Is it just me or is it cold in here…

I’ve done some odd things in my days, I’ve rock climbed on fake mountains inside of gymnasiums all over the world, I’ve surfed waves on an indoor wave pool in Canada and I’ve checked out an indoor ski hill in Dubai. But I never thought I’d climb a frozen waterfall inside a coffee shop with music playing, spectators watching from the viewing window and dressed in cargo’s and a hoodie. Well I did it, and it was a little bit strange and a lot of fun.

I’m on the road at the moment researching Cycling New Zealand for LP and I came upon this new addition to the west coast of the south island and just had to give it a go. They kitted me up with double boots, crampons, a harness, brain bucket and a set of ice tools and let me loose into the “ice-room”. Imagine the worlds largest freezer that’s about ten years past due for a de-frost. The walls are 10meters high and every inch is plastered with real ice – this isn’t some techno marvel of the 21st century, just lots and lots of shaved ice plastered to the walls. The climbs range from low angle romps, full of punched out steps right up to overhanging – yes overhanging, enduro test pieces.

I clipped into a toprope and gave a gently overhanging route a nudge. The ice was remarkably solid and in lovely plastic condition. Never had I thought when I woke up this morning that I’d by cranking an ice roof, dressed to go for a coffee with Jamiroquai blasting on the hi-fi. A few delicate moves followed by a few burly manly-man pulls and I was at the top – great fun.

It’s hard to be surprised in this country when it comes to adventure activities – Kiwi’s did after all invent bungy jumping, river surfing, jet-boating, zorbing and they’ve refined rope swinging, heli-rafting, tandem skydiving and all sorts of other pursuits guaranteed to get the heart pumping. The irony is of course that this new indoor ice climbing wall is located at Franz Joseph a five minute drive from one of the largest glaciers in the country that comes to rest a 20 minute walk from the highway. Perhaps they are well ahead of the climate change curve – when the glaciers melt, it will be even more of a novelty!

Have fun out there,
Scott