Ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rocks covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. Ice climbing is broadly divided into two spheres, alpine ice and water ice. Alpine ice is the one found in a mountain environment, usually climbed in an attempt to summit a mountain. Water ice is usually found on a cliff or other outcropping beneath water flows. Both consistency of the ice and difficulties vary greatly according to the weather conditions.
