You gotta be prepared for lead climbing and if you fall. Canadian Adventurer Will Gadd Becomes the First to Climb Frozen Niagara Falls 'It vibrates your intestines,' ice climber Will Gadd says of his historic ascent up the worlds most powerful. I got whole lot of Niagara down my neck!" But it doesn't sound like he would do this again: "That climb beat me up. Yet ice axes and crampons yield serious risks for climbers if used improperly, or if a climber falls.
"At one point I was behind the water, climbing on ice that froze behind the falls. Gadd was pretty excited recounting the adventure: "I was so close to the water, I could reach out and stick my ice tool in the Niagara Falls," Gadd said. A pair of skilled Canadian ice climbers, Will Gadd and. It's unstable, for sure." In a more normal, warm winter, he would not be able to climb the Falls. NINE people have successfully gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel but until now, no one had ever successfully attempted the reverse trip. "That means there's a layer of ice, then snow (with a lot of air), then another layer of ice. "The ice is formed in layers," Gadd told Red Bull, who sponsored the event. "It's a harsh environment and an intense challenge to stay attached to the wall, let alone climb it," Gadd said. res image Climber Will Gadd Ice Climbing Up Frozen Niagara Falls To BecomeFirst Person To AscendFamous Waterfalls Frozen 1500x1000. And unlike certain Niagara enthusiasts, he did not have Superman there for backup.
It only took about an hour for Gadd, who was recently named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, to climb 147 feet up the Horseshoe section of the falls right on the U.S.-Canadian border. Gadd, who was named as a National Geographic 2015 Adventurer of the Year, used crampons. You can watch highlights of his climb below. Canadian world-class ice climber and paraglider Will Gadd is now the first person to climb up Niagara Falls. Now, one Canadian adventurer has combined the best of both those events into one thrilling climb: ice climber Will Gadd became the first person to ascend to the top of frozen Niagara Falls this week. We've marveled when the Polar Vortex turned Niagara Falls into a frozen icy spectacle last year, and when a daredevil walked a tightrope across it.