Superior Ice Climbing

Exploring the frozen unknown

Angela VanWiemeersch and Sasha DiGiliuan, two athletes at the top of their respective climbing disciplines, explore the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in search for new ice climbing routes on the shoreline of Lake Superior. Frozen waterfalls on the side of massive sandstone cliffs in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore offer a variety of climbing possibilities that only a small, but dedicated community regularly visits. Ice climbing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is relatively unknown, but the climate, landscape, and geological features make it home to some of the USA’s best. The waterfalls freeze into spectacular ice formations, creating countless climbing routes.