Steep Ice! Skills Special

I've been climbing ice for more than 30 years, and I still get chills before starting up a column of steep ice. Sure, modern ice tools and crampons, warm gloves, and easy-to-place screws have made ice climbing much easier than it used to be. These days, a new ice climber can follow short sections of near-vertical ice on her first day out. A competent rock climber can lead lower-angle ice climbs halfway through his first season on ice, as long as he gets enough mileage. Yet for many climbers, truly vertical ice—WI4+ and up—remains frightening territory.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. As with any other form of climbing, the keys to confi dent ice climbing are the right techniques, systematic practice, and a modest amount of training. We asked seven of North America’s most experienced ice climbers to share their hard-won wisdom. Put their tips to work, and we guarantee you’ll be more comfortable—and safer—on steep ice. —Dougald MacDonald