My City February 2023

MYSPORTS

"Even experienced, famous climbers coming here for the first time are amazed, especially when climbing formations directly above the violent waves of Lake Superior. They usually can't believe

it's Michigan." Bill Thompson

▶ FOUNDED IN 1992, THE MICHIGAN ICE FEST IN MUNISING IS ONE OF THE NATION'S OLDEST AND LARGEST ICE CLIMBING FESTIVALS, DRAWING MORE THAN 1 ,000 PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS AND ABILITY LEVELS.

in the top six at the North American Ice Climbing Championships and in the top 22 at the World Championships in both the speed and lead categories. Limbach has been a part of Ice Fest since 2016 and will again be instructing this year. When it comes to her own climbing during Ice Fest, she seeks out some of the area's most remote and challenging routes. "Ice climbing in mountainous areas has its own joy, but there's little that can compare to lowering over a cliff edge

More remote frozen wonders include “Dairyland”, a 150-foot climb over a wide section of ice with a sweeping view of Lake Superior and “HMR” – 160-feet of rust-colored vertical ice hanging over Lake Superior. "Even experienced, famous climb ers coming here for the first time

are amazed, especially when climbing formations directly above the violent waves of Lake Superior," Thompson says. "They usually can't believe it's Michigan." Angela Limbach, a member of the USA World Cup Ice Climbing Team, is among the elite climbers who have come to believe. Last year, she finished

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