Climb Leader Ice Climbing Seminar

Location: Eliot Glacier

Contact: Alan Kearney       .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)      360-738-4966

Alan Kearney is offering a one day ice climbing seminar for Mazama’s Climb Leaders.  We are accepting 10 participants who are currently active climb leaders or in Leader Development and want to increase their ice climbing skills. There will be no cost to participants.  Meet up time, location and a gear list will be sent when we have the group selected. 

The seminar will cover:

(1)  A glacier talk from the moraine before walking onto the ice: what is a glacier, flow, growth, recession, crevasses, icefalls and compression zones.

(2) Walking on ice boots only in a gentle area.

(3) Step cutting (boots only): diagonal steps, sidesteps and letterbox steps.

(4) With crampons all of the French foot and axe positions on ice from about 15 to 50 degrees.  Feet only first, then with ice axe.

(5)  Screw placement and setting up top ropes on ice.

(6) Top roping steeper problems (but not vertical) using French Technique only.  First with no axe, then with an axe.  Cutting handholds for other hand as well.

MEET  5 am Saturday, Aug. 25 at the Mazama Center, 527 SE 43rd in Portland,

GEAR NEEDED  Ice axe, crampons, boots (hybrid boots likes Kaylands or Sportivas; even leather boots are easier that plastic boots to do French technique in), harness, helmet, prusik slings, locking biner, belay device, gloves (snug fitting), sunglasses, suncream, food, water, gaitors, clothing, shell clothing (again snugger fitting soft shells made with Schoeller material are good), and camera.

ITINERARY  Drive to Cloudcap, hike to the glacier, and spend a day on the ice doing step cutting, and all of the French foot and axe positions used for alpine ice.  I will also discuss top-rope anchors with screws and V-threads.  Hike out, drive back to Portland.

If you have any questions contact me: Alan Kearney      .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)      360-738-4966

Please sign up here:

Climb Leader Ice Climbing Seminar Form