Hi there KariBru!
You are very lucky you are not dead! The very first thing you should do really really should do is take some mountaineering courses through organized climbing institutions and learn how to climb and place protection correctly and how to self arrest in all positions of a fall. Second thing you should do is buy an ice axe. The Mountain Gods let you live, that does not always happen. I don't know your area of the country, I live in Northern California and climb with Sierra Wilderness Seminars out of Mt. Shasta, California. RMI is a very good climbing organization, Eric Simonson is a professional climber and all of his guides are great. The Mountaineers is another organization. I would say to sign up immediately before you do any more climbing on your own, especially if you're going out there by yourself.
Ed Viesturs, a great mountaineer of our time, says: "Live to climb another day." So, go on line and find yourself a climbing school/organization and learn to climb on!!
Cheers!!
Patty
