Ice Climbing
Ice climbers across Canada have been waiting for this winter season to put their skills to the test. Before heading out, be sure that your tools and crampons are sharp, that you have enough screws for your objective and that your gear and apparel is packed.
Black Diamond
Fuel Hammer $350
Since that late 1980s, Black Diamond has been bringing us advanced winter gear. The new Fuel Hammer has a redesigned head that includes a hammer for added swing weight and for pounding in pins. The grips lock your hands in and has a better feel than previous versions. The swing weight is balanced. The aggressive pick angles help with big-reach hooks and tricky torques. Highly recommended.
Petzl
Dart Crampon $300
An ultralight mono-point crampon for ice climbing and dry tooling, with the amazing Petzl Leverlock bindings. The mono-point allows for efficient and accurate placements. They offer stable support on cauliflower bulges and brittle slabs thanks to the lateral secondary points. The configuration of the points helps you climb difficult ice better. The front bail and rear lever have three connection location options, which allows the crampon to fit quite well on a wide range of boots. The new Dart comes with antiballing plates already installed. It’s lighter than the older models, despite the upgrades. The lightweight design of the new Darts makes them quite nimble, but very stable. Given their lightweight design, these are best saved for vertical moves and not so much for long icy approaches.
Black Diamond
Express Ice Screw $75
Black Diamond ice screws have been gracing climber’s harnesses for decades. The modern Express screws have a tapered shaft with deep teeth. They’re made of chromoly steel with stainless steel hangers that are light and won’t rust. The teeth bite quick and easy. The big crank knob lets is easy to handle with gloves. The handy second clip-in point makes swapping positions at belays more efficient. Available in 10-, 13-, 16-, 19- and 22-cm lengths and are colour coded for quick racking.
DMM
Bulldog $43
The ultimate ice piton that’s a must-have on thin ice routes where you can sink it into runnels and filled-in cracks that are too narrow to take a screw. Designed for sketchy sections of early-season or mixed climbs. They pound easily into frozen mud and moss. If you do use them, be sure to sharpen the picks. They’re rugged and simple, but add some weight to your harness so only rack them if you think you’ll need them.
Grivel
Tech Machine $290
These high-end tools are designed for steep ice and mixed with an aggressive pick and bent shaft that offer great clearance to get over bulges. The handles feel nice and thanks to the thin foam padding on the grip that dampens vibration. Of all of the technical ice tools, these are some of the most durable on the market. You can put a few seasons on them and they still climb like new. They swing nicely and they stick great in certain ice. A great choice for this ice season.
The North Face
Verto 27 $130
This sweet little pack is minimally designed with a waist that keeps the pack upright when you’re climbing. Use it up multi-pitch ice routes to carry a puffy and thermos. The ice axe keepers are minimal but hold your tools tightly in place. It comes with removable frame sheet foam that converts to a bivy emergency pad and a detachable, flip-forward lid with lid pocket. Overall, this is a great pack for big ice routes this winter.
Scarpa
Rebel Ice $700
The Rebel Ice brings the precision of a rock shoe to high-end ice and mixed climbing with the weight of a traditional boot-crampon combo. These classic boots feature a super rigid carbon-fibre sole, Boa closure system and a snug fit. The drill pattern on the bottom also works with Petzl bolt-on crampons. These boots have a specific use on difficult mixed climbs that involve complicated rock sections and steep ice. They’re warm, low-profile, stiff and have a nice closure system.
La Sportiva
Trango Tower Extreme $440
The La Sportiva Trango line has been many top ice climbers’ favourites for their hardest objectives. Many climbers will remember the amazing Trango evo Extremes. One of the first things you’ll notice about the Trango Tower Extreme is the enhanced rocker that helps with approaches and walk-offs. They excel on vertical ice and in temps that range just below freezing. They keep your feet warm and dry, much more so than comparable boots. They’re light, durable and great for car-to-car big ice objectives. And it’s less expensive than many ice climbing boots.
Alto Gear
Ice Screw Wrap $40
The Ice Screw Wrap provides a great way to store and protect ice screws. Designed with sustainability in mind, each Ice Screw Wrap is made from repurposed vinyl billboards and manufactured in Colorado. It features room to carry 12 22-cm screws, a centre pocket to carry short screws or accessories and wraps up neatly to save space in your pack. The Ice Screw Wrap is a new must-have for any ice climber.
Arc’teryx
AR 395A $200
This tried and true harness is good for every season, but has been one of our favourites for winter thanks to the adjustable leg loops. Some features include a soft material that makes it comfortable to wear, orange wear markers sewn into tie-ins and belay loop signal when harness should be retired, laminated elastic webbing on leg loops that gives a good fit, and reversible ear loops and a haul loop that provide all of the racking space you need for ice climbing. Be sure that when you buy a harness for ice that it has ice clipper slots, which this one does.—gripped