Vertical limit: Climbing frozen waterfalls in Spiti

Fancy climbing steep frozen waterfalls and cliffs in Spiti? This article helps you get prepared

Getting prepared
 

So what is ice climbing? The simplest definition, probably, is that this is a mountaineering activity involving the climbing of icefalls, frozen waterfalls and cliffs covered with ice. “There are two kinds. First is climbing over frozen glaciers, which is done by most mountaineers. That happens over frozen snow. The other kind is when water freezes. So that could be over frozen waterfalls, and more. This is more challenging as this kind of ice is much harder and steeper,” says mountaineer Karn Kowshik. 

• The ideal months to embark on one such ascent are between January and March.