#Atc guide rock and ice how to#

Still, when ice climbing, you want to be sure to bring a dry treated rope. Especially with repeated use and exposure to the elements, the rope can lose some of its water proofing abilities. Now, this dry treatment has limits as to how well it can perform. To prevent this, some ropes are ‘dry treated’, meaning the sheath is designed to not let any water through. When the core of a rope gets wet, it loses a lot of its catching strength, and your safety is therefor compromised. The sheath, which is designed to protect the core.Įssentially, the core does all of the important work of catching you when you fall, and the sheath protects the core from sharp rocks and anything else that would damage its structural integrity.The core, which is made of a stretchy nylon and is responsible for catching your weight when you fall.To understand why this is important, you need to have a basic understanding of how climbing ropes are made. Dry Treated vs Non-Dry-Treated Ropesĭry treatment is a process that helps prevent your rope from getting wet. I talk about both categories in more detail below. Your type of rope system (single, double, etc).For ice climbing, there are two main categories you need to consider: Most climbing ropes will function just fine (as long as they’re dynamic), but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to be your first choice. What Rope Do You Use Ice Climbing?įirst things first, let’s talk about what type of rope you want to use for ice climbing.

#Atc guide rock and ice how to#

In the following guide, I talk about what ropes to use, how to buy your ice climbing rope, and some personal recommendations. Additionally, you want to make sure your rope is dry treated. First and foremost is the type of rope system you use while climbers almost exclusively use a single-rope setup, it’s more common in ice climbing to go with a double rope. There are a few things that you might do differently when you’re picking an ice climbing rope compared to a different activity (say, rock climbing). Half-rope systems are the most common, especially for long or multi-pitch climbs where rappelling is required. When ice climbing, you want a rope that’s dry treated and somewhere between 8.0mm-9.8mm thick. I’ve written the following guide to help you make that selection. Your rope is one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll choose for ice climbing.