By coach Brian Mulvihill
Recently an athlete from our gym and I went on an early season ice climbing trip to the South Fork of the Shoshone River outside of Cody Wyoming. This is the premier venue for ice climbing in my opinion aside from the Canadian Rockies. It was early and the temperatures were not very suitable for ice forming but they were beyond pleasant for climbing. Just enough ice had formed and barely any snow had fallen to make the approach up the hillsides too arduous.
3 Days of great climbing followed and it was a successful mission.
Fitness required for ice climbing is unique. It is a relatively slow paced sport but requires a multitude of skills and body movements in order to excel.The days can be very long or short depending on your route choice. Below is a list of some observations my partner and I discussed after our first ice climbing of the season.
Observation #1
Swinging the tool into the ice is key. Sometimes you will swing once into perfect ice and other times you may be swinging twenty times clearing away rotten ice or clearing away bulges. This is something that i have found hard to develop as a training movement in the gym. I program overhead tool swings (using the athletes own tool) as well as dumb bell hammer throws and overhead holds to help mimic the movement. Maybe i need to program more of them for next years program. This was the only element that my partner and I felt lacking.
Observation #2
Aproaching climbs in certain areas can be the crux of the day. Most days ice climbing my pack will weigh upwards of 30+ pounds. The climbs in the South Fork venue usually require an hour or two hour uphill hike over varying terrain. No easy trails. Both of us felt strong in this arena and were ready to climb and felt the approaches each day were more like a warmup than a workout. Weighted step ups and overall leg strengthening during gym training will always be a staple of the ice climbing training cycle. Strong legs and a strong core keep your body moving all day and are able to recover faster so you can do it again the next day.
Observation #3
Grip strength is the the second most important key to ice climbing next to your technique. If you are not strong enough to hang onto your tool and manage the “pump” in your forearms you will fail. And failing means falling and falling is avoided at all costs while ice climbing.Never once did my partner and I feel that we were losing our grip on our tools or becoming over pumped in our forearm muscles. The benefits of the training come out in these moments while climbing, you forget about the physical aspect and can focus all of your attention on the mental aspect and technique.
Overall i feel that anyone who has been ice climbing for a few years and has good technique will benefit from pre-season training. Preparing your body and mind for the rigors and stresses ahead of time will help prolong your climbing season and also allow you to make the most of your first days out. Climb on and climb safe.
