Zermatt is mainly known for its ski resorts but there is more to do in Zermatt. Ice climbing is a major winter season sport for sport enthusiasts and this is a challenging sport. During summer, the wall is covered by a constant stream of water which freezes to form an amazing ice in winter. Frozen waterfalls are not only beautiful to look at but also to touch. Over the frozen waterfalls you can reach places that are inaccessible to others. It is perfect for people who want love new challenges or for those who want to train and or just to learn how to climb through the ice.
In order to climb the frozen waterfall, you will need several tools such ice axe, crampons, helmets, harness, ice screws, ropes and many more. You can not only learn the techniques but also can learn the most important thing, how to judge the ice. This is the most important safety factor when climbing the ice since ice is almost like a living organism. It is extremely dependent on nature and is constantly changing according to the temperature and weather conditions. But because it reacts to the change of temperature and weather you can climb several times per season and experience the different faces of the frozen waterfall. For beginners, you will learn the most important handholds, the footwork and how to use the ice pick on the ground. For experienced climbers, this is a really good excersise to do before conquring the high alps of Zermatt.
There are different levels depending on the weather and the temperature. For Experts, you can climb the steep and vertical parts with several pitches. The climb time is about 2 to 4 hours. For advanced, you can climb the 65 degree climb with short steep parts with several pitches. The climb time is about 2 to 4 hours. On a dry day, you can climb up to 10 to 20 meters where there is slight steep to very steep parts. The climb time may take up to 3 to 5 hours.
If you need equipments, you can rent ice axe, crampons, helmets and harness at a sport shops. The technical equipments such as ice screws, ropes, carabineers and other equipments can be supplied by the mountain guide.
So if you want to get your adrenaline and your body pumping, go climb up the beautifully frozen waterfall! It will be a great excersise and or a warm up for sports enthusiasts.
