The ice screw *is* the safety line - you climb up a near vertical mixture of ice and rock using a pair of specialised hand axes strapped to your wrists, and crampons on your feet. The screws go into the ice at points you *think* might hold your weight PLUS the force of your fall. When you write it down like this, it doesn't seem like the cleverest pursuit in the world.

I've only ever been on one ice-climb, but since it all went a bit wrong and I ended up abseiling down a cliff in almost total darkness, I have no urge to go again in the near future.


>"sounds like a good RU activity"

Only if you combine it with paintballing, that is.

Bourne