From Ceramics to Ice

When Ice Axes Meet Clay

Drytooling is a brutal sport. It is all about steel, concrete, and raw power. So, what was fragile ceramic doing there? Our goal was not to replace concrete panels. We wanted to prove that Relyef tools and the craftsmanship of the Vera Luna studio possess a reach that extends far beyond the traditional pottery wheel.

Dry Tooling is a climbing technique where climbers use ice axes and crampons on rock surfaces without actual ice.

Project "Ice"

For the final routes of the 2024 Drytool Cup, we prepared specialized competition holds. These were not climbing holds in the traditional sense. Ceramic would never survive the direct strike of a steel ice axe. Instead, they represented a technical masterstroke. We formulated glazes that, through their sheer slickness, faithfully simulated clear, pure ice.

• The Technique: Competitors could not swing and stick their picks into these holds. They had to hook the edges and shift their center of gravity with absolute precision. Grabbing the holds with bare hands was also permitted.

• The Visuals: Textures and patterns pressed with Relyef stamps gave the holds an authentic, rugged character. The glaze delivered both a stone and ice appearance that looked stunning under the floodlights of the Brno concrete pillar.

Tip: When creating high-gloss, ice-like surfaces on functional art, always test your glaze thickness. Too thick a layer will pool and soften the crisp textures left by your stamps; too thin, and you will lose that glassy, liquid depth.

Unique Insight from the Relyef Workshop

In this project, we ran straight into the structural limits of our material, and that is exactly what made it exciting. Under normal training conditions, ceramic is far too brittle for drytooling. However, for standard bouldering or lead climbing, its natural surface provides a much more organic, skin-friendly friction than polyurethane holds. In Brno, we did the exact opposite - we deliberately made the surface as slick as possible to test the best of the best.

Collaboration That Makes Sense

A project like this requires a tight community. RainbowWedge provided the technical know-how for the anchoring systems, while the HUDY climbing wall in Brno and Reply Volumes provided the facilities and background. At Relyef, we supplied the tools that allowed these bold visions to take a tangible shape and structure.

We proved that we are open to any challenge. Whether you are building a commercial climbing wall in Jakarta or firing trophies for world champions, our tools are ready to define the surface of your world.