Tag Archives: Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing For The First Time

Breaking the Ice: My First Ice Climb

They say there’s a first time for everything…So there I was, hanging from the face of an ice covered cliff in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with nothing but a few points of metal (and some rope) keeping me from plummeting to the bottom.

Frozen Frankenstein Cliff
Photo: Cait Bourgault

You may be wondering just how does one find themselves hanging from the face of an ice cover cliff in the White Mountains of New Hampshire? Continue reading

A Must Do Gully Climb in White Mountains, New Hampshire

The Journey into Landslide Gully Begins

January 14, 2017

My alarm went off at 4AM and I didn’t smash the snooze button. My gear was packed, crampons and ice tools freshly sharpened. My Stoke? That was high and plentiful.

This could only mean one thing… It was time for another adventure filled day in the mountains with my friends at Northeast Mountaineering!

A balmy 5 degrees!

After some coffee, I hit the road by 4:45AM to begin my journey to Pinkham Notch. I arrived at the Northeast Mountaineering Bunkhouse by 7:30AM. The temperature was in the low single digits… it sure was chilly! Today I’d be climbing with Jared Heath and Jesse Wall. Both intimidatingly accomplished guys that I’d have the pleasure of climbing along side of today. Both were also incredibly friendly and excited to get out there! Continue reading

Gear Review: How To Choose The Best Ice Screws

The Best Ice Screws

Photo By Brent Doscher, BrentDoscher.com

If you are familiar with ice climbing or looking to purchase a rack of ice screws you know that there are options. Like any other piece of gear, it can be confusing, time-consuming and overwhelming to choose the screw for you. Don’t sweat it. NEM Guide, David Lottmann has got you covered over at NEAlpinestart.com.


Ice Screw Options

Black Diamond Turbo Express

Petzl Laser Speed

Petzl Laser Speed Light


So what should you get? This is a personal choice. What do you value most? Lightest weight? Durability? Ease of placement? If you count ounces like I do you might justify the added expense and lower durability of the Petzl Laser Speed Light screws.

Get the full Gear Review here: The Best Ice Screws