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STANDARDS

NGSS: Core Idea: ESS2.C

CCSS: Reading Informational Text: 9

TEKS: 6.7A, 7.8, 8.9, 1.6A

Icy Ascent

Adventurer Will Gadd is the first person to climb a frozen section of Niagara Falls

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What dangers might a climber encounter while scaling a frozen waterfall?

Will Gadd has made many tough climbs in his life. But scaling a frozen portion of Niagara Falls was his most daring yet. It was the middle of winter, and freezing temperatures had turned part of the waterfall into ice. Gadd hung from ice picks he’d dug into the frozen falls. The cascading water was close enough for him to reach out and touch. If something went wrong, he would plummet into the swirling, icy rapids below. But he kept climbing. 

Gadd’s friends call him “Captain Adventure” for a reason. Over the past few decades, he’s chased most of the thrills extreme sports have to offer. He has battled white-water rapids and paraglided over mountains. But none of his adventures compared with ice climbing one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls.

Climbing Frozen Niagara
Watch a video showing clips from Will Gadd's historic climb up a frozen section of Niagara Falls.

THE CALL OF THE FALLS 

More than 10,000 years ago, glaciers covered much of North America. These slow-moving rivers of ice eventually melted to form the Great Lakes and the waterways flowing between them (see Journey to the Falls). One of these waterways is the Niagara River. Over time, its powerful flowing water ate away, or eroded, a giant rock ridge that once stretched from upper New York State to Wisconsin and shaped Niagara Falls.

Three separate waterfalls on the border between New York and Canada—Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls—form this natural wonder. Together the three falls have the highest combined flow rate of any waterfalls in the world. For over 100 years, people have harnessed this powerful flow of water to generate large amounts of hydroelectric energy (see Electric Falls).

The beauty and strength of the falls have attracted many adventurers. Jean-François Gravelet, for example, walked across the falls on a tightrope in 1859. Annie Edson Taylor famously rode over the falls in a barrel in 1901. And many other people have attempted to take on the falls. Unfortunately, not all of them have survived.

“The falls present not only something to look at and admire, but a challenge,” says Sherman Zavitz, the official historian of the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario. “In some way or another, these adventurers want to conquer the falls.”

Gadd was no different. He had climbed other icy waterfalls, but there was something special about Niagara Falls. “There’s a reason millions of tourists go every year,” says Gadd.

UNSTABLE ICE

Gadd chose Horseshoe Falls for his ascent. It’s the largest of Niagara’s three falls. The extreme power of the waterfall prevents it from freezing over entirely, but icy columns form at its edge during particularly cold winters. 

These columns of ice consist of a combination of water that froze while flowing over the falls and spray ice. Spray ice forms when falling water is aerosolized on impact at the base of the falls, resulting in a fine mist. “Spray ice has a lot more air in it,” says Gadd. “So it doesn’t bond as well to rock or normal ice. It tends to form in layers—a layer of ice, then snow, then more ice.” Gadd said the ice peels easily, almost like an onion. It can be incredibly dangerous to climb.  

PAUL GIAMOU/AURORA PHOTOS

 

BEAUTIFUL SIGHT: 375,000 gallons of water rushes over Niagara Falls every second during the winter season.

Temperature also affects the stability of ice. Water expands as it freezes. But extremely cold temperatures can cause ice to contract. If the ice then warms, it re-expands. These fluctuations, or changes, put stress on the ice and make it weaker. And weak ice can mean big trouble for climbers like Gadd.

SAFETY FIRST

Gadd and his team worked for more than a year to get the necessary permits for the climb, which took place in January 2015. They created a safety plan that involved Gadd rigging safety ropes on his way up to act as lifelines in case he fell. “My first thought was, ‘This isn’t a good idea,’” says Tom Watt, the superintendent of Niagara Falls State Park. “But ultimately it was Gadd’s experience and the professionalism of his team that made it manageable.”  

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EQUIPPED TO CLIMB: Climbing rope and crampons—shoes with spikes for ice climbing—kept Gadd safe on the climb.

The night before the climb, Gadd made his final preparations. He hung from a rope over the edge to clear hanging ice from the frozen column he’d be ascending. The icy chunks—some the size of small cars—could have fallen and injured him while climbing. In addition to using ice axes and spiked crampons that attach to the soles of climbing boots, Gadd decided to bring ice hooks. These long, curved ice picks are designed to tackle the difficult ice conditions he would face. At the end of the day, Gadd was as ready as he could be. The question was: Would it be enough? 

REACHING THE TOP

The day of the climb, Gadd sank his ice hooks deep into the ice and began pulling himself up. After an hour of careful climbing, he made it! Standing atop the falls and peering back at the raging water below him, Gadd felt nothing but respect for the magnificent natural wonder. “I’ve never been anywhere else in the world that literally shakes the ground,” he says.

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Gadd made three ascents that day, and the effort took a toll on his body. By the time he finished the historic climbs, he had developed hypothermia—a condition that occurs when one’s body loses heat faster than it can produce it. The condition results in a dangerously low body temperature and can be fatal. 

Reflecting on his achievements, Gadd stressed the importance of taking a scientific approach to extreme sports. “Everything I do is based on observation, understanding, and testing a hypothesis over and over again,” says Gadd. “That’s science. That’s what all these sports are. There’s no arguing with physics.

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CORE QUESTION: Discuss the preparations Gadd made before he attempted his historic climb.

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