Packing List for Multi-Pitch Ice Climbing
Introduction and Notes
Ice climbing is dangerous and requires experience to assess the ice and the risks. This packing list is merely an idea and a guide, and it is by no means a comprehensive universal solution. So please think for yourself and take what you need to safely complete your climb! This packing list also has a personal touch from my own experiences.
Clothing for Ice Climbing
Of course, this is dependent on the temperature and personal tolerance to the cold.
- Hardshell pants
- Wool shirt
- Windbreaker Jacket
- Thin wool beanie or balaclava (wearable under a climbing helmet)
- Long underwear (possibly wool)
- Hardshell jacket (in case it gets colder, windier, or wet)
- 2-3 pairs of gloves (for switching out if a pair gets wet and cold)
- Thick belay gloves (which should ideally stay dry)
- Insulated winter jacket (to stay warm during breaks or while belaying)
- Crampon-compatible mountain boots (Category D)
Packing List for Multi-Pitch Ice Climbing
What the team carries together:
- 2x half ropes (appropriate length for the route, but in ice, it’s better to have a few extra meters)
- Prepped topo of the route (laminated/waterproof)
- 2 energy-absorbing quickdraws (for questionable ice screws, or use double rope technique)
- At least 4 ice screws with at least 16cm length for belay stations (4 screws, because there are two belay stations)
- 8-12 ice screws of various lengths (quantity based on topo and experience, length based on ice thickness)
- 12-16 quickdraws (including at least 6 alpine extendable quickdraws)
- At least one 120cm sling with carabiner (as a long quickdraw, for setting up anchors, or for protection on trees)
- 2x belay slings with two small screw-lock carabiners each (usually a quad anchor made from about 6m of aramid cord or a 240cm Dyneema sling)
- File for sharpening ice tools and crampons
- Sunscreen (or apply beforehand)
- First aid kit (better: each climber carries one on their person)
Items that each individual carries:
- Sunglasses (optional self-tinting lenses)
- Climbing harness (consider a lightweight model for long approaches)
- 2-4 ice screw holders (for carrying screws on the harness)
- Climbing helmet
- Crampons
- 2x ice tools
- Belay device: Alpine tube (for dynamic belaying, comfortable for belaying one or two followers, good for rappelling on two strands)
- Large HMS carabiner with round cross-section (for use with the belay device, a round cross-section makes it easier to belay in guide mode)
- Small screw-lock carabiner (for attaching the tube in guide mode, as a dummy runner at the belay, and for rappelling with a prusik backup)
- A 180cm sling with a screw-lock carabiner (as reserve material)
- At least one extra HMS carabiner (possibly a lightweight model)
- Carabiner as a personal tether by clove hitching the rope (AustriAlpin Fifty:Fifty, or a PAS sling with carabiner)
- Spare non-locking carabiner (in case all quickdraws are used, but you need to build a belay station with three points)
- 2x short prusik cords (as a backup when rappelling and for potential rescues)
- Cord for Abalakov threads (pre-cut to about 1.50 – 2m, so it can go around small trees as well)
- Abalakov threader (for threading cord or rope through the ice thread)
- Small backpack 12-18L (for carrying snacks, water, and insulation jacket while climbing)
- Water and snacks
- Headlamp (since it gets dark early)
- Charged phone (for emergency calls)
For alpine or mixed routes:
- Nuts
- Pitons (and an ice tool with a hammer!)
Depending on conditions and length of the climb:
- Avalanche transceiver (each climber has one!)
- Avalanche probe and shovel (each climber!)
- Spare shirt (to change into something dry at the base of the route)
- Sunscreen
Practical items:
- Backpack for approach 40-60L (which stays at the base)
- Ice screw bag (for safely transporting screws to the base)
- Groundsheet for packing at the parking lot (about 3x3m Cordura or similar)
- Local climbing guidebook
- GPS watch/device with coordinates of the base
- Emergency bivy bag
Conclusion
What and how you pack for ice climbing is, to a certain extent, individual. This list is only a rough guide based on my experiences. You can set off with more or less gear, and with more experience, you can pack more precisely for a selected route.
