Ice Climbing - Joe Kalis

All the bits and bobs I carry with me and use when ice climbing, be it in ice park, backcountry, or sidecountry

Joe Kalis's expert gear recommendations on Rendezvu

Products in this list

Petzl Nomic Ice Tool by Petzl — My preferred tool for leading pure ice! I prefer the balance and swing of the Nomic, though ice tools are often a matter of personal preference.
Men's Solution Guide Harness by Black Diamond — My personal all-around harness for ice, trad, and alpine routes. Carries a lot of gear and carries it well! Adjustable to fit over whatever layers are needed on an outing.
Aero Ice Screw by Blue Ice — The cadillac of ice screws. Steel construction, lightweight, durable, and even aesthetically pleasing. Places super fast, large diameter allows me to re-use existing screw holes due to necessity or when I'm feeling spicy.
Mach Express Dyneema Alpine Quickdraw - 4 Pack by CAMP USA — My go-to alpine draws. For trad and alpine climbing I like the Nano 22 carabiner for the gear side and the Photon for the rope side.
Photon Wire Express KS Dyneema Quickdraw by CAMP USA — My go-to quickdraw for leading ice. I prefer to carry a mix of these and alpine draws to account for any on-route circumstances. The dyneema dogbone is lighter and more water resistant than the nylon dogbones I use for sport climbing.
Dart by TAZ — My favorite modular crampon for ice climbing - can be set up as monopoint or dual point based on conditions and personal preference. I especially appreciate being able replace sections of the crampon as they wear, or to even swap out for an entirely different front section if snow climbing.
Phantom Tech HD Mountaineering Boot by Scarpa — My OG ice, mixed, and all-around mountaineering boot. I like the integrated gaiter system and have found it to be very durable. I ended up needing to use small heel wedges to prevent heel lift due to my foot shape.
G-Summit by La Sportiva — The next generation ice and alpine boot for me. I really like being able to adjust the fit of the boot using the externally accessed BOA dial, with looser fit when hiking and tighter when actively climbing!
Men's Khroma Kinetic Waterproof Ski Jacket by Rab — Combination skiing/alpine/ice climbing shell for me. Does each job admirably well and has held up to the mixed abuses of ice climbing tools, variable conditions, and the wet/dry cycles of skiing and alpine ice. On year 3 and still going strong!
Keb Trouser - Men's by Fjallraven — My preferred alpine and ice climbing trousers. The G1000 fabric has proven durable and adaptable - I apply several layers of wax to the G1000 areas for the winter. The adjustable cuffs seal off any snow entry at the boot level and multiple vents keep me from overheating. Stretchy material is in the gusset and moves with you for high stepping or those flashy acrobatic moves.

Ice Climbing - Joe Kalis

All the bits and bobs I carry with me and use when ice climbing, be it in ice park, backcountry, or sidecountry

Joe Kalis's expert gear recommendations on Rendezvu

Products in this list

Petzl Nomic Ice Tool by Petzl — My preferred tool for leading pure ice! I prefer the balance and swing of the Nomic, though ice tools are often a matter of personal preference.
Men's Solution Guide Harness by Black Diamond — My personal all-around harness for ice, trad, and alpine routes. Carries a lot of gear and carries it well! Adjustable to fit over whatever layers are needed on an outing.
Aero Ice Screw by Blue Ice — The cadillac of ice screws. Steel construction, lightweight, durable, and even aesthetically pleasing. Places super fast, large diameter allows me to re-use existing screw holes due to necessity or when I'm feeling spicy.
Mach Express Dyneema Alpine Quickdraw - 4 Pack by CAMP USA — My go-to alpine draws. For trad and alpine climbing I like the Nano 22 carabiner for the gear side and the Photon for the rope side.
Photon Wire Express KS Dyneema Quickdraw by CAMP USA — My go-to quickdraw for leading ice. I prefer to carry a mix of these and alpine draws to account for any on-route circumstances. The dyneema dogbone is lighter and more water resistant than the nylon dogbones I use for sport climbing.
Dart by TAZ — My favorite modular crampon for ice climbing - can be set up as monopoint or dual point based on conditions and personal preference. I especially appreciate being able replace sections of the crampon as they wear, or to even swap out for an entirely different front section if snow climbing.
Phantom Tech HD Mountaineering Boot by Scarpa — My OG ice, mixed, and all-around mountaineering boot. I like the integrated gaiter system and have found it to be very durable. I ended up needing to use small heel wedges to prevent heel lift due to my foot shape.
G-Summit by La Sportiva — The next generation ice and alpine boot for me. I really like being able to adjust the fit of the boot using the externally accessed BOA dial, with looser fit when hiking and tighter when actively climbing!
Men's Khroma Kinetic Waterproof Ski Jacket by Rab — Combination skiing/alpine/ice climbing shell for me. Does each job admirably well and has held up to the mixed abuses of ice climbing tools, variable conditions, and the wet/dry cycles of skiing and alpine ice. On year 3 and still going strong!
Keb Trouser - Men's by Fjallraven — My preferred alpine and ice climbing trousers. The G1000 fabric has proven durable and adaptable - I apply several layers of wax to the G1000 areas for the winter. The adjustable cuffs seal off any snow entry at the boot level and multiple vents keep me from overheating. Stretchy material is in the gusset and moves with you for high stepping or those flashy acrobatic moves.