Free Standing Ice Pillars

[AlpineMonkey]

Whats the science behind free standing ice pillars? Are warmer weather conditions better then colder? Any special techniques. Anything to consider. I was trying a route this weekend and the begining had a 12 foot in diameter and 15 feet high free standing pillar. While trying it there was a loud bang like a gun shot and a horizontal crack went through the entire pillar. I carefully got off the thing. Once ice fractures does it heal or is it done for the rest of the season?

[powderhound]

Often pillars are subject to changes in temperature more so then flowing ice. When the temp drops at night the ice shrinks sort of speak, as the day goes on and the temps increase the pillar warms up and the ice expands and therefore explains the loud crack. This often happens to pillars during a cold snap that get direct sunlight during the day. Good for you to back off of it, pillars that snap are scary shit.

[daler]

Cold is Bad- Warm(to a point) is good! Also the cracks in large pillars are important as it shows they have relieved some tension. Obviously if it is leaning or something that is bad but often big pillars like the one shown or things like Curtain Call, The Fang, Pilsner often have large cracks in them that are mostly healed with new ice but the main tension has been relieved. I waited over two hours for the temps to rise above 20F to climb this rig.

 

Secret climb in Cody! Soloed the thing as It was too thin to even think about placing gear on.

 

Cheers,

 

Dale

[TBay]

a semi-scientific stab at explaining "water-ice."

 

 

 

[TBay]

Secret climb in Cody! Soloed the thing as It was too thin to even think about placing gear on.

 

i've had the same experience on that pitch (along with a coupla others i've talked to).

 

 

[daler]

Nope- It aint Ovisight