How to Start Winter Climbing

How to Start Winter Climbing

Finding someone with an obsessive love for the mountains to be your partner and mentor on cold winter climbs can be tough. But it is important. The nuances of snow, weather, clothing and equipment can be a bit overwhelming in the winter, so it is essential to find someone to learn from. How do you find a mentor? Start by searching your local network. Mentors are rarely strangers—they are usually found among the people with whom you already interact. Oftentimes it is the mentor that chooses you.

Avalanche knowledge may be the biggest barrier to getting into winter climbing. Don’t let it be a barrier and be proactive about learning. First and foremost, take an avalanche education course. You can find a course provider at avalanche.org or here. Most mountain zones have avalanche forecasting centers that provide information on the avalanche risk each day. In addition, be mindful of other winter terrain hazards like cornices.

Start small. Pick a route that you can very comfortably climb without a rope in the summer. This may mean a class 1 “hike.” Remember that what is trivial in the summer turns into an exciting challenge in the winter. Think Grade 1 or 2 for starters. If you pick a nice weekend day to climb any of them, you should have plenty of company and hopefully a nice broken-in trail!

It goes without saying that it’s important to stay warm and dry. We do want this to be fun (and safe), right? The ideal system will vary based on preference, weather, season and location. Dealing with gloves is one of the trickiest issues of cold weather climbing. At times, you may have to sacrifice warmth and waterproofness for dexterity. I usually carry a thinner glove for travel and a bulkier, warmer glove for the summit.

Besides providing you with sustained energy, eating keeps you warm as you burn through the calories. Bring enough easy-to-eat food to be able to snack consistently—and eat often. In the cold, you’re also less likely to feel thirsty. It’s important to keep hydrated throughout the day—cold conditions can greatly dehydrate you—so you may need to force yourself to drink consistently.

The copyright belongs to msrgear.

---