Outdoors 101: Ice climbing leaves a cool sense of accomplishment

By Hillary Dobbs, Journal staff | Saturday, March 03, 2007

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There are activities people try in the hope that the activity will become a fun, enjoyable and relaxing hobby. And then there is the kind of activity that people attempt because it’s cool to say you’ve done it.

For me, ice climbing falls into the latter category.

Not that ice climbing wasn’t fun and enjoyable — through not very relaxing, what with ice being rather slippery and chunks of it tending to come off at inopportune times. There are all sorts of interesting gadgets — crampons and ice axes — that are involved.

And it’s always great to be out in the heart of the Black Hills, especially during the winter when it’s quiet and the snow starts to fall. Plus, I’m sure there are some great views as you make your way up an ice flow, though I didn’t feel like turning around to look, as I was more interested in making sure my ice axe was anchored securely.

Daryl Stisser, owner of Sylvan Rocks, a climbing school and guide service that mostly teaches people how to rock climb, took me out to an ice flow near the Harney Range on a recent weekday morning.

Stisser and Matt Mieczkowski, head guide for Sylvan Rocks, led me on a fairly intensive hike — which was often just as slippery as the frozen water we would climb — to reach the base of the flow.

Stisser — who was also my guide last summer when I went rock climbing with two other Journal employees — doesn’t take people ice climbing commercially. He told me that there isn’t really a business in the Hills that does because the ice in the area is to unreliable.

Stisser and Mieczkowski also explained basics of ice climbing, including the kind of ice that’s preferable (frozen but just on the point of melting), how to attach the crampons to my boots, and how to flick my wrist in a way that would securely anchor the ice axe.

After Mieczkowski quickly made his way to the top of the ice — in that way that experts have where they make any given activity look simple — and secured the ropes, it was my turn to try.

I kicked and flicked and managed to make it about halfway — possibly less — up the ice before my shaking legs told me that I wouldn’t be able to go much farther. The ice itself was beautiful, with layers and patterns and different colors, but there was no way my tired body was going to let me get to the top to see if the view was equally as lovely.

But I’m OK with that. I tried something I always wanted to do.

Plus, now, I have the ability to brag, “Oh, ice climbing? Yeah, I tried that.”

Click here to View Ice Climbing

Hillary Dobbs is a Journal copy editor. If you have an outdoor activity you’ve always wanted to try but want more information about first, contact her at 394-8426 or hillary.dobbs@rapidcityjournal.com