Duluth Ice & Mixed Fest Offers Ice Climbing for All

In true Minnesota fashion, the event builds community through an extreme winter sport

Ice climbing is a noisy sport. You need sharp steel appendages for your feet (crampons) and hands (ice axes). Swinging and kicking away at the ice with your metallic limbs, you hear a delicious thump each time your “claws” grab on. Of course, it’s not always a solid thud; ice also has the habit of shattering upon sharp contact, producing showers of shards.

If conducting this icy orchestra sounds thrilling, the Duluth Ice & Mixed Fest, organized by the Duluth Climbers Coalition (DCC) and Midwest Mountain Guides, is for you. Taking place on Feb. 1 this year in Quarry Park, Duluth Ice & Mixed Fest is open to the public. Community open ropes are available for climbers with previous experience and their own gear. Or you can sign up (for a fee) for beginner, intermediate, or mixed ice climbing, anchoring, dry tooling, and women’s climbing clinics.

What’s it like for a total beginner to climb ice? I got to experience the surreal feeling at Duluth Ice & Mixed Fest for the past two years. With my body harnessed to a rope for dear life, I trusted our beginner group’s excellent guide to help me scale the quarry’s frozen waterfalls. I felt a mix of fear and constant focus during my climbs, then relief and total elation upon finishing.

Courtesy of Chris Pascone

Before my attempt, I observed Duluth middle-schooler Mara Henson heading up the frozen flows. The fearless 12-year-old picked her way up the icy cliff with a steady, calm approach, breathing in before each new kick. For Henson, “It feels fast when you’re doing it, but then when you get down and watch videos of yourself, it’s a 20-minute video.”

The festival is attended by people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. Quarry Park is an ice-cold melting pot. In fact, many people attend just to watch. The scene is striking, with human spiders climbing up turquoise towers of ice, so bring your camera and feel free to spectate. There are also plenty of refreshments for everyone around the communal fire, with hot sizzling bacon guaranteed for all. For Lane Henson, Mara’s father, the event is “yet another example of what a great outdoor community Duluth is.”

The all-inclusive vibe is fostered by the DCC, which actively promotes ice climbing for all. Adam Fornear, DCC board member, explains: “We provide a friendly, welcoming environment with all the equipment you need. Then it’s between you and this particular challenge.”

Following my introductory experience, I was eager to return last year to climb with the intermediate level group. Mara and Lane Henson were there again. I watched in awe while father belayed daughter, and Mara climbed to the very top (at least 50 feet overhead). “It’s an uplifting feeling watching her go up,” says Lane. “We’re sharing this trust.” Sure enough, she once again proved that intimidating ice is no match for strong girls.

Photo by Kathleen Wolleat

So, how do you know what conditions will be like for this winter’s Ice & Mixed Fest? Well, you don’t. But truth is, we’re spoiled in Duluth, because Quarry Park has a home ice advantage. Specifically, the DCC has “farmed” ice there since January 2023. That’s right—DCC President Nick Fleming and a team of helpers installed an irrigation system that pumps water from the bottom of the quarry to the top rim, then drips it back down the cliff during freezing temperatures to make ice.

This farmed ice was a key to the success of last year’s event, considering the otherwise dry winter. “The DCC is able to farm ice where it typically doesn’t come in, at lower angles and on shorter runs. Those routes build success, so people move up to the next level,” explains Fornear of DCC. “That’s the cool thing about the quarry—you have everything from low-angle, almost alpine ice, to real steep, very challenging routes.”

Come embrace the challenge, or just observe and learn from a supportive community on Duluth’s home ice. “We’re encouraging everyone to just come be part of the community,” says Fornear. “It’s not just for climbers. Even the people who just come hang out still get free bacon.”

Christopher Pascone is a Minnesota outdoorsperson who lives in Duluth with his wife and three daughters. He went to Macalester College in St. Paul, and now teaches in the School District of Superior (WI) and Northwood Technical College. His passions are exploring the outdoors with his family and urban farming. He prioritizes low-tech adventures with a paddle, skis, or fishing equipment.