ryland_moore Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 A friend of mine owns a ski chalet up at Willamette Pass (elev. ~ 5,000'). He has started building an ice climbing wall similar to Colorado Outdoor School's where he has taken a large 4"x 6" beam strung between two lodgepole pines and then hung chicken wire down to the ground. There is water hose along the top. The brief description on the COlorado Mountain COllege's website says that the ice supports itsaelf and after two weeks of watering all day and night, the ice was 18"-24" thick at the top and four feet thick at the bottom. Water ice in Oregon that isn't alpine? We'll see. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 I embrace ice farming. Bring it on. Playground style. Attack with ice tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 My roomate/climbing partner in Bozeman once stole a 40ft ladder from a construction site on campus and tied it to a Aspen tree in our back yard, then ran a hose up it. It formed a descent piller, although very chandelierd. Â One weekend we went to Big Sky and he accidentily left the water running. It was well below freezing all weekend. And the thing got huge, water started running down the branches and massive ice cycles formed on the biggest lower ones. They broke under the weight. When we got back on Sunday night we were like Holy Shit!!!!....then we got drunk and climbed it. Â A week later our landlords discovered the tree in our back yard and promptly evicted us, and kept our deposit. Funny thing is that Tony went back in the spring and chopped the ladder out of a 5ft base of blue ice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freeman Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 There were two built in Wenatchee during the late 70's - one consisted of three telephone poles that had a sprinkler system on top and the other was a steel hoop structure (sort of like a big roll bar) with plywood between the uprights and a water system across the top. Maintaining the proper water flow to optimize freezing while not washing away any ice was alway a problem - the water system had drains and heat tape to prevent this. When the ice was thin (or the climber gripped) a wood stick in the plywood was bomber. Â Both walls were lit for night climbing - one evening we came home from dinner and put Footfangs on our dress shoes and went out for a lap. Â In the summer the wife of one of the owners tried to get morning glories to trellis on the structure (I think she was trying to hide it). In general the neighbors tolerated it as "that wacky ice climber that lives next door". Â Unfortunately Wenatchee winters aren't cold enough for this kind of sillyness any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialed Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 quote: Originally posted by icegirl: Ah, but the winters in Omak are cold enough... Â Now I just have to convince my mom that it's a great idea Why don't you get on the ball and start a Ouray style ice park in the Methow. Then I can open up a fat hotel with a hot tub and charge all the ice deprived northwest ice climbers an arm and a leg to crowd into a closet sized room with no heat. Everyone's invited. Except Lamebone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 what did I ever do to you specialed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 SpecialEdumacated- you make fun of rain here in WA while you were in J-tree but I climbed rock and skied this weekend. J-tree aint got the angle on freshiez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 seems like that would be a fun way for the tool deprived ( ummm me) to learn to swing an axe looks like fun too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegetablebelay Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Nevermind  [ 11-18-2002, 02:15 PM: Message edited by: vegetablebelay ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 Tool deprived is that everyone in the cascades during a heavy snowfall warm winter looking for ice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 I guess it could be, I was more refering to the fact that the closest I have ever been to an ice axe is seeing it in someones living room and thinking to myself "that must be an ice axe" I didn't pick it up though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 quote: Originally posted by vegetablebelay: Nevermind Veggy, get your mind out of the gutter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 18, 2002 Author Share Posted November 18, 2002 I guess we will have to change that won't we? Even if this idea never works and it never freezes due to conditions beyond one's control (El Nino), then we just may have to take a long trip up north - say Lillouet! It will be the Sprain Canadian's turn to return the hospitality that the Oregon crowd shoed him last weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted November 18, 2002 Share Posted November 18, 2002 that picture rocks. i'm jealous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icegirl Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 Pub club in Lillooet... (for the ice climbing contingent) Â venue: Mugs and Jugs... Â Date: TBA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 snoboy built an ice wall in Squampton once. Â I heard a story once about someone hanging a rope from a bolted anchor to 'seed' a free-standing pillar. The pillar fattened up nicely until one day it collapsed under its own weight and ripped the bolts out of the rock on its way down. Perhaps dramatic license and exaggeration augment the truth in this story but the lesson holds - ice is heavy and can squish you good, so be careful with your 'farming' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoboy Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 quote: Originally posted by fern: snoboy built an ice wall in Squampton once. Â [snip]Perhaps dramatic license and exaggeration augment the truth in this story but the lesson holds - ice is heavy and can squish you good, so be careful with your 'farming' It's true I did. Kinda. It was a lot of work, and the weather wasn't cold enough for long enough to get enough ice to climb. If I find any pictures as I'm packing, I'll post em. Â I wonder, wouldn't the rope break before the bolts?? Maybe it was a chain? When I climbed Cascade in Canmore, there was lengths of fire hose tied off to the anchors. Maybe for the same idea? quote: Originally posted by thelawgoddess: that picture rocks. i'm jealous! Watch out LG, don't show too much enthusiasm... Â [ 11-18-2002, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: snoboy ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CascadeClimber Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 Pub Club at The Reynolds' Bar! Â True Story: Â We got back The Reynolds after dinner one night last season and some of the windows were broken out and being boarded up. I asked the woman at the front desk, "So, what happened with the windows?" Â "Someone at the bar didn't want to leave." Â And I guess Pub Club-Lillooet would technically be an east-side event, too. Â ice ice ice ice ice ice ice ice ice ice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skisports Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 What if someone started a climbing gym and made it into a big freezer. That would work ehh??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icegirl Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 have you been to Vertical World Seattle during the day... Brrr.... 'cept I don't think ice wall is their plan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 quote: Originally posted by ryland moore: I guess we will have to change that won't we? Even if this idea never works and it never freezes due to conditions beyond one's control (El Nino), then we just may have to take a long trip up north - say Lillouet! It will be the Sprain Canadian's turn to return the hospitality that the Oregon crowd shoed him last weekend! COUNT ME IN Â sk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icegirl Posted November 19, 2002 Share Posted November 19, 2002 Ah, but the winters in Omak are cold enough... Â Now I just have to convince my mom that it's a great idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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