Nothern Ingenuity
Ice climbers bring mountain to them
Monday, January 12th, 2004
ST. BONIFACE is known for a lot of things but mountains isn't one of them.
However, if you take a drive along Tache Avenue up to Whittier Park you're bound to see adventurous ice climbers doing their thing.
The St. Boniface section of the Alpine Club of Canada has constructed a 20-metre wooden tower and coated it with ice.
Every Sunday, ice picks in hand, club members hone their skills as they scramble up and down the slick surface.
"You can't drive to the mountains every weekend so we decided to build this structure to improve on their skills," says Andre Mahe, head of the St. Boniface section.
Mahe, who's been climbing for over 30 years, says they also hope to attract newcomers to the sport.
For $12 non-members can try their luck for the day. The club supplies all the equipment and provides instruction.
About 25 people were out on the tower yesterday after Mahe and others spent the week coating it with water. It was constructed about six years ago.
Mahe said they get climbers from their teens to their 60s.
It's all about technique, says Mahe, however, strength does play a role
He said climbing walls of ice is a little too difficult for kids under the age of about 15.
"You need a certain amount of strength to swing the ice tools," said Mahe.
He said there's a few places in the Whiteshell that are good for ice-climbing and some in the northern part of the province but they're not easily accessible. Mahe said most experienced climbers head off to Thunder Bay or west to the Rockies.
Mahe said they plan on holding a competition and clinic at the tower February 20-22. It will feature Nancy Hansen, the only woman to climb the 54 peaks in the Rockies that are over 11,000 feet (3,353 metres).
For further information you can call 253-2162. The St. Boniface section's website is located at
www.cesb.net.
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