Ice Climbing

So you know those weeks where you are just dreaming of going out and doing something adventurous? I have been in that state since the new year, luckily I have people around here that think of me when they want to go do something crazy cool like ice climbing. That is really all Byrd had to say and I was in. The poor med students wives we are entail that we didn't just spend hundreds of dollars on clinics or gear of our own, we went to this ice climbing demo day put on by the climbing gear companies like Petzel and Black Diamond, it only cost us a day to drive up to Green Bay and $10 to get in. (They don't really have mountains in Green Bay just a gravel quarry which they put the ice routes down the sheer cliff walls) The downside of this event was that they didn't expect many people to show up to this little event (who really from Wisconsin is into ice climbing) but there were over 100 people there and half of them trying out the demo gear. So we were sitting around waiting, watching people climb, and just chatting, a couple hours seriously went by and we were thinking we would have to leave without even getting a try. But randomly this guy that saw we were waiting asked if we wanted to try his shoes and crampons so that we could climb. They were a little big, but what the hay anything to get us on the ice. As we proceeded to switch around boots he informed us on the techniques to ice climbing. It was easier then I thought it was going to be, but really wore me out quick too (guess I gotta work out my forearms more). We each only got 1/3 of the way up the entire ice face, but we didn't start out on an easy route so that makes it a little better. And we got some sweet pics out of it! Really I think I want to get into this more someday.

Byrd, Marcy and I showing off our stuff outside of the Ice Pit.

Here you can see the different routes they have to climb, they had smaller ones over the the right of this too.

Here we are just watching in amazement

Up close to the wall

Here I am climbing

And some more climbing

Here we are after climbing

(I swear my helmet was a kids size and makes my head look big)