Great Outdoors: Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing With UMD Ice Climbing Instructors

DULUTH, Minn. – Ice climbing in the Northland is a sport that’s always popular during the winter. In this week’s edition of FOX 21’s Great Outdoors, we tag along with UMD ice climbing instructors to a relatively unknown ice climbing spot in Chester Park.

For UMD ice climbing instructor Kevin Taralseth having ice to climb just minutes away from campus is a huge plus.

“This is one of the places that we bring a lot of beginners, it’s really nice because its less than 5 minutes away from campus which is awesome we can have ice climbing that close,” said Taralseth

For beginners it can be a little intimidating.

“Once I got here and saw like how much of a drop it is, it’s kind of dawning on me,” said first time climber Sam Quiney.

For Sam it’s go big or go home

“Not only is this my first outdoor climb, but it’s also on ice, so you know go big I guess,” Quiney explained.

He’s hoping his first time goes off without a hitch.

“As long as I don’t crack my head open it should be fun,” Quiney said.

With the ice formation changing day by day, climbing it can be a little difficult.

“It looks like there’s a pretty thin part. Towards the top it’s kind of wide then right in the top three quarters of it looks like it slims down a little bit so we’ll have to see that part makes it interesting or a little bit harder,” pointed out experienced indoor climber Carter Nelson.

Making it to the top while climbing ice is different than climbing indoors our rocks outdoors.

“Probably the biggest difference is we got sharp things on your hands and feet for hitting in to the ice and it can be, it’s never really looking for a hold you just keep bashing ice until you have a solid one,” said Taralseth.

For hard working college students, putting the books down to go ice climbing can be a good stress reliever.

“It’s a fun break I guess from studying and you know just sitting on my computer it’s something to do,” expressed Quiney.

You can join the UMD climbers each remaining Wednesday of February. UMD students are $1 and other area residents are $25. All climbing equipment will be provided. For more information you can visit UMD’s website or call the main number for the campus.