Preserving Your Ice Climbing Experiences

Ice climbing is a great way to escape the rat race and live on the edge. Alas, your ice climbing experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a ice climbing journal for your adventures.

Ice Climbing Journals

Take a minute to give some consideration to your most recent ice climbing experience. What sticks out in your mind besides the fact it was cold? Did you climb a waterfall? Now think about the first time you went ice climbing. Chances are, you remember very little about the geography, others who were with you, particular ice climbing routes and stunning scenery. The memories that you cannot remember are lost to the ages. If you keep an ice climbing log, this will not occur.

There are famous instances of people keeping diaries throughout the centuries. Of course, Anne Franks Diary is the classic example. In her diary, Anne kept a running commentary on the two years her family was in hiding from the Nazis. While your ice climbing exploits should be much less dire, keeping a journal will enable you to remember them as the years pass.

A good ice climbing journal has a few things. One, it has to be compact so you don't have to sacrifice space for other gear. Two, it has to have a cover to protect it from the elements and so on. Three, the journal needs to have open areas for you to record your notes. Four, the journal needs to have cue areas to remind you to write down some things. Cues should include:

1. Who you went ice climbing with,

2. The character and quality of the ice,

3. Who you met and their contact information,

4. The geographical and weather conditions, and

5. Any out-of-the-ordinary events that occurred during ice climbing.

6. The routes you took up the ice and alternatives.

7. Local information from experienced locals.

At the end of the ice climbing experience, you should be able to get the following from your journal:

1. Names and contacts of other climbers whom you met,

2. Enough information to act as a guide for yourself or your friend in the event that you climb the location for a second time,

3. Memories to reflect on years later, and

4. Something to show your friends, children, and grandchildren.

To gain maximum advantage of your ice climbing journal, you must write in it just before climbing, at the top and on return. In doing so, you will have an honest image of your mind while climbing.