| England
Preparing 
Walk in
Climbing
| The Tools | | A great thing about ice climbing is all the required and highly specialised tools that you'll need. Once you get the equipment you can spend endless evenings customising the little babies and optimising them for top performance. Below is a few shots of the alterations I've done to my kit so far. Monopoint kit
 Filed pick
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January 2003
Ice season in La Grave was fantastic this year. Sean
was down and we had quite a day out on Caturgeas,
La Grave. Later in January Tim and Paul
came for some more action. Got some great photos
from the season - a couple of them available to spice up your desktop
background if you like. Feburary 2001
As many of you know, I have been in France since the start of the
year after a number years in England. One of the things France has that
England lacks is reliable ice climbing conditions. Grenoble where I currently
live is right on the doorstep of one of the biggest waterfall ice climbing
areas in Europe if not the world. 
First pitch of Grotto
Just like normal climbing France has very easy access to the ice, safe
bolted belays and even bolted ice routes. Less adventurous than England,
but in ice climbing you actually appreciate this - at least to start with
- as the nature of ice climbing is arguably more on the edge (read dangerous)
than normal rock climbing. Much more objective dangers. I have only scratched the surface of the climbs down here - I have so far enjoyed a few of the falls in La Grave, the incredible sunny ice of Alpe D'huez and the magnificent multipitch and more remote routes of Vallon Diable. 
Most of these photos are taken on a tradition camera (either Olympus XA4 or OM10), on slide film and developed to PhotoCD - only 30 FF (£3) extra! 
More photos ...
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Alpe D'Huez 2003
Paul leading first pitch of Pylone
Mathias leading 2nd pitch of Pylone
Tim on Pylone
Vallon de Diable, walk in
Paul 2nd pitch of Larmes du Chaos
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