Ice climbing has gained a reputation as a cold and scary hobby. This is partially true, but with suitable equipment and the right clothing, the activity can even be enjoyable in places. Intimidation is reduced when the use of picks and irons is practiced safely on the top rope.
Jääkiipeilyn harjoittelu kannattaa aloittaa yläköydessä. Tällöin voi rauhassa opetella oikeaa lyöntitekniikkaa ja jalkojen käyttöä stressittömässä olotilassa. Tämä koskee myös kokeneita kalliokiipeilijöitä, joilla on usein kova kiire köyden terävään päähän liidaamaan. Kalliokiipeilyllä ja jääkiipeilyllä ei ole varsinaisesti kovinkaan paljoa yhteistä, joten jokaisen kannattaa alussa omaksua aloittelijan nöyrä mieli. Usein vahvat kiipeilijät toteavat, että jaksavat kyllä roikkua hakkujen muodostamista kahvoista vaikka koko päivän, mutta valitettavasti jäälle ominaisen epästabiiliuden vuoksi ne hakut eivät aina pysy jäässä. Ammattilaiskiipeilijä Will Gaddin mukaan tarvitaan vähintään 150 nousua 30m metrin jääseinällä ennenkuin syntyy minkäänlaista ajatusta siitä, miten jää käyttäytyy. Nämä nousut on järkevää tehdä yläköydessä. Klikkaa itsesi lukemaan Gaddin artikkeli “Ice climbing is not rock climbing” where, with a cautionary example, we go through how ice climbing should be approached.
Signing on the ice. Photo: Markku Mellanen
Ice picks
Searches for ice climbing differ a lot from mountain climbing searches. Modern searches are intended to be used without leashes, which means you have to hold on to them yourself. The handles of the picks are ergonomically shaped so that you don't need much muscle power to hold them. As a rule, the handle of ice picks intended for ice climbing is more or less curved. This prevents knuckles from hitting the ice during hitting and makes it easier to hit bumps and shelves. As a general rule, the straighter the handle of the pick, the more suitable it is for gentle ice and more technical mountaineering. Black Diamond's Viper and Petzlin Quark are good examples of searches in this category. More curved searches like Cassini X-dream, by Grivel Tech Machine, Petzlin Nomic, by Black Diamond Fuel and a new one Reactor are more suitable for steep ice and mixing and for dry-tooling, i.e. rock climbing with picks and irons.
Traditionally, ice picks have also had either a scraper or a hammer. The scraper has been used for smoothing the ice, for example for the installation of an ice screw or for digging a small safety shelf. The hammer, on the other hand, can be used to hit pythons. In mountain use, a scraper has its place, but today, in fell climbing, picks without a hammer or scraper are usually used. Sometimes a hammer in both searches can also be a justified solution if you have to hit a lot of pitons into the rock, for example on long mixed routes.
Petzl Quark, Petzl Nomic, Cassin X-Dream and Black Diamond Reactor
Signed by Kauhala with thin ice.
Crampons
Ice irons can be roughly divided into two groups. Trekking crampons are intended for glacier trekking and usually have two wide front spikes. These irons are mainly intended for snow climbing and glacier walking. In crampons intended for fall climbing, the spikes are upright and there are one or two of them. Irons with two spikes like Grivelin G12 or Petzlin Lynx give better support to the feet in soft ice. Mono-point crampons equipped with one spike are at their best in more difficult ice climbing and mixed climbing. The advantages of a single spike are that it breaks less ice and is more accurate than an iron with two spikes. The advantages of mono-point irons come to the fore when climbing tense, easily broken ice. Examples of single spike irons are Black Diamond's Stinger, by Grivel G20+ and Rambo 4 and Petzlin Darts. In some irons, such as the Petzlin Lynx, it is possible to change the irons from two-pronged to single-pronged.
Ice irons use a few different attachment methods. The fully automatic irons are attached to the shoes with quick-release fasteners on the front and back. With the quick fasteners, the irons can be firmly attached to the shoe and are best suited for climbing falls. The use of quick fasteners requires attachment points for irons on the front and back of the climbing shoe. Some shoes only have a place for irons at the back, so a semi-automatic iron can be used. The semi-automatic rifle has a rear quick release and a front muzzle. Strap-on crampons can be attached to almost any footwear, but they are not suitable for fall climbing.
Black Diamond Stinger, Petzl Dart, Grivel G20 PLUS and Grivel Rambo 4
Ice climbing shoes
A shoe suitable for fall climbing is warm enough for Finnish conditions and has places suitable for attaching ice crampons. It would be best if you could catch the shoe with fully automatic irons. In such a shoe, you can also use semi-automatic irons if you wish. The most important feature of a shoe is its fit to your foot and the right size. Ice climbing shoes should be big enough that the toes do not hit the tip. With a shoe that is too small, kicking spikes on the ice can be painful. You can recognize a shoe that is too big by the fact that the foot can move in the shoe and the heel does not stay in place. La Sportiva is perfect for Finnish conditions Nepal EVO shoe. It has a comfortably spacious seat and enough insulation for cold midwinter days. For those looking for a lighter shoe, La Sportiva Trango Ice Cube is the right choice. However, the shoe has a rather narrow last, so those with a wider shank should fit Scarpa Phantom Tech.
Ice climbing on Romvuori in Nuuksio.
Helmet
When ice climbing, both the belayer and the climber must definitely wear a helmet. During climbing, more or less ice drips from the wall, so it is necessary to protect your head. The belay location should be chosen so that the belayer does not have to be in the line of fire to dodge ice cubes dropped by the climber. It is also good to protect the climber's eyes from small pieces of ice. Petzli helmets are suitable for this purpose Vision-vizier. Different safety glasses also work well.
Petzl Meteor helmet with Vizio visor.
Where to start?
There are several icefalls in the capital region, where you can climb on natural ice. The Kauhala icefall along Westerkullantie offers a few easy lines on which you can safely place an upper rope along the path. The place is also ice-proof and you can usually climb at the beginning of January.
Nuuksio's Romvuori falls offer challenges on many levels.
There is a short and a longer route as well as an inside corner, släb and stick. There are a few easy lines for beginners. Getting to the higher routes requires a bit of hiking, but the lower falls, which are clearly visible from the ice of the lake, can be easily reached and there is plenty of training ground in them as well. The falls can be found on the shore of Pitkäjärvi in Nuuksio, almost opposite Solvalla.
Ice climbing in Kauhala
In Helsinki, you can also try ice climbing on a commercial climbing wall, which is in charge of freezing Adventure Partners. Through them, it is possible to try ice climbing with guided equipment on loan. In connection with a holiday to the north, it is also possible to try ice climbing with a low threshold. Bliss Adventure organizes ice climbing experiments on the frozen ice wall of the Pyhä ski center and trips to the Korouoma gorge valley.
Ice climbing on Pirunkallio. Photo: Markku Mellanen