Statesman

Issue date: 2/10/10 Section: Outdoors

Media Credit: Scott Schmidley UMD RSOP instructor Corey McBride outlines the basics of ice climbing to students and community members on Feb. 6.

Media Credit: Scott Schmidley

Media Credit: Scott Schmidley UMD students climb the lower falls at Gooseberry Falls State Park as RSOP instructors like Maggie Kading (RIGHT) belay from below.

Underneath a shell of semitransparent ice, the violent water of Gooseberry Falls State Park silently falls from its cliffs. During the spring, millions of gallons of freshly melted water will turn the serenity of winter into a powerful thrashing, but for now the park is quiet.

Gooseberry's landscape coupled with an arctic Minnesota winter makes it ideal for ice climbing.

"Every time I go, it makes me want to get my own gear," said UMD senior Nathan Flottum.

Recreational Sports Outdoor Program (RSOP) hosted the event on Feb. 6 and provided boots, ice climbing crampons, ice picks and basic instruction.

"Today's conditions were pretty ideal," said UMD graduate student Maggie Kading after the day's climb. "When it's too cold out the ice is tougher to climb and too warm isn't great either."

The temperature was slightly higher than average (mid 20's) for most of the day, and the wind was mild. Cold temperatures make the ice's surface seem harder, and a warmer day will feel softer. Distinct differences in temperature and how turbulent the water was when it froze also explain the differences between what ice climbers call "hard" and "soft" ice, though ice below freezing, at any temperature, is of equal hardness.

For anchoring the ropes, hard ice was a necessity. Ice climbing screws have variable lengths and screw directly into the ice. "It's the tread on the screws that hold up the climbers," said RSOP Instructor Corey McBride.

Three ice screws suspended each member of the 11-climber group on four different portions of Gooseberry's lower falls as members of RSOP belayed from below. The portions included three vertical climbing sections and one mixed vertical climb consisting of a combination of ice and rock.

As students and community members climbed the cliffs of frozen ice, it wasn't uncommon for medium to large pieces of ice to break off or climbers to lose a step and rely solely on the rope and anchor to catch them. Herein lies a fundamental difference between ice climbing and rock climbing, due to the frailty of the ice, when ice climbing one cannot easily extend an ankle for a leg up without losing a foot to cracked ice.

After the long day of climbing Gooseberry's icy verticals, fatigue set in for the group. They were required to bring a bag lunch and snacks to keep up with the energy loss. "Ice climbing is all about conserving energy," said member of the RSOP crew Christian Fraser. "It's a really great workout."

Endurance, flexibility and strength are key in sustaining physical condition during a climb. "I try to get out a couple times a year," said UMD senior Marcie Thole. "You end up using muscles that you almost never use."

Locally, Chester Creek offers several large sections of ice climbing wall and Casket Quarry in West Duluth is somewhat of a regional hotspot for climbers. But the sport is not something to be ventured out into without precaution.

"It is not safe to go out and ice climb without proper training," McBride said.

Specialized training in ice climbing and highly specific equipment allows a set of climbers to stay safe while scaling frozen crag.

At the end of the trip the group took down the ropes, packed up the UMD van and headed back to Duluth. There are many more upcoming RSOP events for both beginning and more advanced ice climbers, check out the UMD events catalog for more information.

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