PS Cold hard Steel

Although sounding delicious Candy Land has much more to offer than sweets...
copyright castillo 2005

Keeping up with the exploration of new outdoor experiences, this weekend is brought to you by ICE CLIMBIN... Might I assert right away that there is no real climber in me...? I tend to stick to sports that go with Mother Nature... i.e. paddling, skiing, biking, anything that you happen to use gravity to your advantage... Because really, if you know matter falls at 9.8 meters per second squared, why would you try to battle it? Anyway onto the adventure....

The van was due to LEAVE at 8:00 A.M. meaning that we had to be out of bed and ready to rock before that. Such and awesome feeling when it’s still dark and nine below on the thermometer... The van pulled in and out of the petrol station and continued South just north of Girdwood, (that deliciously swank ski town) to a place called Candy Land. Make no mistake there isn't much bitter about this location, right next to the Cook Inlet off the railroad grade (which posed an issue- mention that later) gradual cliff face frozen up solid with the water from snow run off hundreds of feet above. You walk on ice, you climb on ice, and if you leave your water bottle next to your bag on the ground...yes, my friend it will turn into ice.

Dressed to kill... with spikey shoes (crampons), and monstrous hands of ice conquoring tools (ice axe, or ice pick), one would definitely feel a mite more bad ass than usual. I looked upward as those brave souls free climbed to set a route and set pace for our day of vertical endeavors. They make it look so seamless and artistic. Like freestyle walking through the mall with slick shoes. But this was climbing somewhat vertically with crampons, so it wasn't happening to fast, nor real slick like, so perhaps that was a misleading analogy. The ropes were set and Charmin (instructor not bathroom tissue) gave us some pointers and we tied into the rope, one at a time of course. I watched a few people clamber up the face and visualizing myself do the same I tied in... Before I could think twice I was on my way up. Feeling that pick sink into the ice with every snap of my wrist. The initial intention is to use all your arms because you've got these monstrous ice axes your holding on to (and are holding you onto the ice), but it's all about your legs. It took me a little while to get the feel of kicking the crampons in and getting a full bite into the ice. After I repelled from the first climb, I was shaking, cold, couldn't feel my hands... Meandered on over to a source of warmth (down jacket) and copious calories (food borrowed from the café at a previous time). You'd be amazed the difference increasing the caloric intake can have on your body temp... Little food, water and glove change up and I was set to go... As time wore on the vertical movement became easier and everything began to click, use your legs, be smart with your tool placement, keep your heels down, and butt in towards the wall... The constant reminders calling out to me as I clambered up the wall time after time, probably looking some what similar to a horse on ice.

We all bagged a few... routes when Johnny Law showed up in his Ford F 150 police cruiser. Apparently we were on private railroad property... Where only skilled people who took the liberty to go down town between the hours of nine and five, fill out some forms, sign off their skills and ensure the powers at be they would not tie their ropes off to the tracks, were allowed to climb. Luckily our instructor had a permit; however we did not, so in the van we went to check out another feature attraction.... Short jaunt in the van landed us in the presence of Water World... This time sans Kevin Costner and some crazy plot. This ice was much warmer, as it was later in the day, and much more vertical, changing up the style of climbing. This arena was definitely a tougher area to ascend, but at the end of the day when everyone else was in the van and I had one last shot, it made it all worth it... Picking a line, sticking to it and walking down one last time... Cook Inlet in the background, Mountains, Ice flows... Very worth while day....

Although I don't think I will drop any bank and pursue ice climbing anytime soon, it was a bomber experience to place in the bag. Any future opportunities offered though I would pounce on with the ferocity of a Liger... or Puma for those of you who haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite. That's it for now... Hardly notice the cold anymore.

Hope the weather is splendid in your neck of the woods, and you'd making the best of it.
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have...
Cheers