Deep in the Iowa interior people of all walks of life are drawn to it.

Neighbors who’ve seen all the activity, folks from the city who’ve seen it on the local news...

College students volunteer time making and maintaining it, and still others have discovered it on the internet or heard about it from others quite by coincidence.

They see it off in the distance looming over the Iowa prairie, a solitary silo with a white fang of ice.

And they seem to know...

It must be climbed!!!!

The Iowa Ice Silo climbing phenomena started early this century when Don Briggs, an instructor at the University of Northern Iowa's Physical Education and Leisure Services, was helping a good friend till his farmland. An avid rock and ice climber, he couldn't help but think of the possibilities of climbing, or better yet, icing down the giant silos as he drove by them on the tractor. Don didn't just jerry-rig a sketchy system for icing and then climbing. He made a science and an art out of creating a beautiful column of ice, and a system safe enough for the paying public to enjoy.

Oh, there's a waiver to sign, and a fee to pay for warming shed privileges. Here, below is a picture with said warming shed in the background.

You don't have to know anything about climbing, or have any gear. In the warming shed you get fitted with crampons, harness, helmet, safety glasses. Children are even permitted to climb; however, I did not see any climbing on the day I visited:

Free puppies???

It was a beautiful clear late winter day. Not much wind, and just enough warmth to keep people from staying indoors. These photos were taken early in the day when things were just getting started.

Having never climbed on ice before I cannot judge the quality of the ice, or features, but I can say things held together, and it was quite easy to find little holes to hook tools into. There were also plenty of ledges to step on, so kicking was not always needed; however, every route was nearly vertical, and in many places it was overhanging. It was exhausting!!!! But there was something special at the top of each route. In addition to the spectacular view of the Iowa prairie the top of each route was equipped with...







A cowbell !!!!1111...and I don't mean hexes.

The belayers are attentive and shout encouragement to each client / guest. The experienced ice climbers can also belay each other thereby giving the staff a welcome rest to relive that belayer's neck strain. Unfortunately there were no massage therapists on site.

I had to ask about the lines running above the climbing routes. You can see these in the picture, below, where the lines run at an angle to the right above the climbers. These lines are used to haul up the garden hoses for overnight sprinkling to refresh the ice column. Didn't I say Don Briggs made a science out of this?

I couldn't stay for the night climbing by moonlight...they'll be at it 'til midnight tonight and every weekend until the Iowa spring brings it all crashing down in a heap. I asked about determination of the final call on climbing and was told that they start worrying about it when daytime temperatures get into the 40s F and the overnight temperatures are above 26F (the overnight sprinklings don't work above this temperature).

I doubt it will last much longer, but I do plan to go back next year.