Most People Have No Idea You Can Do This One Awesome Activity In Iowa

Iowa is truly full of innovative people. Every day, Iowans find ways to enjoy pastimes that seem geographically impossible for them to do. For example: ice climbing. People typically associate this activity with glaciers, but it's been thousands of years since one of those was in Iowa. People also ice climb mountainsides, but Iowa is lacking in that as well. So what is an Iowan to do? Climb the tallest thing around, a grain bin silo of course! See how silo ice climbing is done in the gallery below.

How It Began

It all started in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with UNI professor Don Briggs. Initially, he wanted to turn the silos into rock walls, but instead developed a system of hoses to freeze large hunks of ice to their sides. That was back in 2001, and many climbing seasons later it's still an attraction.

Look How Far It Has Come

What started off as a small attraction grew, and now over 300 people attempt the climb each year. Children as young as 10 can gear up and scale the silos, and it has turned into an attraction for families as much as it is frequented by ice climbing enthusiasts.

The climb to the top is 80 feet, an impressive height considering it is completely manmade. These climbs are great for experts looking to keep their skills sharp in the midwest, or even for novices who have never attempted an ice climb before, and it attracts many of both.

It is $40 dollars for a day pass, and $150 for a season pass. There's a warming house nearby where climbers can stock up on food and supplies. If silo ice climbing can teach us anything, it's that nothing can get between humans and their passions. Have you ever made the climb before, or even heard of it? To learn more, visit https://www.siloiceclimbing.com. Share this with your friends and tell us your stories.