The ice climbing community has been undergoing a paradigm shift in regards to avalanche awareness and safety. Like the ski community’s transition to wearing helmets, ice climbers continue to become more aware of avalanches and how to mitigate the associated hazards through knowledge and equipment. This is a much different environment than was present almost 10 years ago when I was getting introduced to the … Continue reading Avalanche Gear for Ice Climbers
It wasn’t all that long ago that climbers had to choose between a lightweight carabiner and a snag-free carabiner. However, with innovations in technology, material processing and manufacturing more and more companies are blending these two features. We’ve reached the point where most brands have their own version but the designs are all a bit different. So it seemed like a great time for a … Continue reading Comparison Review: Lightweight Snag-free Carabiners
The Beal Opera 8.5 is not only the lightest and thinnest single rope on the market, with the inclusion of Beal’s UNICORE technology, it’s also a very safe rope. While it didn’t hit the market in North America with much fanfare this rope, and the Unicore tech in general, is a game changer! One of the biggest dangers in climbing is damaging or cutting a rope: sharp … Continue reading Beal Opera 8.5mm Single Rope Review
The name Bella Coola conjures up visions of extreme Alaska-esq type skiing for the power hounds out there due to the number of ski movies that have filmed in the area. However, it’s relatively unknown in the ice climbing world. One of the obvious reasons for this, of course, is the remote nature of the community. You don’t drive through Bella Coola on the way … Continue reading Trip Report – Bella Coola Ice Climbing 2016
Like many outdoor companies Patagonia has come out with a new hybrid pant and jacket that combines 3-layer waterproof-breathable fabric with stretchy soft-shell material into one piece of clothing. The idea of course is to create a garment that benefits from the advantages of both fabric types through their strategic placement. Due to this amalgamation of fabrics the resultant garments are not technically a soft-shell or … Continue reading Review: Patagonia Reconnaissance pants
So your ice climb is a little off the beaten path. Literally, as no one else has yet beaten a path in! You put your head down and start to post hole through the rotten snow. After a few steps the crust is wearing at your shins, after a few hundred feet you’re starting to bleed. You’ll be down to the bone before getting anywhere … Continue reading Review: G3 Stinger Skis
I’ve been using the Nepal Evo GTX for a few years now but recently had the opportunity to try the new Nepal Cube GTX (these names are a bit of a mouthful… let’s go with Evo and Cube for simplicity). This new addition to the Nepal line-up not only looks way cooler than my old Evo’s (and you have to admit that’s an important feature) … Continue reading Review: La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX
