As I was descending from the safety rope, dehydrated but pleased with myself, I saw an ice axe appear instantly and immediately sink into the fragile ice, between the ice chips and the smiling face of Meta, who then dragged it to a ledge on the pillar. “Not bad! You looked very confident on the rope!” he said, clipping himself into the belay…
Fear and Stress
We see a swan swimming smoothly and gracefully across the smooth surface of a lake, and underwater, its legs work like a motor, but no one sees it. It’s the same with climbers climbing on ice. Seemingly calm and focused, for them, the placement of each tool is an exercise in precision, accompanying each small upward movement. But at that moment, a tense struggle occurs in the climber’s mind – they need to process a huge amount of different information while remaining focused on the ascent.
After leaving their comfort zone into the realm of the unexpected, Where there is a perceived or real risk of falling, a climber faces psychological conflicts and physical demands. All of this can be summed up in one word: stress.
If stress is low, it can be beneficial for a climber, increasing their productivity during the climb. But if a climber can’t cope with it, it can backfire. At best, they’ll descend; at worst, they’ll remain hanging on, waiting for fear to leap from the depths of their mind, suppressing and hindering their progress, leading to a panic attack. This article describes the connection between the physical and mental state of a climber on ice and provides simple, easy-to-follow tips to overcome physical and mental fear during an ascent and help them focus.
Fight or Flight
Fear comes from many things, but in mountaineering the most common is the fear of falling, which is quite dangerous, especially in Ice climbing. Recent advances in ice climbing gear mean that ice protection can be installed quickly and easily, and it can also be used to determine ice conditions, making the equipment even more reliable. However, the fact remains that falling while ice climbing, with all those iron tools hanging on you, is much more dangerous. So now you understand that the fear of falling while ice climbing is quite justified.
Humanity has developed a survival mechanism called “fight or flight.” When we are faced with danger, we very quickly, literally instantly, assess the threat and determine whether we can overcome it, that is, “fight” it, or not, and whether we need to “flee” it. And this is no big deal if you’re running away, for example, from a bunch of crazy people who want your head as a wall decoration, but it’s inconvenient if you’re exhausted and pinned down. staples to your rope, with all the tools and belays.
While we’re deciding whether to stay and fight or run, our body produces a massive dose of adrenaline. This adrenaline creates a certain physical reaction—the familiar increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and feeling of butterflies in the stomach. But the adrenaline rush is actually a double-edged sword. It can give us unimaginable strength, which will help us later, or it can make us panic and nervous.
A climber faces the challenge of controlling the state of central nervous system arousal, balancing between the positive effects of an adrenaline rush and a state of panic.
But regardless of whether we choose to stay and fight (continue climbing) or run—our choice is determined by many factors. For example, previous successes (such as a successful ascent of a difficult route) or failures (fear of similar ascents in the past), our current emotional state (fear/relaxation depending on the situation), self-confidence (I can do it!), and our approach to the ascent (both physically and spiritually). However, we may decide to start the ascent, only to encounter an emotional crisis halfway through and ultimately change our intentions. BecauseHow can we cope with this?
Important Ice Climber Skills
Here are 4 different aspects of ice climbing:
Physical – our strength and endurance.
Technical – mountaineering skills, the ability to use equipment and gear that protects against ice.
Tactical – where to best place belay, a crux, where to rest, etc.
Mental – what’s going on in our heads and how to cope with it.
Diagram #1 shows that our mental skills, i.e., the ability to cope with stress, connect all the other elements together. Our brain controls how all other aspects work, or don’t work. Each element in this chain has an immediate and direct impact on the other elements. Each element is related to the brain and has a direct impact on emotional state, just as everything that happens in the brain immediately affects physical state, because all elements are interconnected.
So, in ice climbing, even the weakest element has a profound effect on overall well-being, as our weaknesses hold us back more than our strengths pull us forward. By identifying what specifically prevents you from focusing and completing the climb, you will increase your chances of success.
But here’s the catch. Some ice climbers believe they were exhausted during the climb because they weren’t strong enough. A closer look at the reasons reveals that the exhaustion wasn’t due to weak hands, but rather to overexertion—that is, allowing stress to take away their best, leading them, for example, to hold onto their tools too tightly.
What I’ll write next are very simple and easy techniques covering the technical, tactical, and mental aspects of ice climbing. They will allow you to stay relaxed, calm, and focused during ice climbing, which allows you to use your physiological resources more effectively, which, in turn, will increase the chances of a safe, stress-free, and successful ascent.
Technical Tips
There’s an important technique that’s sometimes overlooked by beginners that will help you achieve a state of iron focus.
Despite the many benefits of ice protection, the very nature of ice means that it can be difficult to place, requiring a lot of effort, and there’s a high risk of ending up in the hospital if you fall with all that metal construction to the ground. Therefore, the basic idea of ice climbing is to place your tools in the most suitable location. It’s better to spend time finding the right spot than to place a tool haphazardly and then, while placing the next one, worry about whether the previous one is still holding. And there’s a very good chance that the next tool will be placed poorly, too, because you’re constantly worrying about the previous one. And this will continue until a) you complete the route/take a rest, or b) your tool flies out and you fall.
Choosing the right spot is key when ascending a rope. Make sure the spot is firm enough, as this will be your anchor, which will later work in your favor. I once saw what happened to a friend of mine when he was on an ice ledge. The ice his foot was on collapsed. He fell onto his tools, which, fortunately, were well-placed. Due to the adrenaline rush, he quickly gained altitude and regained contact with the ice. He climbed much higher than the previous ice screw placement.
Psychological Tips
While good technique is key to safe ice climbing, constant focus and a relaxed attitude will allow you to use the techniques according to yourMaximum. When we become frightened, our body tenses, which affects our physical coordination.
For ice climbers, this most often manifests itself in them gripping their tools tighter, which leads to strain in the forearms. This affects the ability to place tools correctly, as a weakness in the hand is immediately felt. The worse the placement of the tools, the more frightened you become. This will also affect your legs; you’ll try to dig your crampons’ front teeth into anything that feels more or less secure.
To stay calm and cope with overexcitement, ice climbers should use a basic set of psychological techniques.
Breathing
A little experiment…
Take a pen or pencil in your hand. Start twirling the pen/pencil between your thumb and fingers, making sure you do this at the same speed.
Now hold your breath for as long as possible and continue twirling the pen.
Have you noticed that twirling it has become more difficult and that your speed has changed?
How would you describe your emotional state while holding your breath?
>Another little experiment.
Continue doing the same movements with your fingers as you did in the previous exercise.
Sit comfortably.
Imagine a long string tied to the top of your head. Now imagine that this thread is being gently pulled, and your head is lifted upward.
Next, take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly count to four (while you inhale, imagine a ball inside your stomach that slowly and gently descends down into your stomach once you’ve inhaled).
After inhaling, slowly exhale through your mouth, counting to four again.
Have you noticed that it has become more difficult to twist it, and the speed has changed?
How would you describe your emotional state while holding your breath?
What do you think of this exercise compared to the previous one?
You should have noticed that when you performed the first exercise, when you held As you breathed, you began to turn the handle faster and more intermittently, as lack of oxygen is stressful. During the second exercise, the speed and manner of turning the handle should have remained unchanged because you were relaxed.
Do you hold your breath when climbing?
There’s no obvious answer to this question. Based on my experience teaching and training future climbers, I can say that most of them hold their breath while climbing, or simply breathe shallowly, which leads to shortness of breath at the end of the route. Not because the route was difficult, but because they were breathing incorrectly, or not breathing at all.
Controlling your emotional state with your breathing is very simple. Deep and correct breathing is taught in martial arts and meditation.
You can use this breathing technique while climbing if you reach the point where you realize your breathing has become ragged and uneven. Perform the exercise with deep breaths and count to four.
You can also coordinate your movements with your breathing, but this takes a lot of practice. As you move, exhale through your mouth. Perform the movement as you exhale. Restore your balance, inhale, and exhale on the next movement. At first, you’ll feel awkward, but the more you practice, the better you’ll get, and your movements will become smooth, calm, and fluid.
Internal Dialogue
Imagine that while you’re climbing, your belayer is constantly yelling at you, telling you that you’re a complete failure, that the tool placement is terrible, the climb is very difficult, and that you’re a weakling. How do you think this will affect your ability?Climb?
Now imagine your friend telling you how great you are, that the tool placements are very secure, and all sorts of encouraging words. How do you think this will impact your climbing ability? Much more positively, right?
I’m not saying you should necessarily drag your friend along and have them shout encouragement, but you have a voice in your head that you hear constantly while climbing. Many people only hear negative thoughts in their heads, such as what might happen to them if their belay breaks—this has the same negative effect as having a friend with you who constantly discourages you and sets you up for failure.
Inner dialogue is a very simple, yet powerful technique. You control this voice, and it’s up to you to decide what you want to hear. So I recommend silently repeating words like these:
“Well done, you’re doing great!”
“That’s a very good place to place the instrument. Excellent! Now go ahead, place the next instrument, good, now place your foot. Exhale and relax. Wonderful!”
“Don’t forget to breathe – excellent!”
And so on. The point is to highlight, for example, good technique, a positive attitude, and praise yourself for it. You can do this silently, or you can say it out loud. Whatever you prefer.
Tactical Tips
I imagine many people simply stroll to the start of a route, glance casually, and then begin climbing. But it’s worth taking the time to shop around. This way, you’ll better understand the route, choose the most appropriate strategy, and weigh your chances of a successful ascent.
So before you rush headlong into the wall, take a closer look; you can even use binoculars to get an even better look at the route. Choosing the right route and tactics to help you conquer it is crucial.
Where is the strongest ice?
Now you’re looking for ice that has enough places to set up tools and ice screws. What kind of ice is considered good? This is just my opinion, but you should look for blue ice. The whiter the ice, the more air it contains, making it less suitable for installing tools.
Where can I take a break to dust myself off and set up my belay?
There will be sections of steep ice along the way that cannot be avoided. You must either try to navigate them safely, or continue forward and be prepared for anything…
Once you’ve identified rest spots, you can divide the rope into sections. This will ensure you’re physically getting enough rest during the climb, and it will be easier for you mentally to cover the distance when it’s divided into sections. As they say –
“How do you eat a whole elephant?
“One bite at a time…”
What are the dangers?
Check what’s above your proposed route. For example, other climbing teams (My personal rule is to never climb in someone’s footsteps unless I’m 100% sure it’s completely safe. Falling rocks can kill you), icicles that can easily fall, avalanches, etc. All of this must be taken into account before starting the ascent.
Summary
Ice frozen from a waterfall or similar source is dangerous. When climbing with protection, you need to remain calm; at best, installing it correctly in the right place will take a lot of strength and patience. Panic and fussing on such a route can have serious consequences.
Therefore, it is very important to remain calm and focused. Developing psychological techniques for controlling emotions is just as important as learning how to use various new ice-breaking devices.Climbing.
So next time, focus on finding the right place for your tools, concentrate on your breathing, and let your inner voice encourage you.
Top Ice Climbing Tips
- Make sure you’re placing your tools in the right place.
- Using techniques like deep breathing and self-talk will help you relax while climbing and distribute your energy properly, i.e. You won’t be holding your tools too tightly.
- Before the ascent, carefully familiarize yourself with the route, plan where you will take rests, where to install belay, etc.
About the author:
George McEwan lives in Aviemore, Scotland, and is a senior instructor at Glenmore Lodge (the National Outdoor Training Centre) and a responsible officer for the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI).
George has been climbing for over 20 years. During this time, he has pioneered numerous routes in the UK, Europe, and Nepal.
He has done most of his climbing in the French Alps near Mont Blanc, both in winter and summer. He has also climbed in the New Zealand Alps. Expedition to Langtang, Nepal – first ascent of the North Ridge on the north face of Mount Naya Kanga in 1989. Second British Tien Shan Expedition, attempt on the south face of Khan Tengri in 1993.
In recent years, he has taken up ice climbing on frozen waterfalls, which has taken him to Canada, Colorado, France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.
While he continues to be an avid mountaineer, ice climbing has become his passion.
Photo: George McEwan Collection, Vladimir Kopylov, Jonathan Griffith, Urban Golob, Feb 2007
Source: alp.org.ua