Snow Climbing

Snow climbing uses different techniques and tools than rock climbing or hiking and requires practice to become safe and comfortable when ascending and descending snowy slopes. In addition to the fundamental techniques for ascending and descending, BCEP teaches methods for roped team travel. The objectives of this module include use of an ice axe and crampons, tying into the rope, passing protection, belaying on snow, glissading, and self-arresting. These skills are important in order to participate in Mazamas A and B level climbs.

Lesson Objectives

After reading this page students should be able to:

Intro to Snow Climbing Presentation

Basic Tools

Crampons

Crampons are traction devices that attach to a shoe or boot which use metal spikes for traction. It is encouraged to practice putting on crampons many times in order to get comfortable under pressure in the elements. Try practicing on gentle to moderate snowy slopes .

Footwork Techniques with Crampons:

Crampons should be sized to your boots at home before arriving to a climb. There are several different crampon attachment styles, so make sure that your crampons work with your boots. The boot should fit snugly between the crampon toe and heel attachments even before tightening the strap.

Never wear crampons while glissading.

Ice Axe

An Ice Axe is tool that is used to assist a climber ascending or descending a route in snow and ice. It can be used as a walking stick on moderate slopes, to get purchase in hard snow and ice on steep slopes, and to perform self-arrest in the case of a slip.

Common Axe Techniques

Walk in Balance and Self Belay

Self Arrest

Ice Axe

Multipurpose tool for snow and ice climbing.


Used in BCEP for A and B climbs.

Ice Tool

A specialized curved, short tool used for vertical ice climbing. 


Not used in BCEP. 

Ascending Snow and Moderate Ice

Ascending in Snow requires practice of movement techniques to move efficiently in snow terrain. There are many techniques used to ascend snow depending on steepness, snowpack, ice presence, fatigue, and other factors.
There are many movement techniques, but here are just a few basic techniques used:


Climbing in Balance: Staying in balance while moving on snow requires deliberate and efficient movement, using your three points of contact (two feet and one ice axe) in harmony. Move your ice axe when your two feet are in a position of balance and move your feet when your ice axe is planted in a good location to support your balance.

Rest Step:This is the technique of allowing the non-weight bearing leg to relax (aka rest) momentarily by supporting the climber's weight on the nearly-straight downhill leg between each step. Find a good pace and rest step pause that your body can sustain over long periods of time.

Step-Kick: This technique is used in vertical steep snow where the snow is soft enough to carve in steps. This is the most stable technique as all edges of the foot are down to distribute weight. Each climber that follows the lead step-kicker improves the steps by step-kicking the path. Team members should take turns kicking steps as the first climber expends a fair amount of energy. Crampons may or may not be used depending on the snow conditions.

Footwork Uphill

Rest Step

Changing Directions

Diagonal Ascent: French Step

Uphill Ice Axe

Walking Techniques on a Glacier

Seated Hip Belay on Snow

Descending Snow

Descending requires a wide range of skills and can be more challenging than ascending the same slope. Below are just a few common ways to descend in snow. By practicing these techniques you can build comfort and confidence, which will make your descending faster and safer.

Plunge Step

While walking forward, use your heel like a dagger to plunge straight into the snow while bearing weight on the leg. This technique is used in both snow and in scree descents when the terrain is soft enough. Ensure that knees are bent, and avoid leaning forward.

Face-In Down-Climbing

For steep slopes, it may be more comfortable to face into the slope and kick steps down the face. This is like step-kicking or front-pointing in reverse. Avoid leaning into the slope, Use an ice axe for stability.

Glissading

A controlled slide down a steep snow or scree field. There are several types of glissading: standing glissade, three-point glissade, crotched, and sitting glissade. BCEP covers the seated glissade in snow, and the standing glissade for scree fields. There are a few ground rules for glissading:

Self-Arrest

Self-rescue technique used when a climber loses their footing and starts to slip. Good self arrest skills are essential to safe travel on snowy slopes. The most important part of self-arrest is to stop quickly, before a slip turns into a fall. Any hesitation allows speed to build, making self-arrest much more difficult. Self-arrest involves holding the ice axe across the chest and shoulders and using body weight to plunge the pick of the axe into the snow. On ice and hard snow, kick knees or feet into snow once slowed down significantly. In soft snow, the ice axe may not be effective at slowing down the climber, so kicking in feet may be necessary. This skill should be practiced regularly in different snow conditions.

When wearing crampons bend the knees and keep the feet in the air. Dig in with knees rather than feet to avoid injury such as broken ankles.


Rappelling

Another option for descending snow slopes. See Rappelling

Plunge Step

3 Descending Methods

Self Arrest

Downhill Sidestep

Snow Bollard

Rope Team Travel

Tying in to a Rope Team

Tying in on a rope team for snow climbing is similar to the ways you'd tie in for rock climbing. Generally the two end climbers will tie in with a Rewoven Figure Eight knot that passes through both hard points of the harness, not the belay loop. In some cases the leader may ask the end climbers to attach to the rope using another method. Middle climbers often attach to the rope by tying an Alpine Butterfly Knot and clipping it to their belay loop with a locking carabiner.


Running Belay

In situations where the consequence of a fall is significant, the leader may choose to protect the team using a running belay. This involves the first person in the rope team placing snow pickets or other snow protection, the team clipping through that protection, and the last climber on the team removing or "cleaning" the protection.


As the leader starts the pitch, the second team member may be asked to belay out the leader from an anchored position. When the slack between them is gone, the second member calls “PICKET,” and the leader stops and sets a picket. The leader and second member proceed; the second member is belayed with a prusik by the third member. When the second reaches the first picket they again call “PICKET,” and the leader stops and places another picket, calling “CLEAR'' when finished. The second clips through and calls “CLEAR.” The leader, second climber, and third climber proceed, with the third being belayed by the next climber if there is one.


As each member reaches a picket they call “PICKET” and “CLEAR” as they approach and pass a picket. Using this protocol there is always only one climber between each anchor point. Trailing climbers do not proceed to clip through until the person ahead has clipped through.  The party does not continue moving until the last person has cleaned the piece of protection.


The leader will continue climbing and placing protection until all of the pickets are used or a good stopping place is reached. The leader then builds an anchor and clips in. The leader belays in the second climber, coiling the rope between them as the team approaches. Calls of “PICKET” and “CLEAR” continue. When the second climber reaches the anchor they clip in and then belay in the third. During the entire pitch, the last team member is collecting pickets. They are handed back to the leader for use on the next pitch, and the process is repeated.

Examples of Basic Snow Climbs

Goat Rocks

(Old Snowy, Ives Peak) This wilderness is located about 50 miles north of Mt. Adams. Beautiful base camp in the most beautiful of alpine meadows. The ascent of Old Snowy is non-technical, but completing the traverse south to Ives Peak may involve some rock and scree scrambling, and possibly some steep snow. Gilbert Peak, the highest of the Goat Rocks peaks, is an easy ascent, but requires some serious route-finding and traversing on scree and rotten rock or moderately steep snow.

Mount St. Helens

(Swift Creek, Monitor Ridge) One of the lower and technically easier glaciated peaks in the Pacific NW, but still a strenuous climb as the starting elevation is relatively low. The peak is often underestimated; exposure and route finding challenges in low visibility can make this peak as serious as any in the Northwest. There is a permit system in place to climb with a limited number available between May 15 through October 31. 


Diamond Peak

Located south of Willamette Pass, this very scenic peak is a good day climb. Early season may involve moderately steep snow – late season on some routes have scree.

Middle Sister

(Hayden Glacier, Renfrew Glacier) These are short climbs from a base camp or lengthy ones from the trailhead. They involve a certain amount of glacier travel (with crevasses on the Hayden Glacier). The last 1,000 feet may be ice, snow, or scree. One of the most beautiful summit views in the Cascades. Late season ascents of the boulders of the southwest flank require only good boots and endurance.

Knowledge Check

Please complete the required knowledge check before moving on:

Suggested Reading: