Ice climbing ascends pure ice — frozen waterfalls and glaciers — with ice tools, crampons, and ice screws; mixed climbing combines ice and bare rock on the same route, hooking tools on rock (dry-tooling). Ice is graded WI; mixed is graded M.
| Aspect | Ice Climbing | Mixed Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | Ice only | Ice + bare rock |
| Tools | Ice tools + crampons | Same, used on rock too |
| Protection | Ice screws | Screws + rock gear/bolts |
| Grade scale | WI (water ice) | M (mixed) |
| Technique | Swinging & kicking | Hooking & torquing (dry-tool) |
It's ice climbing when…
- The route is all ice
- You're on a frozen waterfall
- Protection is all ice screws
It's mixed climbing when…
- The route links ice and rock
- You hook tools on rock (dry-tooling)
- It carries an M grade
Verdict
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between ice and mixed climbing?
Ice climbing is on ice only, graded WI; mixed climbing combines ice and bare rock on the same route and is graded M. Both use ice tools and crampons, but mixed adds techniques for using them on rock.
What is dry-tooling?
Dry-tooling is using ice tools and crampons on bare rock with no ice — hooking the picks on edges and torquing them in cracks. It's the rock component of mixed climbing and has become a discipline in its own right.
What's the difference between WI and M grades?
WI (water ice) grades rate pure ice difficulty; M grades rate mixed routes that combine ice and rock. A frozen waterfall gets a WI grade, while a route weaving between ice and rock gets an M grade.
Related: Ice Climbing · Mixed Climbing · Ice tool · Ice climbing grade