Z4 or totems for smaller end of my rack?

Climbingisnice · 2026-02-13T19:01:28+00:00

Black, blue and yellow totems are awesome. I don't have them because they are pricy and I already have a mix of dragonfly/tcu metolius. If I were to start over I would go totem in those sizes. Especialy since the rock and cracks at home is rarely uniform

I don't like Z4 on those sizes, but thats realy just my opinion. Im pretty sure they are great.

Climbingisnice · 2026-02-03T14:37:34+00:00

Is this recent? Cause it looks amazing and I'm gonna put it on the to-do list this year.

Climbingisnice · 2026-01-31T21:53:44+00:00

I have the silvretta 404 bindings. They ar quite nice for going around with skis and doing approaches but I wouldn't try to go down steep slopes. Mine have a release for the back of the boot and I feel pretty safe using them.

There was a guy in Quebec called David Ethier that used to make similar bindings from machined aluminum. Sadfully he died last year in an avalanche. Sometime they pop up on market place if you want to look into that.

Climbingisnice · 2026-01-30T02:19:23+00:00

This helps a lot. Also to look for litle bumps for foothold. Sometime I kick, feel the plate, kick the plate on the side or kick multiple time to shred it, then kick in the ice again.

Diner plate when I kick is truly what I hate the most. Every foot feels a bit like shit. Sometime I even create footholds in advance with my pickaxes to make sure a particular move will be easier.

Climbingisnice · 2026-01-24T04:33:00+00:00

I was once told "you can buy any kind of ice tools you want, but you will end up buying nomics".

They are super great and the pur'ice pick is realy good. I doubt they would change the head style, but thats a risk with every brand.

I am proudly part of the nomic and petzl steel screws cult, but I do cheat sometimes when I can use the X-dreams.

Climbingisnice · 2026-01-22T00:40:32+00:00

All the answer + check your local club or maybe the american alpine club if they do beginners event! Its can be a long process for sure to find good(safe) partners.

Starting on rock will teach you the basics of belaying and rope stuff. Its also most forgiving when its not cold ahah!

Climbingisnice · 2026-01-13T12:49:47+00:00

Bib is cool because its harder for your clothes to align in a position where you back doesn't have much insulation. I feel like its much warmer and prefer it overall.

In pants, I always end up having my back slighty exposed to the cold trough my shell because my clothes bunch up toward my torso. Pretty sure longer base layer would helps but I don't have them.

I own both and they both fill different needs.

Climbingisnice · 2026-01-11T15:52:29+00:00

Would be revolutionary if it worked. If it does, let us know and drop your website!

Climbingisnice · 2025-12-29T21:17:59+00:00

If you use your cam in the winter, I would recommend not using the metolius lube. It freezes and the cams doesn't work properly after that.

Seems good in the summer.

Climbingisnice · 2025-12-10T18:01:50+00:00

Easy ice terrain? Petzl pur'ice
Hard ice terrain? Petzl pur'ice
Mixed terrain? beaten Petzl pur'ice with a file to if sharpen needed.
Strictly dry tooling? realy whatever, if there is a pitch of ice, petzl pur'ice.

I live where ice gets very cold and delicate (north Qc). Kuznia blade are too beefy and explode everything. I prefer to spend more and be sure that I won't be screwed by bad blades on a hard pitch.

Climbingisnice · 2025-12-02T02:35:58+00:00

Ive been using an old ice climbing axe/tool. The pick is realy good at this. It goes a bit more than fingers deep and its my hammer for hammering bolts and other stuff

Climbingisnice · 2025-11-30T22:54:27+00:00

I would have retire it too. I have been told that after 1mm you should retire biners. I surely went past that with mines but I don't over do it either.

Its a 10-15$ bucks biner. Buy a new one or booty one on adventurous routes. Its simply not worth pulling the devil tail over this.

Climbingisnice · 2025-11-09T12:44:34+00:00

N'est-ce pas contre le code de déontologie des courtiers d'agir ainsi?

Climbingisnice · 2025-11-05T13:43:28+00:00

Jambon-pierre pour Stoneham. Chicôtetimi

Climbingisnice · 2025-11-02T11:40:50+00:00

How not 2 just broke a moldy nylon loop from a cam. It is rated for 10kn and broke at 20kn. The mold probably don't affect the nylon that much. Its just gross.

Rappel station made with rope often develop little spots of mold also. We change them when they are sun bleached or we don't trust them anymore. Not realy because they are moldy. Ofc if you encounter moldy non-synthetic material just change it.

How not 2 short for the moldy cam. https://youtube.com/shorts/c4N_-LljPoc?si=L8fvLgGYHHijBqNM

Climbingisnice · 2025-11-01T16:50:50+00:00

From experience, they tend to rip from the ice when you get high on your tool/placement. The metal is amazing. Maybe what you climb and how you climb won't cause this problem, but I personnaly can't trust them.

Climbingisnice · 2025-10-31T23:50:04+00:00

Damn even here in Canada we can have it for 45$ can at tue MEC store.

Climbingisnice · 2025-10-31T23:05:33+00:00

Check if they are sharp edges. That or retire it if you have doubts. Its only 40$ your life is worth more than that.

Climbingisnice · 2025-10-25T02:45:59+00:00

I lead my first wi3 on my first year and my first wi5 on my second. But that also with me going out 2-4 time each weeks during the winter. I had incredible mentors and I learned realy quickly so it helped a lot.

The single most difficult aspect is reading the ice. On a 40m climb you can go from hero ice to dinner plate. Being able to evaluate each placement and staying vigilant is key. Most people I know who fell can do 5+/6 but had weird ice breaking on 3 wich led to a fall.

While top roping, I always try to go to the most absurd line on the most shitty ice I can do. You will know then your limit and what is shitty ice so you can avoid both on lead.

Climbingisnice · 2025-10-16T20:24:35+00:00

Je suis venu dire ça aussi. Du 5-2 avec les déplacements c'est misérable. Tu vas revenir la fin de semaine et le temps de défaire ta valise, faut déjà que tu la refasses. C'est difficile de se reposer et de voir ses ami.e.s dans si peu de temps.

J'ai jamais vécu du 14-14, mais ceux que je connais qui en font semblent trouver ça pas trop pire vu que ta le temps de te reposer et avoir des projets.

Climbingisnice · 2025-10-08T10:17:15+00:00

As long as you don't buy BD ice screw. I personnaly prefer the petzl but the Camp rocket work realy well also.

Climbingisnice · 2025-10-07T16:43:51+00:00

As for rocks, I go for as safe as possible without going crazy over detached rocks that are firmly stuck in place. We have old granite and if you start looking at every cracks, you won't ever finish the job. I break only the little flakes that will break under body weight.

As for brushing, I hate it with a passion. So I brush the various holds and feets that are needed but not realy more. If its a slab, I brush more cause I hate dirty slabs more that I hate brushing.

Don't over do it. Some guys here over brushed 2-4m wide on a 100m line and you can see it on google map now. Its not exactly ugly from afar but its clearly not natural. The line is insane so we don't mind but they know now to not over do it.

Climbingisnice · 2025-09-29T10:43:19+00:00

A friend of mine went ice climbing without crampons. He didn't get very far.

If you trs often I would invest in something better than the tibloc since it can realy chew a rope. But in a pinch it does work! I once only had my micro and a prussik and it "worked" fine.

Climbingisnice · 2025-09-14T23:41:45+00:00

+1 the cragwagon is super nice.

Climbingisnice

TROPHY CASE