Ice climbing and rock climbing are similar sports, but there are key differences that you should be aware of before you take up either of these activities.
Ice climbing and rock climbing share many similarities in terms of the muscle groups and pieces of equipment that are used to perform them. Furthermore, they come from similar backgrounds. However, there are key differences in the technique and risks that the sports pose.
At their core, rock climbing and ice climbing are both offshoots of mountaineering, and they both share a common goal: to find your way up a steep, challenging piece of nature. They have similar methods of doing this, and the training for one will often have some overlap with the training for another. They’re by no means, however, the same sport. Ice climbing presents some unique challenges and risk, as well as its own techniques that you need to hammer down before you’re ready to make the transition from rock climbing.
Similarities
First, let’s discuss some of the ways in which rock climbing and ice climbing are similar.
Many of the differences that I’m going to discuss later could be thought of as more ‘tactical’ differences— the techniques you use, the risks you face, etc. While these are relevant and important, they can’t take away from the fact that, at their core, ice climbing and rock climbing are similar activities. The goal is to find the most challenging vertical wall around and say to yourself, ‘I can get up that’.
That’s the reason that so many people transition from rock climbing to ice climbing. Lovers of the sport, who discover it through local gyms or bouldering walls, find themselves becoming obsessed with ice climbing as they find a sport that presents new challenges but with a similar type of feel to rock climbing.
So, with that being said, let’s look at some of the key similarities between the two.
Muscle Groups
First and foremost are the muscle groups that you use in the sports. I’m primarily referring to your forearms and core, which are required to succeed in either sport.
In ice climbing, you need your forearms to hold on to your ice axes as you make your way up the wall. To do this, they need to be trained so that you can rest your bodyweight on them for long stretches of time (up to ten minutes) without experiencing muscular fatigue.
When rock climbing, your forearms are even more important. You use them to crimp, jug, and slap your way up a series of intermittent and often small holes, often relying on poor or nonexistent footwork.
Now, some people would probably make the argument that rock climbing relies more on finger strength, which I would have to concede is true — in most cases. When you’re jug-hauling your way up a route in the Red River Gorge, however, it’s your forearms that are activated.
The other similarity is in your core. In ice climbing, you need this to lift your legs up so you can get into a proper kicking position. On more challenging routes it becomes even more essential, as you’ll be required to support yourself on overhanging terrain.
Rock climbing is similar. Anyone who’s ever gone knows how tiring the sport can be, especially when the grades get stiffer and the wall gets steeper. You need to keep your core activated to prevent your feet from swinging away from the wall as the terrain gets steep.
Because of this overlap, someone who’s good at rock climbing — especially if you train yourself for long, moderate routes rather than short boulder problems — will have a fairly natural transition into the world of ice climbing. Of course, if you want to become world-class at either sport, you’ll require some specified training, but for the everyday weekend warrior, the muscle groups are pretty familiar.
Similar Gear
Another common element between the two is the gear that gets used. Let’s look at some of the overlap:
- Helmets: If you have a rock climbing helmet, you’re probably going to be able to wear it ice climbing. Rock helmets are designed to prevent the impacts of falling projectiles (such as rocks from above), so they’re more than ready to handle any device that might get kicked down at you.
- Harnesses: The ropes, knots, and techniques used to tie yourself into an ice climb are identical to those used in a rock climb. This means that the harnesses, too, are identical. I’ve used the same entry-level Black Diamond harness for both ice and rock, and it hasn’t let me down yet.
- Ropes: This one’s a little bit different, because there isn’t a 100% overlap. I would say this: any ice climbing rock is a rock climbing rope, but not every rock climbing rope is an ice climbing rope. That’s because ice ropes need to be dry treated (waterproofed) to prevent any liquid from getting to the sensitive core. Rock climbing ropes don’t have this requirement.
- Quickdraws, clips, etc: The carabiners and quickdraws that you use for one sport will be perfectly translatable to the next sport. All of your slings, P.A.S’s, and other gear will also work perfectly fine in an ice environment.
- Belay devices: This is another category that doesn’t have a 100% overlap, because not all rock climbing belay devices work for ice climbing. That’s due to the fact that ice and snow can muck up some of the fancier auto-locking devices (like a gri-gri). For those who rely on more simple devices, though, you’ll find you can use them in either sport.
Outdoor Activities
Finally, we get to the fact that I touched discussing above: at their core, ice climbing and rock climbing are both outdoor-oriented activities that focus on getting you to the top of something tall and imposing.
The sports have very similar roots, both sprouting as offshoots of the mountaineering craze that swept across Europe in the 1800’s. Originally, neither were really recognized as their own activity: they were simply seen as techniques necessary to get you to the top of a mountain.
Over time, however, people began to see the merits of performing these as stand-alone sports. It happened first to rock climbing, which experienced a massive cultural revolution in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The sport re-gained some popularity in the ‘90s and is now one of the fastest growing in the world.
Ice climbing hasn’t experienced the same mass-adoption, but it’s beginning to gain some ground. As the gear gets lighter, the protection gets better, and the routes get harder, more people are starting to pay attention to it. This is helped along as more people get into rock climbing, because there’s a wider pool of people who then consider ice climbing as an activity.
As I said in the intro, these sports have different tactical skills, but they share a close similarity in the way they came to be and the spirit that drives their participants.
Differences
With that being said, however, there are some key differences between ice climbing and rock climbing that need to be addressed.
The biggest danger in thinking the two activities are the same is looking at ice climbing and thinking, ‘oh, I could do that’. You might read somewhere that a WI-5 is roughly equivalent to a 5.12 and decide that you’re ready to try one.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. While the spirit in the sports is the same, and they share some commonalities in terms of muscle groups and techniques, they are their own independent activities. Being good at one does not necessarily mean you’ll be good at the other.
If you’re a pretty good rock climber who wants to transition to ice climbing, it’s best to consider yourself a complete beginner. There’s an entire world of technique, movement, and safety that you need to re-learn before you can call yourself a competent ice climber.
Technique
The first time I ever went ice climbing, I was shocked to find out I had no clue what I was doing.
On the surface, it seemed so similar to rock climbing: get yourself to the top of the route. The tools were a little weird, sure, but if anything, I figured they would make my life easier. I couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
Being on ice feels completely different than being on rock. Your placements are uncertain, your feet are slippery, and the surface is a whole lot more uneven than you’re used to.
Ice climbing technique, on the surface, seems simpler than rock climbing technique. There’s no stemming, gastons, drop knees, hand swaps, or bumps involved. You simply kick, kick, stand up, swing, and repeated until you arrive at the top of the route.
The truth is, though, ice climbing is hard. You need to learn where to place your axes to the get the best grip. You need to learn how to shift your weight to avoid pulling a tool out of the ice. You need to get your feet to really stick, because you can’t just smear to make up for bad footwork (which I do, a lot). If you want to ice climb, be prepared to learn an entirely new system of movement.
Danger
Ice climbing is, flat out, more dangerous than rock climbing.
Suddenly, you don’t just have to content with rockfall and the occasional sketchy piece of protection. There’s also the ice, the belayer risk, the temperature, and most of all, the fall danger.
Fall danger is where the really big difference lies. In rock climbing, falls are expected (in fact, they’re almost encouraged). In ice climbing, however, it’s never okay to fall on lead. Ice climbing falls (covered in more detail here) are dangerous events that can lead to a whole array of injuries.
This means that, every time you step on an ice route, you need to be confident in your ability to climb it without falling. That’s a tall order to make. It means you need a lot of laps on top rope before you’re ready to lead, and it means that you need to be a whole lot more honest with yourself about your abilities.
I will say this: in rock climbing, because you’re always falling, you’re more likely to experience minor injuries. In ice climbing, however, you’re far more likely to break something or get in the type of accident that keeps you sidelined for a long time.
Equipment
Despite the similarities mentioned above, there are some unique pieces of ice climbing gear that you’ll have to use if you want to engage in the sport. Primary among these are ice climbing screws, which are what you place into the ice to catch a fall.
Not only are screws expensive (they can cost upwards of $60 each, and you need at least 5 of them), they require you to learn how to place them. You need to be able to not only judge which ice is good, but you need to maneuver yourself into a stable position and then standing there while you use one hand to screw into the ice.
Rope Systems
Finally, the systems of rope used for the two activities tend to differ. In rock climbing, most people will have a single rope setup, which can either be dry treated or not. Ice climbers, however, tend to use something a little more complex.
First of all, you need a dry treated rope to stop the snow and ice from making their way into the core of your rope and ruining its structural integrity.
Secondly, most ice climbers, especially those on longer routes, prefer a half rope system over a single rope one. This type of setup creates less friction, and it allows you to rappel easier. Plus, if you accidentally slice a rope with your sharp tools, you’ve got a backup.
Climbing and belaying with this type of setup is a little bit different (and can require a different type of belay device), so if you’ve never done it before you might want to learn before you head out ice climbing.
Which Is Harder: Ice Climbing or Rock Climbing?
Finally, we arrive at one of the most touted questions in either sport.
It’s a tough question to answer, and no matter what I say I’m going to make someone angry. Because of that, I’m going to choose a bit of a copout.
So, which is harder between ice climbing and rock climbing? Rock climbing is physically more difficult, but the mental challenges surrounding ice climbing make it a harder sport overall.
Now, even as I type this, I know that some people are getting prepared to argue against it. Let me explain my answer first.
When I say that rock climbing is physically harder, I’m talking about on an aggregate level. I know that there are physically demanding, overhung ice routes that require more strength and skill than I’ll ever have to climb. However, I also know that a lot of ice climbs, once you get the required strength in your forearms and calves, aren’t that challenging.
Compounding this is the fact that, when you ice climb, you’re rarely pushing your limits due to the risk of falling. In rock climbing, you’re always pushing your limits. You might climb a route 50 or 100 times, each time pushing your body to the point of failure. That takes a huge physical toll, and it’s the reason I’m saying that rock climbing is physically more difficult.
Mentally, however, ice climbing is more challenging by a mile. The knowledge that you can never fall places a lot of stress on each and every climb. You need to be able to put aside the fear and keep your cool to be able to climb well, or you’ll end up making a stupid mistake.
Added to this is the fact that ice climbing has worse protection (ice screws don’t offer the same security as bolts in the rock do) and more challenges to face (cold weather, avalanche danger, etc), and I feel comfortable saying that ice climbing is an overall more challenging activity.