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.