On the Ice

It was Monday morning and there I was sitting in yet another work meeting. I stared at the long wooden table before me, I couldn't help but think this clearly could have been an email.  As I doodled on my note pad, daydreaming about some backcountry Adirondack pond I noticed my phone light up with a text message.  I could tell it was from my buddy Jay and it said “Check your Instagram”.  Like any good employee I sat there squirming in my seat impatiently waiting for the meeting to be over so I could take a look at what was going on.   It didn’t take too long and I heard the magic words “Have a good week everybody”. That was my cue to exit that meeting room and see what was going on.  I opened that app and found picture after picture of my buddy clinging to a giant ice slab on the side of a mountain.  I instantly texted him back and said “ I want to do this”.  After several conversations and some irresponsible purchases I had everything I needed to give this a try. 

As the sun set on Friday I spent my evening going through all my new gear making sure I had everything that I would need.  That night I tossed and turned anxious to get up and finally try something I had always wanted to do, “ ICE CLIMBING”.

Saturday morning I was up well before my alarm clock.  As the sun rose I packed the truck with my climbing gear and hit the road. 

My first stop was at Jay's house.   I tossed all my stuff into his car and we were off.   The clouds slowly parted and the sun shone on the slowly melting blacktop.  I eagerly listened to everything Jay was talking about as he rolled out or plan for the day.  After a short 35 minute trip we pulled off the main road and  navigated the snow packed back road.  Snowmobile trailers were parked along the way.  During the warmer months this is just another Adirondack back road.   However this time of year it becomes a snowmobile highway.  We pulled into the small parking lot and realized we were the only ones here.  This is a popular hiking destination as the peak of the mountain offers a beautiful panoramic Adirondack view.  

It’s one of the easier hikes so the trail gets utilized a lot year round.  But today, it was all ours.  We quickly strapped on our backpacks full of gear and headed up the main trail.  The soft white snow gently packed down under our boots with every step we took. 

It was pretty easy walking but with the small load on my back it got my heart rate up in a hurry.  Not long after we had to veer off the main trail to the trail that would take us to the ice walls.  This trail was not nearly as used as the other so the gentle trail walk quickly turned into a workout.   After about 15 minutes of hiking we could see large slabs of rock and ice in the distance. 

I could feel the butterflies in my stomach racing around like fighter jets.  As we neared the base of the ice flows it was easy to tell no one had been here in a while.  The snow had drifted to knee high at the base.  I set down my pack in the snow and from behind the wall of ice I could hear the drip, drip, drip of water coming down off the mountain side and freezing into place.  I watched Jay as he assessed the ice to determine if it was any good.  He looked at me with a smile and fire in his eyes and said “this will work perfectly”.  Our next step was to set up our anchor point.  We soon found out that this would be one of the most challenging parts of the trip.  We had to navigate through waist high snow up a steep opening in the rock and ice to find a solid place to set up our ropes anchor location. 

Once we found the perfect tree we dug out the snow around it and got it all set up.  Once we traversed our way back down the trail we just broke out. We took a quick break to catch our breath and get our gear on.  Jay gave me a quick lesson on how to make sure my crampons were put on properly.  Then we checked our harnesses and strapped our helmets to our heads.  He grabbed his ice tools and started swinging them into the ice.  Once they had a good hold he proceeded to give me a quick lesson on how to use them and how they should feel when they are locked in properly.  He then gave me a crash course on how to impale the ice with my crampons properly. 

Once I had the basic understanding it was time to rig up and start climbing.   Jay went first.  While he smoothly started to ascend he gave me some pointers on what to look for and showed me the cadence of swinging the tools and stepping with the crampons.  Once he was at the top I took on his weight and slowly lowered him to the ground with my belay device. 

Now it was my turn.  I tied the rope to my harness and walked up to the wall.  My heart was racing as I looked over the sheet of ice.  I noticed every twist and turn that mother nature had created.  Finally I found what looked to me like a good spot to swing the ice axe.  As it connected to the wall splinters of ice went flying all around me.  Ok, not a good spot I thought to myself.  Jay cheered me on to try again.  Finally after getting showered with ice multiple times the serrations of the thin metal blade dug in deep.  I gave it a quick wiggle just to make sure it was in the ice well and moved on to the next step.  I looked down at the spike off the front of my boot and gave the wall a kick.  Instantly my foot was stuck to the ice.  I placed the other ice tool into the wall and lifted my weight off the ground.  I could feel every muscle in my body tense up.  I jammed my other crampon into the wall and took a moment to get my breathing under control.  I was only two feet off the ground but I felt like I had just finished running a marathon.  I felt the rope tighten as Jay took in the slack of the rope.  I felt the nervousness slowly leaving my body and the adrenaline started to pump.

  Swing after swing and step after step I slowly started to climb.  Sometimes I made great contact with the tools while other times they bounced off the wall.  As I gained confidence I felt the death grips I had had on the tools slowly disappear.  With every step up the wall I could feel the rope tighten.  It reminded me that even if I were to slip my partner had me on belay ready to catch me.  Once at the top my arms felt like rubber and my legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds.  Jay gently lowered me back to earth.  Once my feet hit the ground he asked me what I thought of it.  “It was AWESOME” I told him.  Then I proceeded to tell him everything that I thought I did right and everything that I needed to work on.  Once I regained my composure he decided to go again.  He decided to take a slightly different route this time.  This time I found myself watching him even closer.  I listened to every strike of the tools and crampons made.  I could tell when he made good contact and when he didn’t. 

I observed his foot placement and how high he reached with his tools.  Every move he made I was learning.  As he reached the ground from his second climb he untied from the rope he asked if I was ready to go again.  I did a quick mental inventory of my muscles condition and figured I was good to go one more time.  My second ascent went a lot smoother.  I found myself reading the ice and starting to understand what to look for before swinging the tools and placing my feet.  I was at the top before I knew it and it was a good thing because I was completely out of gas.  It felt good to let go of the ice and let him lower me to the ground.  We decided to have a quick lunch break.  As we sat in the snow I watched the sun warm the ice as he taught me more and more.  Like a sponge I tried to absorb every bit of it.  He gave me some pointers to work on and told me what he thought I was doing very well at.  As we finished our snack he asked if I wanted to give it one more try.   I was completely wiped out but the giddy little kid in me took over and I said absolutely.  This time I decided to take a whole new route.  As I swung the tools in the fresh ice I noticed that the sun’s warmth had softened the ice just enough to make it much easier to work on.  Half way up I realized that my jitters were gone and I was just climbing.  I felt completely at ease and instead of fighting my way up I was climbing with a plan.  I felt like I was part of the wall instead of just hanging from it. 

Once I was back down on the ground we decided to pack up and head back to the car.  On the way home Jay asked if I wanted to do it again.  With every muscle in my body aching I looked over at him and asked, “ Are you available to go again next weekend?”

About this location:

Azure mountain is located near St. Regis Falls in Franklin County NY. Its elevation is approximately 2,518 feet and is a very popular hiking destination for both young and old.  During the summer months the expansive view from the top is absolutely breathtaking.  However most people that climb this mountain will never notice the secondary small trail that veers off of the main trail.  Once you are on this secondary trail it is a short distance to some pretty amazing rock walls. 

These walls are a playground for people that love to boulder, rock climb, and ice climb.  There are opportunities for both top roping like we did or lead roping with multiple pitches.  Since it was my first time climbing we took it slow and easy.  We decided to stay in one location and work on it multiple times.  But if you are a seasoned climber you could spend the entire day exploring new routes. 

I know an adventure like this isn’t for everyone.  However I would encourage anyone that’s ever thought about trying it to go for it.  I would highly recommend spending some time in a rock climbing gym first just to get comfortable with climbing and the gear associated with it.  For me, the only part I hadn’t done before was the actual ice climbing.  I was very comfortable with the rigging and setting up the anchor.   I need to thank my buddy Jay.  Not only did he hook me up with the appropriate climbing boots he spent the entire day teaching me how to ice climb.  For many a trip like this would be a trip of a lifetime.  However for those of us that live in the North Country we are lucky to just call this a day trip.  So if you are looking for a Northern NY Adventure that will give you an adrenaline rush to shake off that cabin fever I highly suggest giving ice climbing a try.   I don’t think you will be disappointed. 

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures

“Make Life an Adventure”