Daredevil Climber Will Gadd Scales Frozen Niagara Falls (PHOTOS)

On Tuesday afternoon, professional climber Will Gadd, 47, became the first person ever to ascend the frozen sections of the world’s largest waterfall, Niagara Falls. The 140-foot climb took place along a 30-foot-wide strip of rotten spray ice that had formed along the northern edge of Horseshoe falls. This ice strip straddles the United States-Canada border and leads up to Terrapin Point of Goat Island, a block of land that separates Horseshoe and American Falls.

The ice thickness along the wall varied from one inch to 10 feet during his climb, said Gadd, making for a challenging climb. In addition, Horseshoe Falls, the largest of Niagara Falls’ three major sections, is considered the most powerful waterfall in the world, with approximately 150,000 tons of water flow over the crest every minute at speeds of nearly 70 MPH.

“The massive water flow constantly shakes the ground and makes the ice shelves and walls around you unsteady and unpredictable,” Gadd told RedBull. “It’s a harsh environment and an intense challenge to stay attached to the wall, let alone climb it.”

“I’ve traveled the world in search of the most challenging climbs, but Niagara Falls, one of my home country’s most iconic landmarks, has been a lifelong mission that I previously never thought possible,” he said.

This is not the first time that professional extreme athlete has made the first ascent of a waterfall. In 2011, Gadd and UK climber Tim Emmet became the first climbers to tackle Helmcken Falls, located in Wells Grey Provincial Park, Canada. He has also climbed the rapidly melting ice glaciers of Kilimanjaro in the past year.  

Gadd holds the world distance record for paragliding, has won three gold medals in ice climbing at the X Games, and has kayaked dozens of first descents of rivers across North America, reports National Geographic. The publication also nominated him as one of their “Adventurers of the Year.”