel blessed every time I look at the price board over at lift ticket sales. If I ever lost or left this job, skiing would be out the window too. Look at the photo below and just look at how much extra you need to get into the sport, and it doesn’t even include the clothing! You can thank Liberty Mountain Climbing for giving great detail on every item in their blog. Axes, crampons, and screws, oh my! Not only that, but there are different axe heads and handles for different types of ice, different crampons for ice types and you preferred style, and of course, different length screws for your pro. Also, make sure your ropes are double-dry treated or else you just ruined you regular route line, and those ropes cost a bundle, nearly twice as much as a standard-dry rope. it is a lot to purchase, and while some it can be acquired used or borrowed, some of it should also be purchased out-right to fit you and the evolving times (read: never purchase a used rope). In one go, this is thousands of dollars and even if you spread it out over a few season and borrow what you need, it could mean you will not have exactly what you need when you need it. I guess, again, that is just what adds to the adventure that ice climbing.
In Closing
To further justify my position as a personal preference and not as some holier than thou piece, I wnt to know that I have tried ice climbing. I took the indoor class when it was offered at the gym so that I could learn to use axes and crampons correctly in a safe and warm (thereby attentive) environment. It was pretty cool. I took the weekend outside when my school (Garrett College) offered it because conditions were fantastic that year. It was fun but damn was it cold and way more dangerous even just walking around the base because of, you know, all the ice and the not kicking yourself in the calf with your crampons. I gave it a fair shake and found out it was not for me. Thanks to this weather on the east coast I was reminded just how much I don’t want to invest my time, energy, and hot chocolate money in this sport. Those of you that do, even at the recreational level, my hat is off to you. The sport is pretty cool and I don’t want to think that I am putting you guys down for any reason, this is just a piece about how ice climbing Jams My Cams and how ice climbing is simply not for me…because I am a sissy. You guys are some serious badasses and I wish you safety and warm blood in all of your adventures.
-Tylor Streett, doesn’t want ice climbers to come after him with their axes while he is asleep so just to reiterate, this sport rad to the max. Now can someone please get him another blanket?
