The rhythmic roar of Niagara Falls’ two million litres per second of ice cold water rushing beside Sarah Hueniken was more intimidating than she had thought it would be, but she couldn’t pass up “once in a lifetime opportunity” all climbers dream about.
A pair of Canmore ice climbers has etched themselves into the history books after becoming the first two to ascend the spray ice off massive Horseshoe Falls on Jan. 27 at the Ontario and New York border.
Hueniken and Will Gadd battled the bitter bite of rapidly dropping water as they made their way up a never attempted, near 150-foot icy-white route.
“As an ice climber, I think we all dream of climbing the biggest, coolest lines we can think of. To get to climb Niagara Falls legally is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Hueniken said.
Gadd was first to ascend the unpredictable line while Hueniken, unable to watch, waited curiously for her turn in a nippy cave below.
“When it was my turn to go … I was a bit frozen and psyched to get moving and get to the top where I could warm up,” Hueniken, 40, said. “It was certainly cool though, to be climbing so near to the waterfall.”
The climb, inspired by Gadd, was about 40 minutes from bottom to top, said Hueniken.
Recently named a 2014 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Gadd, 47, invited Hueniken to accompany him, to which she, “of course said, ‘yes.’ ”
Hueniken knew she would help with rigging and belaying, but wasn’t sure if she would get the chance to climb up beside the world famous waterfalls. Hueniken, a full-time Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) and a North American ice-climbing champion, was happy to have the opportunity.
“There was definitely an unknown factor of belaying midway up the climb. I would see surges of water go past my belay spot and wondered what was causing that and how big they would get. There were also numerous ice settlements of the pillar that I was belaying behind, which concerned me a bit.”
She trusted past ice climbing experiences and their ability to judge the situation, which helped “calm my overactive brain” a bit.
In order to even legally accomplish the climb, it took about a year to set up and ensure permits were in place for the dreamed-about ascent.
The pair arrived a day in advance of the frosty climb and worked a full day to rig ropes to make conditions safe for videographers and photographers.
Hueniken was well prepared for the irregular icy climb. She and Gadd climbed spray ice off a huge waterfall last year with a climb of a mixed rock and ice route at Helmcken Falls, B.C. Like at the Horseshoe Falls, the team clashed with the frigid elements to achieve their difficult goal.
As a guide and ice climbing instructor, among other things, Hueniken thinks it was good to go back into the role of learning at Niagara Falls.
“(It’s) always a useful endeavour to face the unknown and work through fears and question marks,” she said.
