The icy waterfalls are a sight to behold, but instead of being admired from afar, an adventurous Tasmanian couple has recently put on a harness to climb.
Key points:
- Frozen waterfalls are not common in Tasmania, but a recent cold toast has produced some
- A Tasmanian couple has traveled to Ben Lomond to climb one
- But the couple warns that it is not for the reckless or unprepared
Experienced climbers Phillip Kapudija and Tionne Hilder walked for hours through the snow to reach the icy waterfalls at the southern end of Ben Lomond, north of Tasmania.
“It was rumored that they were out there,” Kapudija said.
“I had seen pictures of them online and heard stories that there was actually waterfall ice out there.
“I saw it and I thought it would be amazing if those conditions came back someday.”
Phillip Kapudija said he had only seen photos of the icy falls and hoped they would return someday. (Provided by: Tionne Hilder)
The couple had been wanting to take on the challenge of climbing an ice waterfall for two years, but were waiting for the right conditions.
After a cold season in Tasmania, the couple’s dream came true.
Waiting for the right conditions was worth it for the 30- and 29-year-old from Launceston.
The conditions must be adequate to make the climb. (Provided by: Tionne Hilder)
“[It was] absolutely amazing, “Kapudija said.
“We came from under the cliff and I couldn’t believe it.
“Suddenly there is a rock wall in the shade that looks like a picture of Canada.
“There was a column of ice waterfall that was pure 60 meter waterfall that looked amazing.
“It was absolutely awesome to see it and amazing to have it in Tasmania. I never would have thought of that.”
Climbing teammate Tionne Hilder was just as overwhelmed.
“It was honestly pretty amazing,” he said.
“We weren’t sure if we would have ice, these conditions are relatively rare in Tasmania. So you just have to go out and wait to find something and be prepared to turn around if you don’t.
“And we turned that corner and we just saw this ice wall, like the ice of the waterfall hanging and we said, ‘Wow.’
Then his attention was focused on how to climb the icy waterfall.
Experienced climbers used special ice climbing equipment, including traction devices attached to the climbing shoes, ice axes and ice screws.
Tionne Hilder says the climb was “a little disconcerting” at times. (Provided by: Phillip Kapudija)
They used additional safety measures, such as using a second rope and putting anchor points on the rock, not the ice.
Measuring ice depth was key.
“You have to look at it and judge [whether] it’s thick enough for any selection of screws you get, ”Kapudija said.
Phillip Kapudija said the color of the ice was key to deciding if it was safe to climb. (Provided by: Tionne Hilder)
“I have to judge the quality of the ice, which is the hardest part of this sport, and I’m by no means an expert in that area.”
They learned from online blogs, scientific journals, information from other climbers, and years of climbing experience.
Experienced climbers used specialized equipment to cope with the climbs. (Provided by: Tionne Hilder)
In other countries, ice climbing is a sport in which athletes climb vertical ice formations, including icy waterfalls or ice-covered cliffs.
Kapudija, a paramedic, said the ice conditions had to be adequate to climb the waterfalls.
“You really need to get that golden temperature, not just the moment you’re there, but as it forms and the way you can judge its quality is usually out of its color,” he said.
“The color of the ice will tell you if there’s too much air inside the ice you’re climbing, so anything white is scary, and if it’s blue it’s glue.”
“In this case, it became clearer that it has fewer particles, which makes it much safer.”
It was a special experience for amateur climbers.
“Getting back on the ice was amazing,” Ms. Hilder said.
“It was such a new skill to learn and I was doing it with 30 year old crampons, so I was trying to get them to work on the ice and be able to get up and use my feet and practice a skill that until then The point about what I had just read was quite phenomenal. “
The couple said part of the ice was awesome. (Provided by: Phillip Kapudija)
It is a dangerous and extreme activity, but the duo thoroughly assessed the risks.
“[It was] a little disturbing just because we had never done anything like this before, so we had to do a lot to mitigate the risk before we even touched the ice, ”Ms Hilder said.
Phillip Kapudija says it was worth the wait for the right conditions. (Provided by: Tionne Hilder)
Fortunately, the couple did not have any incoming calls.
“If we had had moments of fear, if we had even been approaching a moment of fear, we would have turned around,” he said.
“It is extremely dangerous and there has been a lot of risk mitigation.
“It’s something you really shouldn’t do unless you already know what you’re doing.”
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Posted yesterday at 20:13, Monday, June 20, 2022 at 20:13, updated 19 hours, 19 hours ago, Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 01:40