Ice climbing! I was really looking forward to this day, since I had never ice climed before, and always wanted to try it.

We headed up the mountain, roped into two teams, and heading for perhaps 7500 feet. We practiced travelling in straight lines, keeping an even pace, and keeping the rope tension correct (not pulled tight, but not dragging too loosely on the snow).

As we neared the location where we would be climbing, we entered an area that was a jumble of ice blocks and crevasses. In the distance, somewhere out of sight, there was a loud crack; presumably a car-sized (or bigger) chunk of ice cracking. It was clear that we needed to be more careful here.

The approach to this area also gave us our first practice at another rope technique; handling switchbacks while roped together. Although travelling in a straight line takes practice for a team to get the rope tension right, it is otherwise straightforward. Negotiating curves is somewhat more complicated. As the person in front of you rounds the corner and begins traversing back towards you, you must adjust your pace to keep the rope tension correct. In a series of such turns, everyone is constantly adjusting their pace in response to what the person in front of them is doing.

After travelling for perhaps half an hour or so in the ice field, we arrived at our site; a vertical wall of snow and ice perhaps 30 feet (10 meters) high. Our guides climbed around the back of this cliff, to set up a rope from the top. The rope was anchored by ice screws (hollow metal screws perhaps 1 foot (30 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter). Several of these were screwed into the ice at the top, and the rope that would be our protection as we climbed was attached to the screws.

One by one, we each took turns climbing, crampons (metal plates with spikes on the bottom and front) on our feet, and an ice axe in each hand. I had a trememdous amount of fun ice climbing; the ability to climb vertical walls of ice provides a real Spiderman-like feel. In addition, unlike rock climbing, you really don't have to worry too much about finding the next hand or foot hold; you simply create them!

The main difficulties are keeping your feet flat (there's a real tendency to let your heels drop, and then the front points of the crampons slide out of the wall easily) and making solid placements with the ice axes (the angle and force are both important to get a solid grip in the ice).