A little taste of what it looks like to be at the World Cup of Ice climbing…
The Canadian Ice Climbing website is in action so that you can get information, get excited, climb, compete, teach, and enjoy. We want to provide this informative service to you, so that you’re not left wondering where the heck you are, or what you should do next.
There’s so much going on in the world of winter climbing, and well, climbing in general, and so much of it is missed because it’s scattered across the web. Here, you can follow Canada’s National Ice Climbing Team, get and/or post tips on training, how you could be eating for optimal performance, find out who’s coaching out there, get ahold of a guide, donate to support Canadian athletes, post on or learn of current conditions, and pretty much anything else we can think about. News, gear, the governing body of Ice Climbing UIAA, the Olympic Movement for 2014, and the list goes on.
This website is for you, the user. So, that being said, we need your help. We want you to come back, spend time here…invite people here, win things here, the works. Any further ideas of what this site could look like, or what else to include, feel free to drop us a line. We look forward to hearing from you.
The 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour concluded in Kirov, Russia today with overall World Champions being declared in the Lead and Speed categories for both men and women.
The official overall winners are:
- Julia Oleynikova: Women’s World Cup Speed
- Egor Trapeznikov: Men’s World Cup Speed
- Park Hee Yong: Men’s World Cup Lead
- Maria Tolokonina: Women’s World Cup Lead
Park last won an overall title in 2011. His win was the result of a combination of consistently good climbs and a big win in Busteni, Romania. His main rival Maxim Tomilov suffered lost points from a bad climb during the first leg of the tour in Cheongsong (South Korea).
Tolokonina (Russia) won her title despite coming second in Kirov. Tolokonina battled her rival Angelika Rainer (Italy) who was last year’s champion throughout the tour and pulled ahead after Rainer fell early in her final climb in Kirov.
Canadian Gord McArthur finished 15th overall in the UIAA World Cup Ice Climbing competition held in Russia on March 10, 2013. McArthur is a member of the Canadian National Ice Climbing team and has been competing on the world cup circuit over the last few years. This result is an incredible accomplishment especially when considering how the sport is dominated by European and Asian climbers who often have access to significantly more support from sponsors and national sport organizations.
The British alpinist Jonathan Griffith has soloed the three North Faces of Les Droites, Les Verte and Aiguille Verte in winter, in the same day, and, most notably, under his own power—he descended without technical assistance, often down soloing.
The climbs, located in the Argentiere basin outside Chamonix, France, are big, cold and serious undertakings with a glacier approach and substantial objective hazards from seracs, bergschrunds, plus the mundane rock and icefall and avalanche dangers.
This amazing fall takes place in Snowdonia, as Mark Roberts takes a massive plummet all the way down Parsley Fern Gulley at Cwm Glas. Roberts captures the entire ride with his GoPro helmet cam to create this incredible footage of an extremely close call. Miraculously, Roberts came away from the fall with only a twisted ankle and bruises.
Canadian Sarah Hart and American alpine-ace Colin Haley have completed a new route on Mojon Rojo, a frequently overlooked peak on the Fitz Roy massif. The pair climbed the “radical line” on the previously unclimbed west face. Hart and Haley also managed to “to eke out a climb on El Mocho,” which Hart described as, “small potatoes compared to everything else.”
Canmore, Alberta, locals Sarah Hueniken and John Freeman both made recent ascents of “EL Matador”, located in the Bull River Gorge, Cranbrook, BC. John’s eye’s were set on the route as part of his plan in sending the “top 10″ climbs in the rockies recently published in Gripped magazine. The route wasn’t going to give in easy as the ice shelf was washed away, leaving a 4′ wide by 2.5′ deep belay ledge, set to the side of the raging river. After carefully navigating to the shelf by a rappel set up from the bridge, both Sarah and John worked the route and successfully crushed it the same day. Although the route wasn’t in its original condition, this year with a ton of ice throughout the entirety of the route, both climbers gave credit to how fun it was anyways. Congrats to both as they both put forward strong strong efforts.
Two weeks ago, the Scottish climbing polymath Dave MacLeod claimed the first ascents of two winter climbs on Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands.
MacLeod’s ascents included a traditionally protected system of roof cracks in the Cascades of Ben Nevis, graded M10+/11 and named White Noise. MacLeod’s second reported FA is an often-tried line on the Breneva Face of Ben Nevis’ North East Buttress dubbed The Snotter, which has been referred to as “the last great unclimbed icefall on Ben Nevis.” The Snotter took MacLeod two attempts and he gave the climb the Scottish grade of VIII, 8. “One of the best winter climbs I’ve done on the Ben,” wrote MacLeod of The Snotter.
Almost immediately, however, notable sources began to question the validity of MacLeod’s ascents.
“Both my ascents have been questioned,” MacLeod told Rock and Ice. “The Snotter for not being in condition, and White Noise for being not acceptable as a climb at all.”
The “condition” MacLeod is referring to is “Scottish conditions”— a local ethic that involves waiting until the route is properly covered in snow and ice before climbing it.
Community
“We are all going to make mistakes. It’s truly learning from them that makes life really sweet,” says skier, climber and parent Roger Strong. On April 6th, 2011, the veteran backcountry skier was skinning up his favorite backcountry run when he triggered an avalanche that swept him and two friends hundreds of feet through steep trees. When the snow settled, he was badly injured, but alive along with his friends. In the months that followed, Strong, confined to a wheelchair, was left to sort through his decision-making. Had he failed as father and a husband? What would he take away from the experience? And if his body would allow, would he still want to ski? Watch this inspirational video featuring Roger…
“Ice” presented by the Ouray Ice Park from Outside Adventure Media on Vimeo.
So iLL: Guard Booth from So iLL on Vimeo.
So iLL Holds, getting creative.
The historic breakup at the Ilulissat Glacier in Western Greenland, filmed for the Chasing ice project.
The Canadian media; magazines that bring you stories, news, gear, and most importantly…motivation. From left to right, Gripped Magazine, Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine, and The Canadian Alpine Journal.
Technique Tip
The Alpine Coffee Table – Kris Irwin
(posted on the Rockies Ice Specialists Facebook Page)
Over the years, at many belays, I have been trying various ways to perfect what I call “The Alpine Coffee Table”. There have a been a few messy events, dropped thermos lids, and spilled thermos contents, but I have finally found one good way to set up your alpine coffee table so you can enjoy your cup of hot drink while belaying your partner from above on a multipitch. This saves you a bit of time on those longer rigs, and drinking a hot beverage helps keep you warm at the belays.
Step 1 – finish the pitch, build your anchor, secure yourself(very important)
Step 2 – Pull the ropes up, flake them nicely, and put your partner on belay using an auto-block device like a Guide ATC, Reverso, Kong plate, etc..
Step 3 – Take your pack off and secure it to the ice or to the anchor within an arms reach. Make sure you’re not going to knocking your pack while belaying as this will cause a spill – not good.
*If you’re not carrying a pack, you’re most likely not carrying a thermos either so that won’t work.
Step 4 – Open the lid, and use the contents of your pack to create some support for your cup.
Step 5 – pour carefully, enjoy, and don’t forget about the belay.
Going into a Figure Four with only one tool on the hold.
A lot of the times you can’t get two tools on a hold, which would make going into a figure four a lot harder. When you have two tools on, you can pull into the four a lot easier (by bringing your leg up in between both arms). But with one tool, how? Simply put a tool over the shoulder or in your mouth, get both hands on the tool that’s on the hold (one on the upper handle, one on the lower), and begin wrapping your leg over the upper hand (on upper handle). As you’re about to weight the upper hand with your leg (in the figure four position), slide the lower hand out. Now, you have one hand free to grab the other tool and go to the next hold. FYI, the reason why you would wrap your leg over the upper handle, is that being on the upper handle, it allows for further reach (than being on the lower handle).
To go along with that, when wrapping your leg over into the figure four position, make sure your leg wraps over your wrist, not arm. Two reasons: 1, when you put your leg over your arm, it cuts of circulation, thus getting causing a pump faster. 2: by putting your leg over your wrist, you just gave yourself at least 6″ extra of reach.
NUTRITION
ATHLETE RECIPE: ALPINIST UELI STECK’S RECOVERY RISOTTO
THE MEAL: Known as the Swiss Machine for his inhuman speed ascents, like his one-hour-and-fifty-six-minute solo of the Matterhorn’s north face in 2009, Steck requires foods that are calorie rich but don’t slow him down. Before training, which consists of four-hour runs, pull-ups, and squats, he’ll load up on fresh bread with honey and butter, fruit, and two cups of coffee. (“One for the left eye and one for the right eye,” he says.) To refuel after a tough climb, he cooks up risotto with mushrooms. “After a real harsh day, it tastes good and makes your head feel good, too,” says the 36-year-old Steck. “And that’s the most important part of your body.”
WHY IT WORKS: For anyone exercising in thin air, there are good reasons to tuck into a big plate of risotto. “In extreme altitudes,” says Korzun, “carbohydrates are the preferred fuel source, in part because carbs require less oxygen to metabolize than fats. And in an oxygen-deficient environment, our bodies want to work as efficiently as possible.”
SECRET INGREDIENT: Mushrooms contain a high amount of vitamin B2 (also known as riboflavin), essential for metabolizing fat and protein.
MUSHROOM RISOTTO
1. Finely chop one cup of wild or button mushrooms.
2. Bring three cups of water to a boil, and add two chicken bouillon cubes.
3. When the cubes dissolve, bring the water to a simmer and add two cups of Arborio rice and the mushrooms.
4. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve when the rice is tender. Top with grated Parmesan.
SERVINGS: Two
CALORIES PER SERVING: 300
7 Tips for packing food – by Explore Magazine
Even if you’re only going out for an hour or two, packing a snack for your hike is always a great idea. Whether you get lost, take some breaks, or just take longer than you thought, you’ll need food to keep you active and alert. But not every type of food is fit to be packed.Read More
Keeping up on nutrition is an essential part in maintaining a peak physical and mental state. Unfortunately while alpine climbing or skiing you cant just open the fridge and make a salad in fact there are times where if you stop moving you will simply die. We are very vulnerable out there and that’s why its important to have the best gear but also the best food! (From the “Out Side Out” Blog) Read More
Submitted Photos
