December 3 / 2023 / First Ice Climb Grotto Falls Grade 2

Ok, truth be known, I am a skier. I still like to try something new every once in a while. So when Dad said, "Let's go ice climbing," I thought for a minute, then said, "Why not?" So it was that I found myself packed up with ice tools, crampons, and some warm gear. Grotto is not far away and only about a 20-minute walk in. It is really popular with the tourist crowd.

Parking next to the 1-A

Ice is a pretty weird thing to be climbing. It is hard enough to walk on. It had been warm for most of the winter. I mean, it's really warm. There are a lot of tourists in the area, so we had to do some stealth backroad to find a place to park. Dad has been here quite a few times, so it wasn't a problem.

We are going into a canyon that is part of Grotto Mountain. The climb is called Grotto Falls, which consists of two 20-meter pitches. There are some technical mixed climbs that are much harder than I can do right now. Who knows, maybe if I stay with the sport. Like I said I am a skier.

Ok, let's talk gear. There is a lot of equipment that goes into climbing frozen waterfalls. There are spikes for your feet called crampons and an ice tool for each hand. Harness and Helmut, add warm gloves and waterproof clothing. You also have to bring special protective equipment. This is so that I don't fall off the climb. There is a rope, things called quick draws, that attach the rope to ice screws. Yep, ice screws! That drill right into the ice.

I didn't get a lot of instruction before climbing. Mostly how to walk without tripping.

The first pitch. Because it has been so warm it is about 1/4 as thick as it usually is thios time of year.

Long story short. We climbed the route, but the best part was the rappel down to the base. That required we hook up a friction device and lower ourselves down theh rope. It was crazy stuff, as we had to do this twice.