Dry Tooling Introduction

Dry tooling is a form of climbing that uses ice axes and crampons to ascend natural rock or artificial walls.

It is said to have derived from mixed climbing, which involves climbing both ice and rock walls. Originally, it was a necessary technique for climbing ice walls and ice pillars - first ascending rock walls and then transferring from rock to ice pillars. It's exactly the world depicted in the film "The Alpinist."

Modern dry tooling focuses on climbing rock walls, and as artificial walls have become climbable in addition to natural rock, the techniques have further evolved.

As a competitive sport, it's known through the "Ice Climbing World Cup" organized by UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) which began in 2002. However, the sport's history dates back to 1912, with the first ice climbing competition held at the Brenva Glacier in Courmayeur, Italy. That said, the 1912 competition was purely ice climbing - the current style of climbing rock likely didn't exist yet. Alpine climber Jeff Lowe (1950-2018) is considered to have established the style of climbing rock with ice axes and crampons. Introduced in the 1998 publication "Ice Climbing: The Latest Techniques and Experiences," it shocked the climbing world.

Dry tooling is a new competitive sport and represents the cutting edge of alpine climbing. It features unique moves rarely used in ice climbing or alpine climbing, such as Figure Four, Figure Nine, and underclinging techniques.

Many climbers incorporate it not just for competitive enjoyment but also as training for ice climbing and alpine climbing.

This "Dry Tooling Introduction" course is designed for those who are new to dry tooling or are beginners.

We provide explanations about the differences between dry tooling and ice climbing, tools, and moves, along with practical training. Even if you have ice climbing experience, we recommend taking this course before starting dry tooling. While ice and dry tooling are somewhat different activities, experience and training in dry tooling will also contribute to improving your ice climbing skills.

After completing this course, you can use the dry tooling problems outside of the lesson sessions.

Also, course participants can rent ice axes for free anytime in the future!

After completing the introduction, if you want to enjoy climbing with others, please join our "Dry Tooling Top-Rope Session."

If you wish to participate, please check the event dates on the Calendar and apply either at Beta's front desk or by email.