Ice climbing around Ottawa

Ice climbing around Ottawa

By Marcel Vautour

Ice climbing is one of those liberating experiences. Before you stands a towering fortress of ice just begging to be climbed. After you’ve studied it and checked your gear and convinced yourself that you’re up to the challenge, off you go. As you climb, swing by swing and kick by kick, your mind enters a state of trance which blurs any surrounding sound or thought.

All you hear is the sound of the picks and crampons resonating in the ice – “whack, whack, THUMP!” – and that inside voice insisting, “Don’t fall … don’t fall.” At that moment, you and the ice are one.

Technical ice climbing (not the same as the mountaineering “alpine” version) involves ascending ice formations. Climbers use ropes and other forms of protection while climbing frozen waterfalls. Their primary pieces of equipment are the technical ice tools they hold onto, and the pointy crampons attached to their boots. This gear enables them to work their way up ice formations, alternating between tool and foot placements.

You’ll find some world-class ice climbing sites within a few hours drive of Ottawa. Quebec and the Adirondacks region in northern New York State attract some of the world’s top climbers. Closer to home, Calabogie, Edelweiss, Lac du Poisson Blanc and Gatineau Park all offer great climbs.

Getting started with ice climbing can be a challenge: it’s a gear-intensive sport which requires technical knowledge of knots, rope skills, protection, belaying, etc. And some climbing areas can be a challenge to find. Luckily, the Ottawa area has a local section of the Alpine Club of Canada which organizes outings and courses run by qualified local climbers.

Want to get started in ice climbing? Then check out the Alpine Club of Canada’s Ottawa section: alpineclubottawa.ca.

PHOTO BY OTTAWA CHAPTER OF ALPINE CLIMBING CLUB OF CANADA

UNDERSTANDING SNOW TYPES

SAND SNOW

Produced during extremely cold temperatures, and has such a sharp, granular texture it becomes very difficult to ski or walk across.

WILD SNOW

A very dry, fluffy snow that usually begins to fall during calm periods in the weather and extreme cold snaps. If the wind picks up, dangerous whiteouts can occur.

WIND-PACKED SNOW

The fallen (and accumulated) snow has been heavily compacted by strong winds. The pressure of the blowing wind causes a “cold-heat” hardening effect, which creates an excellent surface to walk on without breaking through. It’s also one of the best ways to make igloo blocks.

CORN SNOW

Most common in early spring when changing temperatures continually thaw and freeze the accumulated snow. The texture is grainy and is more of a layer of ice crystals, separated by air space, than actual snow. It’s sticky to ski across and very difficult to walk on without falling through.

ROTTEN SNOW

A dangerous circumstance caused by snow repeatedly melting and freezing on the upper layer (common on the south side of a hill), which in turn causes water to seep through to the lower layer. With the top layer acting as an insulator, the water on the bottom never freezes. The problem is, the snow may look safe to walk across, but it will collapse when you least expect it.

SLUSH SNOW

This is snow that has absorbed water from below. It can be spotted where the snow surface has a slight depression with areas dark blue in colour. Avoid such areas when crossing lakes and especially rivers — it’s a good indicator there’s a hole in the ice below.

From Kevin Callan's Happy Camper www.fireflybooks.com

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