Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/48532
KRIS ERICKSON HOW TO GET STARTED There are several ways to experience Montana ice climbing. If you are an experienced ice climber check out Joe Josephson's excellent guide book Winter Dance. The climbs are listed by location and include a bit of historical information. If you are new to the sport, Winter Dance is a great motivational tool. As climb- ing is a very dangerous sport it is essential that one seek out proper instruction. Having someone "show you the ropes" might sound cliché; yet in climbing it is well advised to have a guide to make sure the first few times out you are not making any mistakes. Gravity, after all, plays for keeps and is indiscriminate. Operating with a special use permit for Hyalite Can- yon, Montana Alpine Guides can take beginners out for an adventurous day of swinging tools and kicking crampons. The guides know the best locations and can tailor a day to your group's level of expertise. 22 Kayla Eschenbacher at the Genesis 1 area. PETE TAPLEY cend winter's frozen treasures with a degree of security. Once properly outfitted, the ice climber is protected with a helmet, sturdy boots with enough spikes to make Alice Cooper envious, warm gloves, jackets, and pants capable of keeping you comfortable in a meat locker, a strong harness, and a pair of ice tools. As a design specialization of axes for wood, ice tools have something primal about them. When I swing a tool in a sheet of ice, I'm plugging into a current of energy going back to when we first started grabbing sticks and swung them around. From a physical standpoint ice climb- ing is quite a challenge. First off, one must embrace the cold. Without freezing temps there is no ice. Knowing how to keep warm and energized allows one to "feel the pump" as one hangs onto the ice tools. Ascend- ing a pillar of ice involves a majority of the body's muscles and a fair amount of energy. The psychological demands of operating in a risky environment heighten one's senses. Mistakes are costly and the mental process DISTINCTLY MONTANA • WINTER 2011 KRIS ERICKSON