Icefall

Ice climbing is climbing on frozen streams that offer more or less vertical jumps. They can come from watercourses from which the natural path has been derived to cover cliffs and thus create, like “climbing school” sites, small fun walls for learning.

They can be completely natural and wild , in the middle of the mountains, and go up from jump to jump over several lengths.

With the help of crampons on the feet, steel claws fixed to the shoes and technical ice axes which are anchored to allow us to climb without slipping.

A helmet for any falling ice, a harness to be sure and you are equipped to attack waterfalls of hundreds of meters.

The descents are done by abseiling or on foot depending on the desired sectors.

The icefall on the school site

This is a day or half a day of discovery. After checking and adjusting the equipment, we go to the foot of the sector. Ropes are installed by the guide to allow you to climb as many easy and fun lengths as possible.
After brief technical advice, you are roped in and secured to climb your first routes.
The guide checks your tie-in knot and the belay system in place for each roped party. Safety first.

This day is dedicated to learning techniques. At each new length, you will have appropriate advice . Most often through games and tricks, you will take more and more pleasure in reaching the summits of the routes.

Icefall: the break is essential

During the day 2 options:
– the site being near a village center, we will eat and taste small local specialties ; either from the Queyras Valley or from Vallouise.
– you will have taken care to make yourself a good snack and brought a hot drink in a thermos.

Icefall: Evolution

Without even realizing it, over the lengths, your desire to go higher and/or to increase the level of difficulty will take place. You will learn evolution techniques such as:

• abseiling
• the belay
• installation and recovery of spindles* and relays.
• Knowledge of meteorology, nivology (knowledge of snow), and glaciology. (*The pins are anchor points fixed in the ice, allowing you to progress in safety)

In one day you will already have the basics to go on a waterfall of several lengths in a natural site.

In natural site:

Here we go for a cascade of 100m minimum, that is to say 3 minimum lengths.

You are already initiated so after checking the equipment and setting it up, we go to the foot of the icefall.
We leave early in order to be the first on the waterfall and not to risk possible falls of ice from other roped parties.

Your guide will lead throughout the icefall to allow you to climb as safely as possible. A length is between 30 and 50 meters in height more or less steep.

You will thus join him at each relay, taking care to recover the evolution equipment (pins, quickdraws and relay straps).

In a few hours, you will thus reach the top of the icefall; rest assured you will have the feeling that only a moment has passed.

Icefall: days of sharing

We go down on foot or abseil depending on the sector, to find our cars and go to a small local troquet , warm up and discuss this day; his best moments, the essentials to remember , the actions not to be repeated.
A debriefing to better prepare for the next day’s outings.

We try to find each other to carpool. The time will be determined the day before depending on the conditions and the crowd at the time.

Equipment for the outing: Your instructor will provide you with all the essential equipment for your safety and comfort:

• the ropes
• length facilities

For personal protective equipment: supplement of 30 euro

• a harness.
• a pair of cleats
• technical ice axes.

Mountaineering boots are for rent in specialized stores. Your guide will advise you according to the location of your accommodation or the outing.

• warm and waterproof things.
• A down jacket and 2 pairs of warm and light gloves.
• sunglasses and sunscreen.
• a hot drink in a thermos and a small snack.