Alpinist Vince Anderson explains his thought process for locating and building a belay while ice climbing. The process is much the same when determining where to belay on a multipitch alpine route. Among the factors he considers are how protected the stance is, how comfortable it is, and how solid the ice is for building an anchor.
Once Vince decides where he want to set up his belay, he immediately gets himself secured: he gets his first ice screw in, which involves pinpointing a prime placement and choosing an appropriate-length screw.
Watch the following for his full explanation and demonstration.
Video: How to Locate a Belay while Ice Climbing
Additional Resources
- Uphill Athlete Ice Climbing Training Plans
- “Steve House Shows You How to Get Off an Ice Climb.”
- “Training for Ice and Mixed Climbing”