The following article appeared in the Haliburton County Echo newspaper -
Tuesday January 27, 2004.
This paper is published weekly. See http://www.haliburtonecho.on.ca/

Used by Permission

Tales of Ice and Gravity
Story and Photos By Steve Galea

They came, on one of the coldest days of the year, to place themselves as close as humanly possible to a massive chunk of flesh numbing, bone-chilling ice, thus proving, once again, that it takes all kinds.

But before you question their sanity, I think it's only fair to say that they were the first adventurers this year to heed the call of The Haliburton County Trails and Tours Winter Workshop Series.

In this case, the attraction was a 40-foot wall of brittle icicles and frigid, blue slickness - Medeba Adventure Learning Centre's beautiful man-made ice wall - and the unique opportunity to learn how to climb it.

Forty feet does not seem like a long way, until it's covered in ice and placed straight up on its end. Then you realize that you're not looking at any ordinary journey. It's one that takes guts, skill, determination, physical fitness and know-how. Thankfully for the participants, instructor Michael Bryant and his assistants, Dee Da Silva and Leigh Eddie, were there to provide guidance, wisdom, and encouragement gained by years of experience.

Haliburton Resident Peter Brogden scaled
the 40 ft. wall while men half his age
were not able to complete the climb
up the shining tower of ice.

Bryant, Medeba's year-round director of activity and ministries, has been an ice climber for 11 years and notes that Haliburton is a well-known destination for the small fraternity of that sport's enthusiasts. He was also the driving force behind the completion of Medeba's ice wall, the only one he knows of in Ontario and one of six, he guesses, in Canada.

When it comes to goals in ice climbing, he advises people not to judge success by merely getting to the top. "It's a strenuous sport and extreme cold weather, such as we had, makes it even harder. In the end, I just hope to give everyone a sense of excitement about winter and a sense of accomplishment just for trying out the sport. Getting to the top is great but it's often the ones who have to work at it that get more out of it. We had a good group."

Prior to hands-on experience, Bryant gave a brief, entertaining and informative familiarization session covering techniques, equipment and safety rules.

Shortly thereafter, the eager group got down to business as Bryant and his assistants set up belaying ropes at the wall and helped gear up the would-be ice climbers with helmets, crampons, safety harnesses and a pair of ice axes each.

Though some had experience with rock climbing, not one had ever tackled an ice wall before. By the end of the day, you wouldn't have known it.

Haliburton County Trails and Tours representative Peter Brogden was particularly pleased with both the instruction and the turnout. "Fifteen people, the maximum numbered we had provided for, came, from as far away as Toronto, to give this a try," he said. "I think that says a lot about the success of this concept."

Though physically demanding (often climbers would have to stop halfway up the wall to lower their frozen hands to reclaim some circulation), even Brogden, a spry and active senior citizen, succeeded in making it to the top. Some less than half his age did not. "I think this is an activity that every 69-year-old should try," he quipped. "It's very much about technique."

Barrie-Leigh Adamson, one of 12 Sir Sandford Fleming Adventure Tourism students who also participated, did reach the summit, however. She said, "It was great!... I did it for the glory and bragging rights. It was a first-time experience and when I heard about it I thought it would be a crime not to take advantage of something like this, especially when it's in your own backyard."

Like all the other participants, she felt the experience was worthwhile and vowed to try it again someday.

Jo-Anne Robertson of Toronto heard about the workshop from a Mountain Equipment Co-op website she visited. "I liked the fact that it was an introductory level workshop and that it was quite affordable. I've rock climbed before and I've always been fascinated by the thought of ice climbing. It was absolutely worth the drive. How often do you get these chances?"

With the catch-phrase of "Make Friends with Winter" the Haliburton Highlands Trails and Tours Network seems intent on promoting the fun side of living in a winter wonderland. It was a message that was not lost on any of the participants. And while they might not have any cause to climb an ice wall ever again, there were no shortage of memories, photos and smiles to prove that it can be done.