Explanation of different types of ice

[Bosterson]

I'm not an ice climber and so while I get that ice comes in different forms and different degrees of solidity (just like rock!), I've seen a variety of terms on here for different types of ice and don't have a good idea of what they mean. Can anyone give me a rundown on sytrofoam vs snice vs plastic vs dinner plates, etc? Thanks!

[kurthicks]

Waterfall ice - flowing water that freezes into ice. Like an ice cube.

Alpine ice - ice that forms from snow being compressed. like a snowcone in the freezer. in the PNW, folks often call any ice found in the mountains Alpine Ice.

 

Snice - a type of ice that is a mixture of snow and ice. often easy to climb, but impossible to protect.

 

dinner plating - a characteristic of cold, dense ice where it fractures when hit into large circular plates. Common in waterfall ice climbing.

 

Plastic - ice that deforms when hit instead of fracturing. This often occurs when the temperatures are near to, or above, freezing. sometimes this is called "thunker" or "hero" ice.

 

Styrofoam - a type of refrozen snow (not ice) caused by melting and freezing. It feels like its namesake. Often it squeaks under crampons and ice tools.

[tvashtarkatena]

Ice is categorized by "Fuck You"s per minute.

 

Styrofoam (this is more a category of snow): 0 FUPM. The lead may be delayed while the leader rubs one out.

 

Plastic: 0 FUPM. You're indoors. They may be old people and children about.

 

Dinner Plate: 1-10 FUPM x 2 (both leader and belayer). Belayer should wear a face mask to protect against blood spatter.

 

Snice: 10-infinity FUPM - usually directed at belayer for wussing out and occasionally punctuated by a Doppler shift.