Ice Climbing POV: Dracula, Frankenstein Cliff 02.12.24 | New Hampshire Ice Climbing

Climbing Dracula, Crawford Notch State Park

Portrait mode:    • Ice Climbing POV: Dracula, Frankenste...  

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A few notes:

4:00 I didn’t like the screw placement so I moved it to better ice. If I had taken a few more seconds to look around I may have avoided this. It’s easy to get tunnel vision, so take a moment and don’t rush.

6:05 love-hate relationship with tethers as they like to get caught on ice formations. Very frustrating when you’re moving upwards and something holds you back.

8:10 you can’t see it but I’m moving screws and a few draws from left side to right - as I know I’ll be placing screws on the right side so I’m prepping ahead of time.

11:25 after only a single swing the left tool is welded. I take the time and step down to remove it. With tethers I can comfortably start by tapping upwards under the grip/handle, increasing that force as necessary until the tool pops out - which will happen fast! If it’s not releasing easily I might place a screw to protect myself while I work this out.

13:00 while I don’t place mental protection, sometimes a placement passes but not with flying colors, so I’ll use a screamer on these marginal placements.

15:10 always take the time to place gear before topping out. The top out is where mistakes are most likely to happen; maybe a large dinner plate takes you out, or a slip while scrambling to the anchor. If you imagine I make this move but then slip before reaching my anchor, my last piece of gear was far below (in this case one with a screamer attached).