ICE CLIMBING UTAH, by David S. Black; Falcon Publishing, 2000; 184 pages; $20.
This book is apparently the first guide to ice climbing statewide and includes more than 200 climbs in Utah.
Although this obviously isn't a book for novices, it is intriguing to realize that a desert state has so many ice-climbing possibilities. The photographs in the book alone — including the spectacular cover photo of the Candlestick in Santaquin Canyon — are amazing, highlighting the daring and beauty of this adventure sport. Another photo inside the book shows how ice climbing can resemble scaling giant icicles. Another photo shows climber Greg Lowe halfway up the Malan's Peak waterfall, east of Ogden, back in 1971.
Black, a native of Blanding, has spend 28 of the past 32 winter seasons ice-climbing in Utah and is also known as a spelunker and a canyoneer.
The book begins with some explicit warnings on the inherent dangers and crucial safety aspects of ice climbing: "Your safety depends on your own judgment. . . . If you have any doubt as to your ability to safely climb a route described in this book, do not attempt it."
Black states that his 200 climbs are probably only "the tip of the iceberg" in the number of climbs available in Utah. His climbs are rated from one to seven in ascending difficulty.
Lowe authored a brief section in the book on the evolution of tools in ice climbing, and Doug Heinrich, another guest writer, discusses mixed-climbing experience.
Titles of some of the climbs in Utah are a story in themselves. Among my favorites are: "Frigid When Wet," "Bridge Across Forever," " Rope Drag Nightmare," "Sell My Gear and Buy a VCR," "Frosted Flakes," "Post Nasal Drip," "Frozen Assets" and "Bottomless Topless."
The majority of the book features brief descriptions of the climbs — some so brief, in fact, that it takes an area map to find where the climb is located. However, the maps are adequately detailed, and the climbs cover most areas of Utah, except the extreme southeast corner, the extreme northwest corner, Utah's Dixie and the Lake Powell area.
Overall, this book is a must for any active Utah ice climber or climber-to-be. For the rest of us, it's an intriguing look at a relatively obscure sport.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com