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Will Gadd and Sarah Hueniken, Canadian ice climbers, have become the first in the world to complete historic ascent of frozen Niagara Falls, parts of which have frozen over winter. They climbed about 45 metres up on the Horseshoe section of the famous falls, which borders the US and Canada.
In his interview (watch below), Gadd described how spray from the part of the waterfall that had not frozen made his ice climb slippery 🙂
Ben Tibbetts is an adventure photographer and aspirant British Mountain Guide based in Chamonix, France. He currently offers Alpine and British guiding, logistics and guiding in Greenland and adventure photography services worldwide.
If you want to take your adventures further, get in touch with Ben here!
A London skatepark is to become a listed building – the first of its kind in Europe to be given protection. The Rom was built in Hornchurch, east London, in 1978 as the skateboarding craze swept Britain in the 1970s.
The Rom, which will be grade II listed, is the second skatepark in the world to be given the protection. The first was the Bro Bowl in Tampa, Florida, which was added to the US National Register of Historic Places in October 2013, according to English Heritage.
The Rom, which takes its name from the nearby river, was built using seamless pressurised concrete and is closely based on Californian skateparks.
The Wave has become a popular attraction in the Coyote Buttes area of the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness on the Utah/Arizona border.
The Wave is a multi-colored chute that has been cut into a sandstone mountain. It is beautiful indeed. It makes a great destination for a short, moderately difficult day hike.
Swirled bands of color run through the sandstone, which has eroded into interesting shapes. The colors and shapes change with the light as the day progresses. Red, pink, yellow and green rock has been blended together to form castles, beehives, chutes and other structures.
The best hiking conditions are found in spring and fall. Summer temperatures get very hot, sometimes reaching 100 F. Winter nights are cold but days are often mild. Hiking can be pleasant during warm periods in winter.
Before highways and railways, before pioneers, even before Columbus…the land we know as the United States was truly a vast wilderness. To protect these last remaining areas, in 1984, Congress created the Paria Canyon/Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Coyote Buttes’ outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation will remain free from the influence of man and are protected in this condition for future generations. Its 112,000 acres beckon adventurers who yearn for solitude, scenic splendor, and the chance to explore one of the most beautiful geologic formations in the world.
The challenging walk from Wasserauen up to the Ebenalp offers spectacular views of this fascinating hiking area. After the first climb, you reach the picturesque Seealp lake, with, behind it, the mighty Säntis mountain. However, the undisputed high point of this route is the Äscher mountain restaurant. The restaurant is in the most precarious position, clinging to the foot of a vertical cliff face a good 100 m high. The season usually ends on October 31.
The Äscher Cliff Restaurant in Switzerland is best seen after a long hike. It was carefully built into the side of a mountain during the 19th century. More of an inn and restaurant than a luxury resort, this getaway is the best spot to take a breather on your trek up the northern Alps. The views here will keep you charged as you continue your trip through the Swiss mountains.
Wasserauen – Seealpsee – Äscher – Ebenalp
The walk begins at Wasserauen station and leads first up quite a steep path to the Seealpsee. The tour round the lake which follows gives you plenty of time to admire the beautiful scenery. Then the climb up from the Seealpsee to the Äscher really shows what you are made of. The mountain path goes up steeply along the slope and is quite tricky. Finally, after the Äscher mountain restaurant, a rocky path leads on up to the Ebenalp with its fantastic views. Then the cable-car takes you back down to the valley in just a few minutes.
The Mendenhall Glacier is a 12-mile-long glacier in the Mendenhall Valley, located only 12 miles from downtown Juneau in Southeast Alaska. The Ice Caves are inside the glacier, accessible only to those willing to kayak to, and then ice climb over the glacier. However, the glacier is retreating increasingly fast as global warming heats the oceans and temperatures rise.
The cave lies beneath the Mendenhall Glacier and it melts as you walk through it.
Have you ever wondered how does a mountaineer’s day start? I will give you a hint: you wake up at 3 am, set the stove, wake up your partner, pretend it is warm, quickly consume a high-calorie breakfast, watch your friends slowly ascending the icy slopes of your dream summit with their tiny head torches glimmering against perfectly blue ice, and hope for the good weather. One would ask: why all this trouble? The answer is easy: for the love of the adventure and the unknown.
Photo and caption by Kamil Tamiola
Location: Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France
Source: National Geographic Traveler