This ice season has been slim, with the warm weather and rain. However, last weekend was a good opportunity to take advantage of the available conditions. Sunday I was fortunate enough to go climbing with Michael and his son MJ. Conditions allowed for us to attempt Sam’s Knob. The hike in was with a fresh [...]
I had a great day climbing with David. You can see great photos on the Citizen Times website. We enjoyed some great ice condition. It was not thick ice but super technical. Thin ice is more about precise placements and delicate axe swings or “pecking”. Hooks and foot switches also make up the type of [...]
January 22nd was blessed by great ice climbing conditions, great help, and a group of 18 individuals who enjoyed climbing ice for the first time. This event was a fund raiser for the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition. The event was sponsored by Appalachian Mountain Institute, Black Dome Mountain Sports, Looking Glass Outfitters, E-Climbs Ice Axes, Bracken [...]
E-Climbs: The Hardware Revolution A few years ago, I got to try an ice axe that I had not heard of before. It was an E-Climbs. I was very impressed with it at the time. Recently, I have been privileged to work in closer with E-climbs. Appalachian Mountain Institute is now the Eastern US representative [...]
Ice climbing Saturday Today I was fortunate enough to get to climb with Michael Egues and his family. His son was able to quickly get the hang of it and soon was climbing well. The ice conditions were in great shape on 215. There were several routes in and most has a rope hung on [...]
I was climbing with Phil, Thad, and Joe at Graveyard Fields. check out the LGO blogg
Ice Climbing in North Carolina The temperatures have dropped and cold weather has blessed North Carolina with ice again. One of the great joys of North Carolina climbing is the diversity and climate. There is great rock climbing, but perfect ice climbing conditions when winter finally takes hold, not too cold and always plastic. The [...]
Ice Climbing at Black Lake in Estes Park CO I arrive in CO one day after the good rock climbing weather. David and I had planned on climbing some rock while I was in town for the AMGA Conference. That wasn’t going to happen. Cold weather and snow was moving in. It was a good [...]
February 20th I was fortunate enough to climb ice today with Michael Egues on Sam’s Knob in North Carolina. Sam’s Knob is a long ice gully that is 1600 feet long when conditions allow. Today was different however, more of the pitches were snow climbing as the Blue Ridge has been pelted with snow fall [...]
Whiteside Mountain has very little ice. Starshine is not formed at all and the face is coated with snow. The gully routes are forming at the base and will be climbable in a day or two. The upper pitches are doubtful thought as they are thin with icicles still forming up. 215 Icicles are forming, [...]
