Time for your local climbing club to update the common equipment? Make sure it's not all spent on crash pads.

After-work dry tooling in December might be a little shady, unless of course you have a nice power station to turn petrol into electricity and a set of construction site spot-lights for that industrial work-out. If you come this far, maybe a Rammstein soundtrack will make the icing on the cake. Or Ministry.

Once you're off to the mountains you might actually get those full conditions you've been hoping for. Or at least deep snow on the approach.

Bring approach skis or snow shoes with bindings that fit your climbing shoes.

One could think a pair of budget plastic mini skis would do the trick. This is not the case (yes, we tried).

Approach skis are not that easily found. They don't make them as they used to anymore.

Even non-wankers such as those quoted in the right hand column here have been seen using an elastic strap for their leashless ice tools on longer routes. This is maybe also equipment to share, something you do not use on every trip. Still you may afford to actually own it, also without a sponsor.

This is not only the easiest way to look like a super-alpinist, but may actually add considerable confidence and safety to the multi pitch. With a swivel at the connection to the harness, it might not add that much hassle (yes, we tried this too).

(What's a "tether" anyway? Something for bulls or babies?)

Finally something to avoid.

Anyone ever missed trying to make an Abalakov v-thread? It is really not tricky.
Even so, now there is a tool to help you.

To buy this product you should agree that
a) light is wrong
b) a pair of axes and a dozen screws are not expensive enough
c) winter climbing is not a battle with equipment as it is