Ice climbing

At icy heights

Ice climbing is a special kind of mountaineering. Climbing artificial ice walls, frozen waterfalls or icefalls amidst fascinating ice features helds a unique fascination. Because ice climbing brings you into a different world – the world of sparkling crystals, icy temperatures and the most stunning shapes of ice. Once a risky kind of sport limited to few sportsmen only, it has become a popular sport followed by numerous well-equipped and qualified climbers.

The inclination of the icy walls ranges from 40 – 90°. Equipped with crampons and ice axes, the climbers reach the top…again and again, driven by passion and eagerness…

Ice climbing is a special discipline of alpine climbing or mountaineering. An ice climbing tour refers to a high Alpine climbing tour done on an natural ice wall. The necessary equipment includes crampons, ice axes and screws, a helmet and ropes. Ice climbing as such may be further divided into several disciplines, one of which is the so-called dry tooling. Dry tooling includes climbing on non-icy rock but using special ice climbing equipment such as crampons. Thus, it may be practised even in summer. This special kind of climbing was born when ice climbers heading for the higher up stalactites had to climb non-icy rock to reach the top…

And don’t forget: Ice climbing is only safe at the appropriate low temperatures!
Some of the best places for ice climbing may be found here:

Ice climbing in Slovenia:
(the best time is between December and February)
> Bovec : In winter, the so-called “Valley of 100 Waterfalls” in Loška Koritnica boasts a true paradise for ice climbers. An infinite number of ice walls are ready to be discovered!
>Logarska Dolina & tributary valleys: at altitudes of 700 – 1,000 masl, approximately 20 ice walls such as the Palnek waterfall
> Zgornjesavska Valley: numerous icefalls bearing the most different challenges

Ice climbing in Germany:
> Jochberg in Upper Bavaria and Oberstdorf in the Allgäu region

Ice climbing in Austria:
> the Pitztal Glacier in Tyrol; the Renk Waterfall in the Tyrolean Kaunertal Valley; the Grünsee waterfalls in Salzburg

Ice climbing in Switzerland:
> Val Lagrev (Graubünden) at 2,560 masl; Clariden Nordwand - highest point at 3,267 m - in the east of Switzerland; the icefall at the Flüela Pass in Graubünden

Ice climbing in France:
> Chamonix on the Mont Blanc; Dauphinè in the Massif du Pelvoux mountain range

Ice climbing in South Tyrol/Italy:
> obviously in the heart of the Dolomites: Sottoguda Icefalls at the Fedaja Pass; the Sella mountains; Val Passiria; Val Fassa; Valle Taurina; Val Martello