In this post I’m going to show you some mountain adventures I had around the Alps, climbing frozen waterfalls in winter.
For those who don’t know this technique, it’s a lot like rock climbing, but on ice. Rather than climbing on rocky surfaces, ice climbers use crampons, picks, ropes and other equipment to climb on ice. In winter time waterfalls freeze and become…climbable!
Ice climbing in the Dolomites
Sometimes there is no waterfall, just a little source dropping water on a wall, when temperatures fall down at the beginning of winter, drops will form beautiful ice formations, increasing in size week after week, until spring!
It could seem an extremely dangerous sport, but I can assure it is not, at least if you follow some rules.
Obviously you must learn safety procedures with ropes and all the equipment.
My strong advice is to make a special training course where expert people and instructors can teach you everything, step by step.
Then, always look carefully at the weather forecast, some waterfalls are at risk of avalanche!
Never climb when other people are already on the wall, there is a high risk of falling ice blocks!
Ice climbing in Davos, Switzerland
"Metro", an amazing icefall located in a vertical tunnel inside the mountain!
David Bacci, a famous Italian climber, on the crux pitch of "Blue magic", Canton Oberland, Switzerland
Rappelling down...
Approaching "Crack Baby" one of the highest frozen waterfalls in the Alps
Crux pitch of Crack Baby
Val Fontana, Valtellina (north Italy). "La spada del Combolo"
Myself during a night climb
"Thron". One of the most beautiful and famous ice-waterfalls in the Alps. Canton of Graubunden, Switzerland.
Because I traveled abroad a lot,I haven’t climbed in three years, but I look forward to putting myself again in that magical environment!