Will Gadd nears the top of Niagara Falls; photo by ©Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
Several people have gone over Niagara Falls, with varying degrees of success or failure, but only one person has gone up the iconic tourist attraction when it was partially frozen.
Will Gadd, one of the world’s premier ice climbers, recently scaled a 147-foot portion of Niagara Falls using pics and specialized boots, ascending a surreal-looking vertical landscape that looked, in part, to have become frozen in mid-cascade.
The falls were not entirely frozen, though, and Gadd, who was recently named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, scouted his potential line during the summer, when the falls were thunderous and far more dynamic.
He then hoped for a cold enough winter to allow an attempted climb, and Mother Nature delivered.
Will Gadd dangerously close to rushing Niagara Falls; photo by ©Greg Mionske/Red Bull Content Pool
Still, it was a daunting hours-long endeavor, unlike more traditional ice climbs, where the entire landscape is frozen and still.
“The massive water flow constantly shakes the ground, and makes the ice shelves and walls around you unsteady and unpredictable,” Gadd stated on the Red Bull website. “I was so close to the water, I could reach out and stick my ice tool in the Niagara Falls.”
Will Gadd follows a precarious like up Niagara Falls; photo by ©Keith Ladzinski/Red Bull Content Pool
The accompanying footage shows a portion of his ascent, which was carefully planned and attempted with the approval of the New York State Parks Department and Parks Police.
No bolts were used on the line he chose, on the U.S. side of the Horseshoe section of Niagara, because the Falls were to be left as pristine as before the climb. “We have to treat it as a jewel or it won’t work,” Gadd said.
Will Gadd stands victoriously; photo by ©Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool
But Gadd did have a belaying partner to help ensure safety.
The most daunting section was a traverse over what Gadd described as a “cauldron of doom,” a giant hole created by a cascading flow of water. “If you go in the cauldron of doom, you’re done,” he said. “You can hit rocks, drown, or freeze to death.”
Another scary moment was when Gadd discovered he was climbing ice directly behind rushing water, some of which rushed down his neck. Having become wet, Gadd began to suffer from hypothermia well into his climb.
Other portions simply required painstakingly slow and methodical climbing, because of the care required to remain on frozen sections and avoid breaking ice.
But eventually, Gadd stood victoriously atop the Falls, and of the monumental achievement he said, “That climb beat me up. I may have reached the top, but Niagara won the war.”
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