Skinny Singles: How Thin Can You Go? by Justropes.com Modern single ropes keep getting thinner and thinner, pushing the envelope of what is possible for a balance of performance and weight savings. Is a “skinny” single right for you, and if so, how thin you should go? The answers depend on the type of climbing […]
by Dave Furman More and more recently I’ve come across all sorts of gear left on ice climbs, left when people rap off or when people can’t finish a route and rap or lower off. In the interest of keeping the chat room posturing to a minimum and to help preserve everybody’s rack, here is […]
By Scott Backes Alpine Mentoring.com “IN PRACTICE” What separates a good day of climbing waterfalls from a bad one? In the first half of this In Practice piece, we dealt with the physical factors that influence our ascents. This second half deals with a much more nebulous and individual topic. What psychological and mental attitudes […]
By Scott Backes Alpine Mentoring.com “IN PRACTICE” One of the worst moments in every ice climb that is near the edge of our ability, is that instant when you stand with your tools in the ice, but your feet still on the ground. You’re looking at your belayer and he or she gives you the […]
by Richard Doucette When I first began climbing I had no idea there was such a thing as climbing literature. A few years into it, I was hanging out with all these AMC types. It seemed they were all a hundred years old and knew a lot more than me. I made a fool of […]
Originally developed for the military, this new silicone tape is ideal for wrapping your ice tool. And with the 6 different colors it is easy to individualize your tools. It’s self-fusing, and requires no adhesive since it only bonds to itself. X-treme tape stretches to 3 times its length, conforms to irregular shapes easily, and […]
The American Alpine Club provides new electronic resources for climbers (GOLDEN, COLO.) – The American Alpine Club (AAC) today (Aug. 11,2003) announced the launch of a powerful new web resource that provides outdoors people with access to the catalog of one of the world’s largest outdoor libraries. The new on-line accessible database allows access to […]
By Pedro I Espina Have you ever seen how water, trapped between rock and ice, is forced by gravity to dance along an intricate labyrinth of micro-channels on its way from the high snowfields to the river below? Every spring in the highlands, this dance is repeated as winter withdraws until next year. Occasionally, water […]
You know you’re a trad climber when… •All your draws are 12” long • your kid climbs harder than you do • you’ve worn out a set of cams • there is scar tissue on the back of your hands • you shave the back of your hands • you have six partially used rolls of […]
Ice Climbing Participation Trends and Analysis by Tom Stuessy Introduction In the spring of 2005 NEIce was asked to help with an ice climbing research effort. The site’s owner, Doug Millen, agreed to assist and posted the survey on the web page. The study focused on how perceptions of risk, creativity, and challenge while at […]
Your ice climbing connection for New England, the Northeast and Beyond!