Difficulty Advanced

Ice climbing is the sport of ascending frozen waterfalls, ice-covered rock, and glaciers using ice axes, crampons, and ice screws for protection. Climbers swing tools and kick crampon points into the ice to move upward. Conditions change constantly with temperature, making judgment as important as technique.

Free soloing is climbing without a rope or any protective gear, where a fall would almost certainly be fatal. It is the most dangerous form of climbing, practiced by a small number of elite climbers on terrain well within their ability. It is distinct from free climbing, which uses ropes for protection.