Pemba Serves

Congrats to Dave Graham who send his project in Elkland “Memory is Parallax” 8B+.

An excerpt from the new Deadpoint Media climbing film A FINE LINE featuring Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Peter Beal, Jimmy Webb, Brion Voges and Diego Montull in Castle Rocks, Idaho.

Buy the Film: hdclimbingvideos.com/products/fine-line
Watch the Trailer: at vimeo.com/28677263

At the end of last winter my picks and crampons were pretty blunt after lots of scratching around in Scotland, Norway etc. so it’s time to get them in tip top shape ready for the first big routes of the winter.

Poor old pick - looking a bit blunt!

Most of the routes I end up climbing are mixed routes and so I need nice sharp points on my picks to get the accuracy needed for those tenuous hooks. A decent big file and some elbow grease are needed to get them just perfect, and making sure you keep the teeth all individually sharpened. For ice pitches a narrowed super sharp pick is the perfect tool for the job, and the teeth aren’t so useful, in fact they tend to make it harder to get the pick out when you’ve really whacked it in.When using a file – use even flat stroke and in strokes away from the body in one direction – this is how it is designed to be used and will give the best results. The finish you are looking for is smooth and mirror-like. If you use the file in different directions this is impossible.

Read More: The time has come to sharpen

As winter is finally settling in Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere, the first icicles start to appear, and the call of ice climbing can be heard. If the cold weather stays, it should not be long before the waterfalls turn solid and the first ice climbers show up. Numerous events are organized around the world and these are valuable occasions to test equipment, train, learn techniques, share information and meet with other ice climbers. Ice climbing is a serious endeavor and requires all the skills and precautions of mountaineering. Train physically, technically and prepare your equipment. If you do not feel confident with your technical skills and level do not hesitate to hire professional mountain guides. Stay tuned to the weather forecasts, and gather information on the conditions of the ice and of the snowpack.

A few valuable basics for ice-climbing (non exhaustive):

• Be very aware of the conditions of the ice and the surrounding environment
  Consider this activity as a mountaineering activity, with serious and variable risks; rapid changes in conditions can increase the risk at a formation from “acceptable” to “dangerous”, even “unacceptable”.
  How have the conditions been over the past few weeks? What is the forecasted temperature? Double-check the ice quality on site. Is there an avalanche risk from above? Are there other climbers already in the route? If so, avoid climbing the same line.
• Don’t forget your helmet and headlamp
  You must wear a helmet at the base of the climb, as you would when climbing. A face shield can protect the eyes from flying ice shards. Remember to take a headlamp for late finishes. Keep your headlamp warm by having it close to your body during the day. Carry a threading tool, a cordelette equal to or thicker than 8 mm, and a long ice screw in order to be able to set up a natural ice thread anchor at any given moment.
• Use double ropes
  Avoid falling, if possible: Falling with ice axes in your hands and crampons on your feet can have serious consequences. Clip the ropes  alternately along the route, and use energy absorbers (e.g. NITRO 3) to limit the shock force on the ice screws in case of a fall.
• Think about protecting the seconding climber
  Set up your stations to the side, not directly in line with the next pitch. Place enough gear on traverses so that the second climber doesn’t pendulum in a fall.
• Managing time, gear and effort
  Ice climbing is generally practiced during the shortest days of the year. Be quick in all the transitions, when installing the belay stations, and during all maneuvers. This will easily save that precious half-hour which will allow you to descend before dark. Organize your clothing well (remove layers when climbing and put them on to stay warm at the station); one pitch may take 30 to 45 minutes per team member, even an hour, to climb… beware of freezing winds and dripping water that can make the wait at the station very unpleasant. Manage your effort well, standing on your feet whenever possible so as to not exhaust the upper body.

Consult our pages for ice climbing equipments and technical information

Read More: Ice Climbing Season 2012: program, tips and information

Santa’s job isn’t without its risks. Just imagine working under serious time pressure, moving around on snowy roofs in the dark…

At Petzl, we actually created a Technical Notice with some important tips for Santa:

• Descending a rope
• Ascending a rope
• Setting up a hoisting system to descend and ascend a chimney with the help of his elves
• Some food-related guidelines
• And working with maximum possible safety

You can also download Santa’s Tech Notice (PDF; 1.6 Mb) here.

Happy holidays to all!