A person wearing crampons and using ice axes climbs a frozen waterfall, secured by a rope and ice screws for protection.
OUTDOOR LIFE

The Ultimate Guide To Ice Climbing: How to Conquer Winter’s Coolest Challenge

Thanks to Ice Parks, advanced gear, and apparel that keeps you warm in any condition, ice climbing is the new 'it' sport—and no experience is required!
BY: NANCY BOUCHARD
Adventure sports can seem too extreme for most people, with attention often focused on over-the-top risks like solo climbing, cave diving, and kayaking over 100-foot waterfalls. The truth is these extreme forms of action sports are radical—even for lifelong practitioners. The same goes for ice climbing. Sure, there are people who cling to frozen, free-hanging icicles, but for the most part, the sport is safe for beginners, often just a few minutes’ walk from your car, and incredibly fun. It combines jaw-dropping beauty with a massive sense of accomplishment. Ice climbing is one of the most exhilarating winter sports you might not have considered—yet!
A woman climbs a glacier in the morning light, which casts a pink and lavender hue on the ice. Her perfect technique is supported by crampons, ice axes, and a top rope securing her ascent.
If you’ve ever seen a frozen waterfall, you might understand the attraction. It’s like nature’s chandelier—translucent blues, frosty whites, and every color in between. The winter scene itself is surreal, especially with a fresh layer of snow on the ground, creating a quiet, almost sacred atmosphere like an outdoor cathedral.

Thanks to advances in equipment—like ice axes in each hand, spiky crampons on your feet and high-tech apparel that keeps you toasty in frozen environments—the actual climbing isn’t as tough as it sounds. If you can climb a ladder, you can scale an icefall. Plus, there's no shortage of ice to climb. Many frozen slabs are specifically designed for climbing, almost like outdoor gyms, with a controlled flow of water that freezes in cold weather. While frozen waterfalls are abundant, ice parks provide relatively controlled environments for climbers of all levels. Think of them as the via ferratas and indoor gyms of the ice climbing world. These parks feature everything from expert guides, safety anchors, and cozy spots to warm up with a cup of cocoa.

Whether it’s a natural frozen waterfall or farmed ice—created by spraying or funneling water onto an angled surface—there’s always a ready-made canvas for your ice climbing adventures. Ice parks are the perfect place to get started, offering a range of climbs from beginner-friendly to hard ones. At these parks, you can often set up a top rope—which means a safety rope is always above you, so you don’t fall even if you slip—and there are usually plenty of guides, clinics, and instructors to help you along the way.

For the ultimate ice climbing experience, head to an Ice Festival, where climbers from around the world gather to tackle epic frozen challenges. Big ice climbing festivals happen in places like Ouray and Lake City, CO; Bozeman, MT; Fenton, MI; North Conway, NH; and Banff, Canada. These festivals connect you with an incredibly friendly climbing community, and provide skills clinics, and rental gear. Even if you’re not quite ready to scale the vertical, these events are a total blast.
 Ice climber Corey Buhay competes on an artificial ice wall at the Ouray Ice Park in Colorado.
For expert advice on ice climbing, we spoke with Corey Buhay. She’s a member of the US Ice Climbing Team and a frequent volunteer and occasional instructor at the Ice Coop—an ice climbing training facility and community space in Boulder, Colorado—where she helps introduce new people to the sport. 

What is ice climbing?

It’s the practice of ascending a frozen waterfall or the vertical part of a glacier by using special boots, ice axes and crampons. It’s a beautiful way to experience winter and a unique style of exploration. Ice climbing is a way to get gorgeous views, and a way to quickly go up a snowy mountain. It can take hours if you’re walking to a summit, especially if you are post-holing through the snow. But if your ascent is up an ice flow, the path is much more direct.

What does ice climbing feel like?

The feeling of ice climbing is unique. There’s something primitively special about swinging your ice axes and kicking your crampons into a frozen waterfall. You hear that solid thunk when the teeth grip into the ice, and you move in a methodical and meditative way. It’s exploration with every step and incredibly empowering.
Corey Buhay, a World Cup competitive ice climber, nears the top of a frozen waterfall
Photo Credit: Courtesy Noah Bergman

Who can ice climb?

Anybody can ice climb. In Ouray, Colorado, Paradox Sports is a big player at the event. The group is dedicated to supplying adaptive climbing opportunities to anyone who is interested in taking part. The thing about ice climbing is that you are already using prosthetic devices. You are strapping tools to your hands and feet that allow you to ascend the icefall. People of all physical abilities can climb ice. You don’t need a lot of upper body strength, as ice climbing is all about your legs.

Do you need to be a rock or mountain climber to ice climb?

No, you don’t need a rock climbing or alpine climbing background. In fact, if you’re a good rock climber, you may have more to unlearn. In terms of technique, rock climbing involves more twisting your body and crossing your feet or hands to move from hold to hold. With ice climbing, you stay square to the wall and make your own holds by sticking your ice pics and crampon front points where you need them to move up.

How do you get started?

Ice festivals are a great place to start. They have an extremely welcoming environment that is very social. You can show up alone or go with a group. Either way, you’ll make friends. There are all sorts of clinics you can sign up for, that are designed for a wide variety of abilities and interests. You’ll meet people at your specific level, and there are all-women groups, mixed groups, and other courses for first timers, intermediate climbers, and even experts. There are ice festivals throughout the winter, from November through spring, depending on the location. You’ll find them mainly in the West, Midwest, Northeast and Canada. The goal is to have fun and develop skills. Ice parks take out a lot of the guesswork.

Another great way to learn to ice climb is to hire a guide. There is an element of risk with ice climbing, but that can be mitigated by a guide, especially if you are just beginning. You need someone who knows where to go, who can read the ice, and knows where shards and chunks will fall—you don’t want to stand right under someone who is climbing above you. A guide also knows how strong the ice needs to be to hold your weight or if there is any avalanche danger in the vicinity. Having a guide or very experienced partner is a big help.
Two ice climbers ascend a frozen waterfall side by side, using crampons, ice axes, and ropes for protection.

What gear do I need?

If you go to an ice festival, there will be booths hosted by the brands who are supporting the festival. They want you to try out their gear. For $5 to $10 dollars, you can rent everything you need, from ice axes and crampons to boots and helmets. If you are climbing with a guide, they generally have all the gear you need.

Does ice climbing take a lot of strength?

Having a basic level of fitness is a good idea, but ice climbing is more about cardio than power. It’s a methodical sport, with a rhythm to your upward movement. You don’t need to do 10 pull-ups—or even one! In fact, I know plenty of skilled ice climbers who can’t do a single pull-up. What you need is a willingness to learn and the understanding that there is a learning curve. You’ll be ice climbing on day one, as soon as you strap on your harness and tie into the rope. It’s a good way to develop upper body strength and endurance, but you don’t need those to start out. It’s also a great way to develop body awareness and a sense of rhythm.

What is the ice climbing community like?

Ice climbing is all about teamwork. The community is extremely tight knit, and people are really helpful. There’s a lot of camaraderie that develops when you are standing out in the cold and doing something a bit crazy. You’ll find people who are excited to go out with you and support your objectives.

Communication is really big in ice climbing, as ice can be a fickle medium. That makes your ice climbing partners important. Ice climbing is a great way to develop strong friendships. You go through a lot together, and, when you are standing around in the snow all day, it’s a great way to develop a good sense of humor.
A woman in a warm Columbia jacket, pants, and gloves hikes through snow to the base of a frozen waterfall.

How do you stay warm?

You bring lots of layers. As you start climbing, you’ll warm up very quickly. You wear thinner layers when you are climbing, and thicker layers while belaying or waiting to climb. I always bring a warm puffy jacket, puffy pants, a down skirt, and warm mid layers. I also always pack two pairs of gloves. And I bring an extra pair of socks. If there’s a hike involved, I bring a second baselayer; you don’t want to get sweaty on the approach and then cool down. Waterproof gloves with good dexterity are important, and you want thin but warm socks.

Ice climbing sounds quite scary. Can it be done safely?

It can be done safely. There generally is more risk ice climbing than rock climbing, but risk can be mitigated when you’re with someone who knows what they are doing. If you are not attending an ice festival or going with a guide, having a local climber along is a good idea, as they understand the freeze-thaw cycles, are aware of cracks in ice, and have been keeping an eye on temperatures. Knowing when conditions are good can help to mitigate risk. Toproping is a less risky venture than lead climbing and you’ll have a lot more fun as you spend more time climbing.

Where are your favorite places to go ice climbing?

I really like going to Hyalite Canyon outside of Bozeman, Cody, Wyoming, and Lake City, Colorado.
For your next outdoor adventure, bring along Columbia Sportswear’s rugged line of cold weather apparel.
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