Ice climbing in the Rockies: A Q&A with a climber and photographer

Ice climbing, though, is a popular sport in certain pockets of the country. It’s a way to enjoy the cold months… and from a completely different vantage point. If neither heights nor below-zero temperatures phase you, this is the ultimate experience to have during the winter. Picture mesmerizing frozen waterfalls, Rocky Mountain landscapes, and views that stretch on for days.

We caught up with Cody Shimizu, an avid ice climber and adventure photographer to talk about the nuances of the sport, why he loves it, stand-out memories he’s made, and how his passion for the sport drives his creative work.

Originally from Edmonton, Shimizu has relocated to Canmore to work, create, and explore in this adventurous Canadian town (not to mention the many points in the Rockies where he’s tested his abilities and snapped stunning pictures). If his photos and stories from days out scaling these walls of ice don’t sell you, we don’t know what will!

S: Describe the experience of ice climbing to the traveller who isn’t yet familiar.

C: Ice climbing is probably one of the coolest forms of climbing. Just looking at these frozen behemoths is unbelievable, but actually getting to climb them takes it to another level. It's an absolutely unreal experience going up a blank wall of ice. It's also a nice little stress reliever because with ice tools, you're swinging into the ice to make your own holds.

S: You lead an interesting lifestyle. Tell me a little bit about your backstory in regards to ice climbing. How did you get into it?

C: I had already been outdoor rock climbing for a while, so I knew all the rope work, but I had never tried ice climbing. My friend and I were at a MEC sale, and neither of us had ice climbed before, but we both wanted to give it a shot. They were selling ice axes, crampons, and ice climbing boots at a really good price, so we bought all the gear without even trying it first. We headed to a local cragging area in Canmore called the Junk Yard, and we ended up really enjoying it. From there, I kept working to get better, started leading more, and took on harder routes. That’s how it started.

S: Let’s talk about some of the early stand-out memories of ice climbing.

C: Way back when I started learning how to ice climb, I was still living in Edmonton. The Alpine Club of Canada was running a trip to help improve skills on steep ice, so I signed up. I took the course and stayed at HI Nordegg—it was a super fun weekend. The volunteers were amazing, and willing to give so much of their time and expertise. We went to a climb called Pure Energy. That was my first proper full weekend of ice climbing and trying steeper ice. That weekend, it really clicked for me how much I like the sport and wanted to keep doing it.

S: What would you prefer about ice climbing over other types of climbing?

C: Considering how long the winters are in the area, you really need to be able to embrace it. If you're just a sport climber, the season is so short. It's a hard place to live. I do enjoy the winter; mountains with the snow on them are just so beautiful, and getting to play in that environment is an amazing feeling. And the uniqueness of ice climbing is really, really fun. Unlike rock climbing, which stays the same, ice climbing changes from year to year, sometimes even week to week, depending on how the ice forms. For example, there's a route called Wicked Wanda where you have this crazy updraft of wind that comes in because it's in a bit of a gully. The water moves upward and some years it forms these crazy tentacle-looking ice formations.

S: That's such an interesting picture that you just painted! So, you grew up in Edmonton, moved to Canmore, and have climbed all around Western Canada. Why do you choose to live, explore, and work creatively in this specific corner of the country?

C: Canmore holds a special place in my heart because it's relatively close to Edmonton so that's where I really got into the mountains and started to learn. It’s been almost five years now, but I'm definitely not getting bored of it—the possibilities for adventure just keep getting bigger and bigger, whether it's looking for new routes or trying to test myself on the classic test pieces in the Rockies. It's also a place where people come from around the world to ice climb. Of course, there’s a lot of amazing ice climbing in other parts of the world as well, but I think Canmore is really hard to beat because of its reliability. The season's pretty long as well. On a good year, you can start climbing by late October.

S: Let's talk about adventure photography. What a cool livelihood! What goes into getting the perfect shot?

C: The really cool and unique thing about climbing photography is how difficult it is to get into the right place—let alone at the right time, with the right light, and stuff like that. As a photographer, just getting yourself into position is quite an ordeal. Either you need to be able to climb or you need to have someone who can climb for you to set up a rope. Then, you have to coordinate with your climbers to come up below you so you can get shots from above. If you want the perfect shot of climbers leading, you need a party of four—your climber needs a belayer, and I would need a belayer as well. The level of complexity doubles. Sometimes I think maybe only other photographers would appreciate that extra level of effort to get those details. Some routes are hard to access, with long approaches and tricky terrain, making the setup even more difficult. Setting up a whole photoshoot up in the alpine or on ice is a whole other level of challenge.

S: How do you decide which places you want to go to to shoot?

C: The fun thing about my job is that a day out for fun can also be a workday since I’m often location scouting. Sometimes, I’ll come across a photo from another photographer or see a picture of a waterfall that looks like a fun climb. You're also restricted by the logistics of the climbs and accessing it. It’s really a mix of things that come together to decide where to shoot. When it comes down to it, it's just like, if it's a line that inspires me and I want to climb it, then I think I'll most likely want to shoot it as well.

S: Sounds fun! I want to hear about other adventures.

C: Near HI Castle Mountain, there's the Stanley Headwall, which is really famous for these classic and pretty hard climbs in the Rockies. My friends and I climbed a route called Nemesis, which is probably the most iconic pure-ice climb in that valley. Just doing that route was so fun, and I got to lead the very last pitch that took us to the top out. Topping out on that climb was a full-circle moment and a milestone that showed how far I had come. This was a route I had heard so much about from pro climbers. For them, it’s an easy climb, but it’s a classic that almost everyone attempts. It’s a true test in the Rockies, so being able to climb that with my friends was such a nice feeling.

S: What recommendations do you have for somebody who's travelling in Canada this winter and maybe checking out some of the HI properties and thinking about trying ice climbing for the first time?

C: Ice climbing can really be accessible to those interested in trying it, especially in Canmore, where some of the world's most qualified and friendly guides can take you out for your first experience. They'll take care of all the rentals and specialized gear that you need. I think hiring a guide is the best way to do it.

I’d recommend anyone with even the slightest interest to try ice climbing—it’s just so unique and an exciting experience, whether you do it once or you take it and run with it. If you’re passing through the Rockies, you’d be missing out if you didn’t give it a shot.

Cody Shimizu is a Calgary-based adventure sports photographer. Originally from Edmonton, he fell in love with the mountains through biking and climbing. He now works with brands, publications, and events, capturing the beauty of the alpine. See more of Cody's work.