Posted on 01/30/2015 2:29:28 PM PST by windcliff
Nine daredevils have gone over Niagara Falls in barrels and lived to tell the tale. This week, ice climbers Will Gadd and Sarah Hueniken became the first to reverse the trip.
The pair became the first to ascend the world-famous falls on Tuesday, following a 30-foot-wide (9-meter) strip of rotten spray ice that formed along the left edge of Horseshoe Falls, which rises up 150 feet (46 meters) as it straddles the border between the United States and Canada.
Horseshoe Falls is the largest of Niagara's three major sections, or cataracts, and is considered the most powerful waterfall in the world.
"The power of the falls is staggering," Gadd said after reaching the top. "It vibrates your intestines and makes you feel very, very small. I've never experienced anything like it."
The U-shaped Horseshoe Falls stretches for 2,200 feet (670 meters) from Terrapin Point on New York's Goat Island to Table Rock in Ontario. The falls drain from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario at an average rate of four million cubic feet (113,267 cubic meters) per minute. It was widely reported that the falls froze last year during the polar vortex, but Niagara Falls State Park officials say that Horseshoe Falls has never completely frozen.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...
Amazing that so much water moving with so much force could freeze like that.
Crazy daredevils!
Very cool! Thanks!
Not to diminish the accomplishment, but he climbed the ice covered rock face next to the Falls.
“Ascending Frozen Niagara Falls” is literally impossible - the Falls are not frozen.
rotten spray ice
The main falls are not froze. This the stuff splashed on the side then frozen outside the main flow.
“rotten spray ice”
What the heck is that?
Did he take sandwiches?
Neither the river nor the falls ever freezes solid, mind you. The water continues to flow beneath the ice at all times, albeit reduced to a mere trickle on rare occasions when ice jams block the river above the falls.
Historically, when this blanket of ice has spanned the entire Niagara River, the phenomenon has been known as the “ice bridge.” Just as you see in the photos, people used to stroll and frolic on and around the frozen falls and even walk across the ice bridge, though no one has been allowed to do the latter since 1912, when the bridge unexpectedly broke apart and carried three tourists to their deaths.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_niagara_falls_frozen2.htm
NIAGARA FALLS!
Slowly I turned...Step...by...Step......Inch....by......Inch.....
Oh great. Look for the new wave of illegal immigrants using this border-crossing route now that it was publicized. Before long they’ll taking jobs from American zamboni drivers.
Wow!
Back in college a buddy of mine was into ice climbing and I went with him once. He climbs up this waterfall. I’m behind him (no ropes). I got up about 8 feet and then my legs started shaking, and couldn’t move up!
I climbed down, gathered my thoughts and said to myself it will be okay. Got to that same point and legs started shaking, and no matter how much I willed myself I couldn’t go up any farther. Pretty interesting to me - my body must have had a good instinct on what survival looks like!
I want to say Bugs Bunny. Over 99% certain.
““rotten spray ice””
My old male cat, Beelzebub, used to create that!
NF is WAY over rated! Been there so what water falls over a cliff
Pretty much every vaudeville actor ever. Abbott and Costello changed it to Kokomokomo in one of their movies.
BWA HA HA HA!
I don’t think the falls actually froze but it was the spray that froze.
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