From top to bottom, photos by: Bill Wood, Seth Fischer, Andrew Krause, Chris Bartram.

“The learning curve for ice climbing is easier than rock climbing because you can put your crampons and ice axes almost anywhere,” says Tierney, who has been guiding and teaching ice climbing since the 1980s. He has even taken clients to western China to tackle first ascents of difficult ice climbs and mountain peaks. Tierney is one of 80 fully-certified international mountain guides working in the US (IFMGA) and the only one residing in Maine.

If you are interested in learning to ice climb, instruction is essential. Hiring a professional guide is the surest and fastest way of learning to ice climb safely. Tierney’s school, Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, offers daily instruction in Acadia National Park, Camden Hills, and the Sugarloaf and Sunday River regions as well as over the border in the White Mountains. The school is fully accredited by the AMGA to provide rock, ice, mountaineering or backcountry skiing instruction or guiding. Start swinging those ice tools today!