Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

"Is having an adze on your technical ice tool the mountaineering equivalent of showing up to a bouldering gym with your harness on (a.k.a. the sign of a novice)?"

At some point in your climbing career, you might unexpectedly find yourself having to build an anchor on an ice or alpine route when you're out of slings and cord. Use one of the following alternative equalization techniques.

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

Check out Jeff Ward (AMGA/IFMGA Mountain Guide)'s author page.

Traveling through heavily glaciated terrain with just one other person on the rope can be challenging. If someone falls into a crevasse, you only have one chance to catch him, and only one person on the surface to perform the rescue.

If you climb long enough, you will likely encounter a core shot that significantly weakens your rope. These four steps will show you how to rappel with a core-shot rope.

Rigging a multiI-point belay anchor is one of climbing’s fundamental skills, but not all anchors are created equal, and probably shouldn’t be treated the same. As an examiner and instructor for the AMGA, I’ve sorted through the various methods, and find “The Quad” anchoring system beneficial in many situations.