Ice climbing… in the city

It’s one of the coldest days of winter. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, but a little chilly wind lifts the fine snow that fell during the night. A fox crosses the path without hurrying too much. At the bend, the wall finally appears, partly covered in ice.

Upstairs, Gabriel Frappier is preparing to install the ropes.

It’s a great day for an introduction to ice climbing. Far away, in the Laurentians or in Lanaudière? No: in Montreal, at Parc Jean-Drapeau, a few minutes walk from the metro. The Quebec Mountain and Climbing Federation (FQME) and the Laliberté Nord-Sud climbing school are working together to glaze a small wall using a watering system.

On this weekday morning, the small group of participants is essentially made up of French people living temporarily in Quebec under the Working Holiday Program (PVT) and British tourists.

“I arrived three weeks ago,” says Rebecca Pierre, a young Frenchwoman. I want to try all the winter activities. Ice climbing is out of the ordinary. »

Romain Bras, who has lived in Quebec for a year, is interested in everything “nature”. “Ice climbing is a dream and here, it’s paradise!” », he says.

Gabriel Frappier, from Laliberté Nord-Sud, starts by equipping his participants: harness, boots, crampons and, above all, a good helmet. A shard of ice came so quickly.

The guide gives some instructions on how to properly hit the ice with crampons (you raise your toes a little, but not too much) and ice axes (it’s all in the little flick of the wrist at the end). It also illustrates the sequence of movements to progress: you plant the ice axes above you, you bend your legs to plant the crampons, you stand up by arching your body using the banana as a mental image. And we start again.

The most important thing is your partner’s belaying technique: you must not let him escape. The wall of Parc Jean-Drapeau is not high, but still.

“It’s only eight meters long,” explains Gabriel Frappier. It’s perfect for those who are afraid of heights. In fact, I have friends who have combatted vertigo with climbing. They climb two or three meters, they learn to trust the equipment, and they continue. »

After having thoroughly rehearsed the techniques on the ground, the participants begin to climb. At first, it’s not always easy. The hand holding the ice ax is not as firm as we would like, the crampon stroke is not as effective, we hesitate to stand up. Gabriel gives more advice and the participants improve little by little.

“It’s more difficult than I thought,” notes Aster Shear, a British tourist. But it’s a lot of fun. »

After an hour, participants become bolder and take on more difficult routes.

“It’s a great experience,” exclaims Thibaut Pierrat. I didn’t think it would stick that well. We are very stable. But it still takes a toll on your arms. »

Despite the cold, participants climb until the very end of the three-hour session.

Two turkey vultures fly over the site. If these birds from the vulture family were hoping to feast on fallen climbers, it was a failure. Everyone is happy and healthy.

For an initiation, it’s perfect. I always felt safe.

Rebecca Pierre

Gabriel begins to collect the equipment. He notes that the clientele is very varied, especially on weekends. There are Europeans passing through, but also native Quebecers, families, friends.

“I find it great to be able to work in ice climbing in Montreal,” he says.

Visit the Laliberté Nord-Sud website