Winona may have been hit with record-breaking snowfalls this winter, but that hasn’t stopped hundreds of people flocking to climb the 100 foot ice wall at the Winona Ice Park. It is easy to see the excitement around this growing activity in this video produced by WCCO.
Now in its third year in Winona, the ice wall is bigger and better than ever. “It’s life-changing. It’s completely life-changing. There are very few cities in the world that you can live in and have a livelihood and just ice climb whenever you want,” says Eric Barnard, director of outdoor education for Winona State University.
The wall was moved to a different location this year, closer to the new Sugar Loaf Bluff trail. From the top of the climb is a beautiful view of Winona’s driftless landscape. “You can see we have a nice view. We have the lakes in town and the river valley, and the bluffs of Wisconsin,” said Ross Greedy the outdoor recreation coordinator for Winona. “We’ve got folks coming consistently from Omaha, Des Moines, Chicago, Madison and the Twin Cities.”
To learn more about ice climbing, read the whole article here.
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