Ice climbing

Do you love climbing? Then ice climbing is the right winter sport for you. This activity is performed on spectacular frozen waterfalls, using the normal climbing equipment as well as ice axes and crampons.

This discipline requires a good preparation, attention and knowledge of the different kinds of ice. In fact, the consistency of ice varies according to weather conditions: ice can be soft, hard, breakable or resistant. It is vital for ice climbers to get all this information, considering that frozen waterfalls don’t usually offer any protection or ledge, and that they constantly change, acquiring new shapes and bends.

Ice climbing can be performed not only on frozen waterfalls, but also on artificial ice walls, which are often used for lessons and trainings.
A recent development of ice climbing is ice tooling, which is more similar to bouldering.

In winter, many areas in the Dolomites offer frozen waterfalls where you can climb. The most famous can be found in Val Daone, San Martino di Castrozza and Valsugana in Trentino, in the Serrai di Sottoguda (a canyon near the Marmolada), the artificial waterfall in Corvara and the natural waterfalls in Valle di Tures in South Tyrol.