My sister and I get up to some pretty good adventures, including ice climbing in East Vail, near where I live. Once when she was out visiting from New York, we got all geared up and headed out for some sisterly fun.
I stomped up a snow-filled gully to set up a top rope on an established anchor…
…and then I rappelled down so that we could take turns belaying each other on the climb.
Meanwhile, my sister was freezing her butt off while waiting because, well, ice climbing is a cold activity. But she looks cute, huh, like an ice princess here?
However, she was no princess on the climb. This girl can pull serious mental mojo out of that same freezing butt when necessary, and she picked her way to the top with relative ease:
If you haven’t tried ice climbing, it’s cold (obviously), challenging, and ultimately fun. But it’s the sort of thing you want to try for the first time with an experienced mentor or guide.
Thinking about giving ice climbing a try?
Check out these Learnist boards I created to learn more about ice climbing and required gear:
“Ice Climbing 101: A Beginner’s Guide”
DOWN and OUT 