Ice Climbing

Having my new found freedom I thought I would amuse myself by going to see the Ice climbing world cup in Val Daonne. Arriving to an empty car park Saturday afternoon I didn't know if I had missed the main event or it hadn't yet started. Of course it hadn't started and I had to wait around a couple of hours.

The climbing structure was an odd looking thing. A mixture of ice, wood and your regular bolt on climbing holds. I was unsure what kind of event this would be. After a few glasses of mulled wine to keep me warm the competition got underway. Competitors followed a circuit, first on the overhanging wall, then onto the second overhanging wall, and finally onto a traverse. Each competitor had a fixed duration of time to complete the route, even if he fell, followed by a rest and then onto the next problem.

One by one out came the competitors, names I recognised from the magazines with strangely shaped axes and little rock shoes with protruding points at all angles. Obviously things had moved on a little since I climbed in the Cairngorms.

Despite some of the climbs appearing somewhat contrived, and by the end nothing more than an exercise in placing picks in pre-created holes and hanging on for as long as possible, the climbing was indeed impressive.

Opting not to see the final the following day I purchased a snowboard, and took it to Madonna di Campiglio. This was a resort that I had heard of and it was with a great deal of anticipation I went up on the lift. The situation was fantastic, but I was filled with all kinds of doubts about my board. Now I had my own I could adjust the stance at any angle, but which? The day was spent full of frustrating experimentations and many bruises. The bindings went forwards, backwards, twisted to 45 degrees and back again to parallel. I watched other people and examined their boards but by the end of the day I was no wiser.