Shuangqiao Valley Ice Climbing

The Shuangqiao Valley is one of the tree main valleys in Siguniangshan Scenic Area. In the valley, there are hundreds of different types of ice walls from WI3 to WI6 for you to climb ice. The best time is from late December to late February next year. We can arrange your ice climbing trip from Chengdu.

The ice wall of Mt. Siguniangshan

3 Days Ice Climbing Itinerary from Chengdu to Shuangqiao Valley

Day 1: Leave Chengdu and set out for Rilong town. The specific transportation route: Chengdu – Dujiangyan – Yinxiu Town – Wolong – Rilong Town. Stay over in Rilong Town.

Day 2: Get up early in the morning and leave for Shuangqiao Valley. Spend the whole day climbing ice. Return to Rilong Town in the afternoon.

Day 3: Go back to Chengdu in the morning.

Ice Climbing Festival in Shuangqiao Valley, Siguniangshan

On January 20th, 2010, the meeting of "2010 Siguniangshan Ice Carnival and First Ice Climbing Festival" was jointly organized by Siguangshan Scenic Area Administration and Sichuan Provincial Mountaineering Association, in the Shuangqiao Valley. More than 180 outdoor sporting experts took part in this meeting, from Korea, Croatia, Australia, Singapore and Guangzhou, Beijing, Sichuan, etc. The festival lasted three days. Since then, the Ice Climbing Festival is held each year.

From Jan.14th to Jan.17th, 2011, the Second Siguniangshan Ice Climbing Festival was organized by Siguangshan Scenic Area Administration, joining up with Sichuan University Outdoor Sporting Institute and other supporting institutions. The festival had many ice sport events, such as Ice Climbing Sprint, Professional Ice Climbing Performance, Playing Gyro on the ice, Figure Skating, etc.

The Third Siguniangshan Ice Climbing Festival was hosted from Jan.1 to Jan.3, 2012. During the festival, there are some new activities, such as Ice Climbing Training, Ice Climbing Knowledge Lecture and Forum and other activities. To ensure a high-quality and high-standard Ice Climbing Festival, the committee limited 100 participants.

2013 Sigunianghshan Ice Climbing Festival - "冰壁飞舞, 自在我心" was hosted in Shuangqiao Valley from Dec.30, 2012 to Jan.5, 2013, which was organized by Siguniangshan Scenic Area Administration, and was sponsored by KAILAS, VAUDE, MEINDL and other outdoor brands; and Lingpan Mountaineering School offered training courses for this festival. During the festival, the school invited many mountaineering experts as a teacher and guide, including Jon Otto, Liu Yong and Bao Yifei, and other famous climbers. In order to serve for different people, this festival also set up a series of course: primary training courses, junior training courses, ice climbing experience courses, difficulty climbing courses.

2014 Ice Climbing Festival was hosted from Dec. 30 to Jan.2 and organized by the famous outdoor brands - KAILAS. This festival carried on the previous training courses and activities, and set up new activities, such as "Comparing Who is the Coolest - Ice Climbing Speed Competition" and "Who say 'Only Ice' - DryTooling Experience". Various styles of ice climbing offer perfect platforms and opportunities to ice climbing lovers and experts to learn and improve together.

2015 KAILAS Siguniangshan Ice Climbing Festival was hosted from Dec.31, 2014 to Jan.3, 2015. This festival has attracted many ice climbing lovers from all over the world to participate in. As usual, this festival had many kinds of Ice Climbing activities, such as First-time Learner's Experience Teaching, Night-Climbing Experience, Ice Climbing Experience Sharing, etc.

2016 Shuangqiaogou Ice Climbing Festival was opened on December 31, 2015. The ice climbing lovers from all over the world and the local people were together at Shuangqiao Valley to celebrate the opening of this Ice Climbing Festival. During this festival, in order to satisfy various needs of all the ice climbing lovers, the host arranged different types of experience projects according to their different levels. Besides, two experience sharing activities were held. The beginning learners and experienced experts all joined the activities and shared their ideas and experiences about climbing equipment, climbing culture, climbing techniques and skills, etc. They all learned a lot from each other. This Ice Climbing Festival was a complete success.

2017 Shuangqiaogou Ice Climbing Festival will be held at the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017. The forms of the ice climbing activities will be more colorful and interesting. If you are planning to join it, please contact us. We will offer the best service for you.

The ice climbing training of Mt. Siguniangshan

Ice Climbing Introduction & Grading

This article is about the brief introduction of ice climbing. During the process of climbing, there is a certain degree of risk, so it is highly recommended that climbers firstly get knowledge from experts and experienced ice climber and then start to climb ice.

Ice Climbing Introduction

The Ice Climbing is derived from the Mountaineering and become gradually a branch of the Mountaineering. It is one type of climbing activities which is carried out on the ice formations depend on the protections from specific equipment. The ice formations include icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water.

For the purposes of climbing, the ice can divided into two categories, alpine ice and water ice. Alpine ice is found in a mountain environment and cannot melt all the year round. It is usually climbed by the mountaineering lovers. Water ice is usually found on a cliff or other outcropping beneath water flows, and it is formed by the liquid flow of water in frozen winter. Ice can be soft, hard, brittle or tough. In Shuangqiao Valley, the ice belongs to water ice.

Below is some important techniques and practices common in ice climbing.

Rope systems: single, double or twin ropes are the main rope systems used in ice climbing. They are used to suit for straight climbing route.
Tying in: It entails attaching your rope to the climbing harness. The technique is a must particularly when leading a climb or belaying.
Belaying: During the climbing process, running belays and fixed belays are usually used. A running belay on ice is used when the leader of the climbing puts protection and clips the rope through it, and the next climber puts away the protection.
Leading: Leading refers to the act of leading a climb. When the leader climbs and reaches to the top, then places the protection and builds a belay anchor. Next, the second climber starts to climb.
Abseiling: also called rappelling, refers to use a fixed rope to descend.
Lowering: It is one of the most common methods of getting down, and is also used when climber wants to go down faster. A belayer at the base of the vertical wall ensures that the climber is lowered safely.

The ice climbing in Shuangqiao Valley

Ice Climbing Grading

The discussion focuses on the waterfall ice rating system. A common use of the "+" designation is to indicate a higher level of technicality than is typical for the grade that is consistent from year to year.

WI2: low-angled (60 degree consistent ice), with good technique can be easily climbed with one ice axe. Grades beyond this generally require the use of two ice tools.
WI3: generally sustained in the 60-70 degree range with occasional near-vertical steps up to 4 metres. Easily to set protection screws .
WI3+: highly technical WI3.
WI4: near-vertical steps of up to 10 metres, generally sustained climbing requiring placing protection screws from strenuous stances.
WI4+: highly technical WI4.
WI5: near-vertical or vertical steps of up to 20 metres, sustained climbing requiring placing multiple protection screws from strenuous stances with few good rests.
WI5+: highly technical WI5.
WI6: vertical climbing for the entire pitch (e.g. 30–60 metres) with no rests. Require excellent technique and/or a high level of fitness.
WI6+: vertical or overhanging with no rests, and highly technical WI6.
WI7: sustained and overhanging with no rests. Extremely rare, near-mythical, and widely accepted testpiece examples of this grade don't exist in the Canadian Rockies.

The ice climbing in Shuangqiao Valley

Ice Climbing Equipment

Ice axes: A main tool used for supporting bodies when climbing ice.

Ice pitons: A tool which is fixed on the ice and rotated into the depth of ice in order to fix the ropes.

Crampons: A metal plate with spikes fixed to a boot for walking on ice or rock climbing. Usually used with high altitude boots.

Helmets: Ice climbers must wear helmets when climbing ice in case that the flying ice falling down to their heads or their heads hit onto the ice.

Mountaineering boots: Mountaineering boots are specially designed for mountaineering expedition. They are light, durable, comfortable and safe for mountaineering and ice climbing.

Other equipment: Safe belts, ropes, up device and down device, gloves, mountaineering clothes, etc.

Notices for Ice Climbing

1. Do not use excessive strength to plunge the ice ax into the ice; do not sway the ice ax or it will break the ice and affect its stability.

2. Piercing the crampons into the ice with enough strength in order to maintain the balance of your body and ensure the safety of your climbing.

3. You have to investigate the ice quality, choose the climbing time and route before your ice climbing. If the surface layer of the ice is relatively soft and the inner layer is hard, the ice is with good quality. The ice will not be easily broken when you plunge the ice ax or crampons.

4. You have to notice the change of the weather. If there is too much wind, it is not suitable for ice climbing.

5. Wearing a helmet is necessary when you are climbing ice.