17 April 2023

O'Halloran on Ice

Climbing rock and plastic has taken team athlete Tom O’Halloran as far as the Tokyo Olympics, but the opportunity to explore alpinism in the Kosciuszko region pushed him even further.

Last year Tom O’Halloran was given the opportunity to join an Australian Alpine Academy course, run by Climbing the Seven Summits. This program involves multiple days spent in the Australian backcountry, learning the techniques used by mountaineers on the tallest and most challenging peaks in the world.

Words by Tom O’Halloran. Photos by Mark Watson.

Can you provide a summary of the trip?

Day 1: A quick blast down to the snowy mountains. My first time seeing proper Australian snow (second time seeing snow in my life). Psyche and nervous in the carpark. Confused by gumtrees buried in snow. Gumtrees aren’t covered in snow in Queensland. Snow is colder than I thought, but also warmer. Enjoying the simplicity of walking, eating and chatting to new people. The whole landscape of snow and mountains was…something and made me feel very small.

Building camp was hard and I wondered why the hell was I out here? Dinner was good. Like, really satisfyingly good. Sleep was glorious.

Day 2: Introduction to some basic mountaineering skills and learning about all the groovy snow gear. Then we went ice climbing! Holy smokes, it’s very very fun. Packing up in the dark and walking the few kilometres back to camp by the light of one of the best full moons I have ever seen. 

Day 3: Awake at 4:30am the next day for the Kosciuszko summit day. I’m slightly terrified my feet won’t survive the 23km day. Also, did I bring enough food. And water? Imagine getting thirsty surrounded by water! The day was insane in every possible way. Blue bird skies, beard freezing blizzard (I grew a beard especially for the trip), false summit, false summit, false summit. Get to the summit and it’s so windy I nearly lose my hat. I literally had to chase my hat down the highest point in Australia! 

The walk back to camp was a minor but under control epic. More blizzard and very low visibility. It felt spicy. Like real mountaineering. We stuck together and made it back in one happy, tired group. 

Day 4: We packed down camp, which involved an insane amount of shovelling. The day before’s blizzard conditions continued hard into the night and for most of the morning. It felt like it was two steps forward and one back as we dug and pulled the tents free. It took a few hours, but soon they were out and we were walking. The thought of a burger, chips and a refreshing beverage fuelling the weary steps.

In the end, the trip was up there as one of the most memorable experiences of my life. So much so, I booked by partner in for the very next trip. She left 3 days after I got home from this one and loved it just as much.

Did you have any reservations going into this trip? If yes, what were they?

Absolutely, there were quite a few. The main one being the snow element. I had no idea what that whole part was going to be like. I was also super worried I’d forget some kit. Of all the places in the world to forget a glove or waterproof pants. I think I went through the packing list about 10 times once I was all packed. No joke! All the gear was so unfamiliar, I had no reference point to know what was what and when I’d use it.

Honest thoughts on life in the snow?

Snow life is complicated. There’s simplicity to camping, but there’s also the logistics, which can become tedious. I found myself thinking. Why? If the snow wasn’t here, this would all be a lot easier. For one, you wouldn’t need to dig your way out of the tent each morning. But then you wouldn’t get the extremeness of the landscape. There’s something about the snow that simplifies everything. You lose the details of the scrub and undergrowth and it’s just snow and gum leaves and peace. It seems to highlight just how small and insignificant you are. That’s pretty magic.

Can you talk to the experience – did you pick up the skills quickly? What was most challenging? What surprised you?

It was surprisingly simple. Yes, there were some annoying things to get used to. Everything being made of water being the main stumbling block for me. Wetness is everywhere if you’re not careful. But you got used to it, then everything kind of just flows. I’d put a lot of that down to our guides being super knowledgeable and helpful. You really could have a bad time, quickly, out there. But their tips and tricks along the way made all our lives easy. 

Learning the self-arrest and moving through the mountains stuff was really interesting. The whole group is lined out on the side of a snowy hill and told to pretend you’re in a ‘falling to your death’ scenario. It was easy to feel a bit silly and not shout ‘FALLING,’ loudly and not fully commit to the move. Then you look around at the landscape and it’s easy to see how you could get into strife quickly. It’s probably worth committing to the skill practice, 100%. Then suddenly you feel really cool, diving into the snow face first, shouting at the top of your lungs, 20m from your tent on a beautifully still, sunny day.

Would you recommend it to someone who wants to give alpinism a crack, but isn’t sure where to start? 

100%!! It’s an incredible place to start. It’s extreme (in an easy way) in all the right places and the whole trip couldn’t be more comfortable. Your belly is full every morning and night and adventure sits in the middle. 

I’d fully recommend this trip even to someone who isn’t keen to go any further. Someone who just wants to experience a few nights out in the snow and see a different side of Australia. I really couldn’t recommend this trip more highly. 

Your mantra on the mountain?  

Not really a mantra, but I just kept on looking out to the big, blank snowy hills and thought, ‘Gosh this is pretty. Gosh I’m small in the world. Gosh life is amazing!’

How does ice climbing compare to rock climbing?  

Ice climbing is awesome! Like, very very fun. There’s some grunt, throwing the ice axes in, but then the delicate hope that they won’t come out as you weight them and step up. Then throw them in again and keep on scratching your way up. I’d love to see what hard ice climbing is like. That’d be something I’d love to explore in the future. 

Do you think this experience (or similar in the future) will benefit your climbing (mental, technique, preparation etc.)?  

Absolutely! I’ve always loved the idea of getting into the bigger mountains. A bit of snow and exposure is a recipe for a good time, I’ve always thought. The scary thing about all that though, is I know nothing about the snow. This was a great little toe dip to see what it was all about. The guides did such an awesome job in teaching us all the basics and making us feel safe through it all. It certainly got me interested in what could be next. 

What’s next on the mountaineering bucket list?

Patagonia looks very special. But some of those remote Greenland Fjords look very good. The idea of being way out there in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but go climbing, that’s pretty cool. 

Follow Tom on Instagram and YouTube.

About Climbing the Seven Summits

CTSS is a world leading mountain guiding, expedition, and trekking service, known as the Seven Summits Specialists, with their trademark expeditions being the tallest peak on each of the seven continents, including Everest. As well as the seven summits, CTSS run countless expeditions and treks all over the world and can also build custom courses for you. 

Learn more about Climbing The Seven Summits