The truth is I hadn't even realized that my hands were beginning to freeze until I neared the top of the ropes and couldn't seem to sink my tools deep enough to manage a decent anchor in the ice. I just couldn't hold the handles tight enough. My concentration had hindered my ability to sense my incapacity until I could do nothing but retreat the way I had come. My guide, a former employee for Exum Utah Mountain Adventures, a local alpine guide service, and capable climber, Zach Bishop, smiled through his full beard and asked how it felt. I stammered a reply and tried to focus on what I had just accomplished.
People start small and end up addicted to the hard-core stuff.
Having a basic climbing background, and having cleaned my first pitch of ice, I fully understood his logic. I was already hungering for more. Ice climbing, that is. Only scattered snow remained, making the scramble slippery and sketchy. I kept on eye on the steep limestone walls high above that would form the backdrop for the morning's events.