With the onset of spring many of us are celebrating; however, let’s not forget about the people sad to see the departure of winter: ice climbers. For those of us resigned to climbing exclusively on rock, it’s hard to understand what in the world drives people to venture out onto ice. In fact, the concept of climbing frozen water seems terrifying, unfathomable, or like an extremely masochistic (way too cold) endeavor.
The sport of ice climbing brings an entirely different set of challenges, consequences, and rewards. Hear directly from ice climber, Russell Frisch, what it is about ascending ice that has him hooked.
It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. You have to commit and you have to really have the mindset for it. You have to really love it … it really makes you appreciate everything around you.
– Russell Frisch
Related: To Climb an Iceberg
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