Thompson says the weather was brutally cold and beautiful, and Anker fell in love with the area. Anker came to the festival in 2013 to film an IMAX movie for the National Park Service. Thompson credits the growth of the festival to renowned athlete Conrad Anker, who has climbed in Antarctica and summited Mt. More than 30 years later, the ice climbing festival has evolved into the marquee event it is today. After the first year, they advertised to anyone who wanted to go ice climbing, and a college buddy and Thompson showed up. They saw pictures of the ice and planned a trip. The festival had a modest beginning in 1990, when four guys from Kalamazoo discovered the area through snowmobilers. participated, according to organizer and owner of Down Wind Sports Bill Thompson. This year, climbers from seven countries and every state in the U.S. during the chilliest time of the year to take part in the 31st annual Michigan Ice Fest. But in mid-February, almost 1,400 people from around the world ventured to Munising in the U.P. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is an adventure lovers’ paradise that attracts outdoor enthusiasts year-round. She continues in this fashion until she reaches the top, where she’s rewarded with panoramic views of Lake Superior. Her movement is followed closely by her instructor and cheered on by a crowd of enthusiastic onlookers. Each time her axes are solid in the ice, she moves both feet up, kicking the sharp metal crampon spikes on the front of her boots to achieve solid placement. The distinctive, oddly gratifying sound of ice crunching and cracking as she swings her axe into the ice wall is the loudest noise she hears. The climber swings her axe into the frozen waterfall, steps up with both feet, swings higher, and steps up again.
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