Intro to Ice Climbing with Shingo Ohkawa

A six-part series with Grivel Athlete, Shingo Ohkawa as he discusses the fundamentals of ice climbing, including what gear you need, techniques of tool throwing, and other helpful tips & tricks! 

Part one discusses the importance of hand-wear. Ice is cold and keeping your hands warm is important.

Part two discusses the use of an Ice tool. Shingo teaches efficient throwing techniques and grips among other helpful nuggets.

Part three discusses the attributes of an ice-specific climbing harness, when should a new ice climber consider getting an ice-specific harness and can you get away with using a standard rock climbing harness?

Part four discusses protection in ice climbing, the ice screw. He specifically focuses on ice screws made by Grivel, including details on how they are different from other ice screws on the market to help you get the best protection for ice in your area. 

Part five discusses the importance of head-gear. You would be foolish to climb ice without a helmet. Shingo discusses why that is and what to consider when choosing a helmet.

In part six, Shingo tells some of his ice climbing story, how and where he got into the sport and what drives him to push his limits.