Two ice climbers make first ascent of Niagara Falls

Two ice climbers made the first ascent of Niagara Falls this week. Yeah, that’s right, they climbed it.

Will Gadd and Sarah Hueniken made the climb on Tuesday.

National Geographic has a fascinating account of the climb.

A few little highlights:

• “‘The power of the falls is staggering,’ Gadd said after reaching the top. ‘It vibrates your intestines and makes you feel very, very small. I’ve never experienced anything like it.’”
• “Gadd was reluctant to rate the climb, but when pushed he called it a grade 6, the second highest rating on the ice-climbing difficulty scale. He said the most difficult challenge of this historic first ascent was not the climb itself, but the year of red tape he had to negotiate to get a permit for the climb.”
• “Niagara Falls also has a long tradition of drawing daredevils to its edge. Annie Taylor, a 63-year-old schoolteacher, was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel back in 1901. ‘No one ever ought do that again,’ she is reported to have said when she emerged from the barrel, battered and bleeding, at the bottom of the falls. In the 114 years since, 14 other people have repeated the stunt, five of whom died in the process. Taking the plunge over the falls is illegal, and those who survive face arrest and heavy fines.”

Go read the rest and check out some cool photos here. The video above is also a nice mix of gorgeous and terrifying.