Combining the skills of ice climbing and rock climbing, mixed climbing-or M-climbing-allows for travel over all types of terrain, under any condition. Though mixed climbing has always been an essential part of mountaineering, the focus of this challenging sport has shifted from the means of achieving a summit to what is essentially the wintertime equivalent of sport climbing-with bolted, often overhanging, ice and rock routes being climbed using leashless tools, employing acrobatic and athletic moves.
Mixed climber, alpinist, and author Sean Isaac is at the forefront of this new movement. He has established more than sixty new ice and mixed routes and pioneered alpine mixed routes to summits around the world. Mixed Climbing is the complete manual for learning the newest techniques in the most rapidly evolving type of climbing today. Everything you need to know is here, from recommendations on equipment to complete instruction in all the disciplines of mixed climbing, including advanced ice technique, drytooling, moving over mixed rock and ice, and advanced mixed climbing techniques. Also included are training exercises to get you into condition for the specific rigors of this specialized sport.

Ice climbing continues to grow more popular every year. Advances in equipment and technique have helped make the sport accessible to a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts. How to Ice Climb! is the most complete and up-to-date reference available on the sport. Climber and accomplished photographer Tim Banfield provides all the information beginners need to get into ice climbing, as well as many valuable tips that the experts will appreciate, too. Starting with an overview of the history of ice climbing, the authors move on to cover clothing, gear, approach strategies, avalanche safety, snow climbing, frontpointing, overhanging ice, mixed climbing, hazards....all facets of ice climbing are thoroughly examined and explained. Full color photos complement the text to make How to Ice Climb! the most complete resource available.