Ice climbers

Veteran ice climber Brian Bottan says it gives him a great sense of satisfaction to be able to pass on what he has learned and help newcomers scale their first mountain.

Bottan started ice climbing with Alpine Club of Canada Thunder Bay Section about 10 years ago. An analyst with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, Bottan made his fair share of mistakes on the mountain but he took the advice from his instructors and improved as a climber.

Now a veteran in the sport, Bottan, along with other instructors, helped four beginner climbers take their first spiked steps into the frozen side of Mount McKay on Sunday.

He told beginner Joey Duncan to better use his footwork to propel himself up the mountain as well as where to use his tools and where to properly place his body so he could get more leverage.

The difference was like night and day, he said.

"You get a lot of personal satisfaction seeing people learn from us," Bottan said. "I just had a perfect example. I was watching (Duncan), gave him a little advice and on his second climb down he said it was a 100 per cent better than the first time."

An officer with Nnishnawbe-Aski Police Service, Duncan isn’t a stranger to a good work out but even he admitted that scaling the frozen mountain side was a challenge.

"I always want to try something new," Duncan said. "It’s exciting and it’s a good work out at the same time it’s a challenge."

Frank Pianka, Thunder Bay Section Representative with Alpine Club of Canada, said there are risks to the sport but safety is their number one concern for beginners and veterans. The trust built between climbers helps to eliminate these risks, he said.

"There are incredible partnerships with the people that you are climbing with because mistakes can have serious consequences," Pianka said. "Practically anyone who’s into ice climbing will probably make a trip to the hospital for a few stitches such as for the lip."

While serious accidents happen, it still rarely happens, he added.

The club typically starts its beginner clinics in November and usually lasts until April. Pianka said the weather determines how long the season will be for the club. The club cancelled the second clinic because of the frigid weather in January but have since restarted with the warmer weather.

Pianka added ice climbing is free for those who purchase a year-long membership for $50.