Glossary of Climbing Terms - I

I

Ice axe

A handy tool for safety and balance, having a pick/adze head and a spike at the opposite end of a shaft.

Ice hammer

A lightweight ice axe with a hammer/pick head on a short handle and no spike.

Ice screw

A screw used to protect a climb over steep ice or for setting up a crevasse rescue system. The strongest and most reliable is the modern tubular ice screw which ranges in length from 18 to 23 cm.

Ice piton

Long, wide, serrated piton once used for weak protection on ice.

Indoor climbing

See gym climbing.