Ice Climbing | Solutions for shorter seasons

The ice season seems to be getting shorter and shorter? It is not an illusion. However, those who depend on the beautiful frozen waterfalls, such as guides and climbing instructors, have some ideas for circumventing the impact of climate change.

A few weeks ago, a researcher from the University of Calgary, Graham McDowell, took advantage of the annual congress of the International Union of Mountaineering Associations (UIAA) in Banff to present the conclusions of a study on the ice evolution in the Mount Washington region of New Hampshire. More specifically, he teamed up with the American Alpine Club to analyze a series of 328 photos of the same ice wall, Frankenstein Cliff, taken weekly over a 20-year period, from 2001 to 2021.

Based on the trend, he concluded that the length of the ice climbing season will decrease by a third by the end of the century, but only if countries take serious action to limit climate change. If they continue to dither, expect a two-thirds reduction in season length in the Mount Washington area, McDowell said.

Impacts in Quebec

In Quebec, climate change also has an impact on the ice climbing season, but the effects vary from region to region. “Yes, the season is getting shorter, but it’s the places near urban areas, at low altitude, that are the least favorable,” says Jean-Philippe Gouin, founder of the Chamox climbing school, in Estrie. It affects beginners more, because it takes a lot of ice from them. »

Dominic Asselin, owner of the mountaineering and climbing school Attitude Montagne, located in Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard, in the Laurentians, also notes that, in general, the season starts a little later than before. . “In addition, we have mild spells that damage the quality of the ice,” he says.

It is in particular to have better control over the situation that Attitude Montagne has invested in a watering system to artificially freeze its walls. “It’s a bit like ski resorts that make snow, observes Dominic Asselin. For some products, we won’t have the choice to go towards that. »

Ice guides and instructors have other cards up their sleeve. They all know walls that resist well to higher temperatures and episodes of rain.

The La Liberté Nord-Sud climbing school, in La Conception, can count on the artificially frozen walls of the Montagne d’Argent.

“When it’s not correct, we have a back-up,” says Antoine Bonicalzi, of La Liberté Nord-Sud. We go to the wall of the lake, both at the beginning and at the end of the season: there is less sunshine, it is wooded. It is our hidden card. »

Sometimes you have to go far.

“When I have clients who call me and want to go ice climbing, we go to the Gaspé or the North Shore,” says Jean-Philippe Gouin.

variations

In his study, Graham McDowell found that some guides are turning to slightly different disciplines to lengthen the winter climbing season: mixed climbing, which involves climbing on ice and rock at the same time, and the dry tooling, which amounts to climbing rock with ice climbing equipment, namely crampons and ice axes. However, these disciplines are aimed at slightly more experienced climbers.

La Liberté Nord-Sud is studying the possibility of offering training in mixed climbing. “We don’t know if there will be enough demand, but if we don’t try it, we won’t know,” says Antoine Bonicalzi.

In the end, it is the rock season that is likely to lengthen. In fact, there is more and more an overlapping of types of climbing. “At the beginning of April, on the north faces, you can still climb on ice, while on the south faces, the tough people who are not afraid of having cold fingers will climb on rock,” says Mr. Bonicalzi.