Ice Climbing Tower

Ice Climbing Tower is a rare artificial structure for ice climbing on the banks of Red River, and one of the most unique structures found in Manitoba. This 20-foot (six-meter) ice tower was constructed in 1996 by Club d'escalade de Saint-Boniface, an adventure sports club. Given the freezing winds and chill of winters in Maitoba, this is the best place to train in ice climbing if you cannot actually make it to the mountains. Appearing like a tall frozen waterfall, this tower is also good for experienced climbers to practice their skills before heading to challenging icefalls. Around mid-December, volunteers cover the tower with ice by raising bars equipped with water sprinklers on each side of the tower. Due to the variation in wind pattern, sunlight and temperature, water from the sprinklers freezes on the tower in a different manner every year. Hence, each winter brings its own unique challenges to ice climbers. During summer, this tower is used to practice wall climbing.