Ice Climbing at Niobrara River Ranch, Nebraska

We attended the 1st Annual The Niobrara Ice Jam not knowing what to expect. Honestly...the concept of ice climbing in Nebraska is a little hard to wrap your head around. It's as incongruous as bobsledding in Jamaica! Sure the internet site says the tallest walls are as high as 180 ft but ice pillars & sand hills? We were intrigued since we first heard about it last year. With their 1st ice jam ever, we thought what better time than to join in on the festivities.

Being the first fest (and in NE afterall), we joked that we might be the only ones there. Well jokes on us and them...we practically were!! Sure, we didn't expect the pros to be there but at least some "real" icers for us to marvel at. Because of it's novelty, there were journalist from the Norfolk Daily News, Sandy (writer) and Darin (photographer), and a nature photographer for Nebraskaland Magazine, Mike Forsberg. Well, you won't find too many pictures by me for once...with those two pros taking them...why bother!

Norfolk Daily News article: Scaling the Niobrara

How ironic that we'll be the featured climbers for the ice jam! We hadn't ice climbed all season and any one who knows us, knows that we're not "hard core" or terribly serious on ice. Just your average "hackers" (har har...get it...we're in computers and we hack on ice...sorry). Our group was Joe, Janet, Mike, Jim and Fred. It's Janet's second time out and Mike's first; he's 12, by the way.

I've never climbed on untouched ice before; it's really a different experience as compared the routes we do in Ouray or Vail which are so chopped out that you might as well have tape on the lines...pick here, step there, etc. I found myself using my head a lot more...constantly scanning, reading the ice for good placements or hooks. According to Stuart, (chief ranger for the Niobrara National Wild and Scenic Riverway) , we even did 2-3 first ascents! As if that wasn't enough...there's no significant approaches either...untouched ice and no approach...could we ask for more?!

So you can tell the trip was incredible! The location, people and weather were superb (high 30's to high 40's by the end of the weekend). The welcome and hospitality of everyone from Nebraska was heartening. It was a great set up and first class ice. Lee, the host (the climbing area is located on his property, Niobrara River Ranch), set up warming huts (think full out gorgeous cabin) with home made chili. Tim, owner of Yucca Dune Sporting store, hosted a film fest at his store & lounge in the evening. We unfortunately didn't partake as much as we wanted to...we're late starters which means ending each day by twilight. Besides, our beautiful cabin stocked with beer, sake, port and scotch was too enticing!

Daily blow by blow for those interested.

Niobrara Ice Climbing, Daily Summary

Picture courtesy of Stuart Schneider.
Janet lowering on line 3 and me climbing line 4.

DAY 1

We arrive in Valentine Friday noon and head over to Yucca Dune to sign in for the ice fest. The sheet is completely blank; our names are first on the sheet. Joe and Janet mosey in next...and....that's it (a South Dakota group arrives later in the day and climbs at Simmons Cliff Saturday). We chat with a handful of folks there: Tim (the organizer and owner? of Yucca Dune), Stuart (chief ranger for the Niobrara National Wild and Scenic Riverway ), and Sandy and Darin (journalist & photographer for the Norfolk Daily News). Turns out Darin can only be in town Friday and needs shots for their article. We agree to have him accompany us for the day. Our original plan was to kick back, check in, check out the site and only maybe climb. Now we're committed!

With Sandy and Darin in tow, we finally get to the the climbing area (its own short story), take a very short walk through the trees and WOW! We're at the edge of the cliff and it's a long way down to the river valley. It's real, it's wild and best of all, it's untouched!


(Ice was in much more fully than in this picture)

We set lots of anchors to secure ourselves and the photographer on the steep snowy slope. None of us can actually see any of the wall below until we lower. Hmmm...lowering into the unknown...let's send Joe first! He's the climbing stud on our trip and will do this on every line. We decide that the easiest and least steep line is appropriate, #1. It's a WI3, slopey on bottom, topping out in a 25-35 ft near vertical section. It's late afternoon before I'm on it, the last to go. As I'm being lowered, I eye the beautiful pillars lines with perfect icicles to the left. They're simply beautiful. The climb is tame, short but nice to get back in the swing of it. We wrap up with Darin and Sandy (Norfolk Daily News article: Scaling the Niobrara) , have a beer or two at the cabin and head to town for huge cuts of prime rib at Jordans. It's a good day!

DAY 2

Jim and Mike arrive; we have a hearty breakfast (care of Joe and Janet on both mornings. They rule!), and we don't get out to the climbing area until noon-ish. Mike's a novice so we redo line 1. He's 12, never climbed but a couple times in a gym years ago. The kid has no problem with us lowering him over the edge into the literal unknown! Joe lowers too and gives him a primer. In no time, we hear those distinct thwacking sounds and his head pops up and over. Scaled it and we don't think he broke a sweat!

Line 2 is a short but sustained 30-40 ft WI4 pillar. It's steep and pumpy but there are lots of wonderful hooks which reduces hacking to half. Joe and Fred cruise it. Janet takes a small fall near the top but otherwise masters it, better than I ever did my second second trip out ice climbing. Mike's up for it but it proves too difficult for his limited experience. What's a hook?! He's spent half way up and just can't make anymore headway. So Joe lowers to talk him through. The kid listens stoically, musters the last of his strength and determination, and steadily makes his way up the last of it. What a trooper! Mike F., the photographer, got great shots of Joe, Janet and Mike climbing before they headed out. As soon as we get those, we'll send them out too. They had to leave before they saw Mike through the climb so here are my pix of Mike finishing line 2. (click on pic to access album). These are the only pix I took all weekend.



I'm last to climb for the day, so again another wonderful twilight as I get up and over. By the time we wrap up, it's sunset. It's back to the cabin to clean up and down some refreshments. For dinner, we head back to Jordans, indulge in beef and fried chicken for me. Hearty meals, lots of laughs and lots to share about our day out.

DAY 3

On the last day, we hook up with Stuart and Mike F. Joe had chatted them up the previous day while they were shooting us and they stop by the cabin to see if we'll be out climbing. Apparently we're the only ones again and they would like more shots. Stuart knows the cliff very well and shows us the climbs he has in mind, the area on the far left in the picture - never been climbed. Of course Joe goes first! He makes pretty fast work of it. What a stud!

Line 3 is about a 40 ft WI4...not counting the last 15ft top out on sandy semi frozen dirt! We started calling the "dirt" part of the climb gardening. So we'd give it a grade of G3! :) This face consists of a thin mid section about 2-3 ft across framed by 2 thicker sections for which to pick and kick - it's stemmy, sustained & pumpy. For the G section, you have to hack over the dirt lip to get some purchase and stand on the top of the ice pillar. Kicking into the dirt held well. I had a hard time with the axes though. It's a strange mix of too hard and too soft. Either I couldn't get my picks in or if I did, the moment I put any pressure on them, the sand would give out. Meanwhile, sandy dirt is flying everywhere as I hack away...into my boots the long way...vis-a-vis the top of my bib. I was still spitting out sand the next day! After the lip, the sandy dirt was more cooperative and allowed for full pick sinkers, phew! For the final lip to the belay station, there's a wonderful tree to hook and top out. I'm completely exhausted and pumped when I get to the top. A great climb with truly unique Niobrara characteristics...climbing sand!

Mike tried this one too. Again, what a trooper! He got to the pillar and started having trouble. With Joe to the rescue with some pointers, Mike has no problem climbing it all himself! I think we have winner here. Watch out pros!

Line 4, is definitely a WI5. It's nearly a 60 ft of ice shaped so that you can stem it too, though not as widely as #3. Very sustained vertical ice. There's two small rest ledges at about 25ft and then 40ft. Thank god for the rests!! Again lots of awesome hooking. I even got a good knee bar in near the top of the second section. Even though I was 4th on the line, I couldn't see any other pick marks. By the time I got to the second rest area, I could barely hold my axes! Very strenuous climb. But Stuart and Mike F. had gone across the river to get shots of us. With them as my cheering section, I muster the last of my strength to climb the final 10+ ft of ice then scale the rooty 5+ feet of dirt. Roots rule! They held well and in the end I simply grabbed them with my hands to top out...literally crawling. What amazing climbs!! It's the best I've ever climbed - personally and ice quality wise.

It was the perfect climb to end our wonderful primer to Nebraska Ice. The reporters and locals all asked us if we think we liked it enough to come back. Without hesitation...yes!

Web site updates

Finally created an online photography "gallery". Check it out --> www.idalau.com/gallery.

Getting into Video

Wow, I had fun putting together those home gym videos! As you know, I'm more into photo and haven't done much in the motion realm. I found a free video editor program that's pretty robust and easy to use (once you figure out how to use the features). I ended up paying the lifetime fee, a whooping $29 bucks, to avoid the watermark throughout and open up all functionality. Worth it!

Home Gym Projects: Green Goblin

Finally did it! Been working on this one on and off for about two months. Nearly had it before leaving town over xmas. Yesterday was the first time climbing since the holidays and I really didn't think I was in shape to do it. But it all came together and I'm so happy to finally nail it!

Our hardest home problem to date, particularly roof holds - (open handed 3 finger pocket followed by right facing crimp to right facing pocket for the left hand before final pocket and out.) Fun, fun, fun!



If you are unable to view the video, click on this --> Green Goblin.

Xmas in LA

What a great visit to LA for the holidays! Thanks to everyone who took time out to lunch or dinner with me! Sometimes you go along during the year and feel like you really don't have too many people but close family in your life. Then the holidays come around and what can I say but feel loved and honored by everyone who went out of their way to see me. I was booked solid for the week! On top of spending Christmas with famliy (both sides of the famliy), I got to see my best friend from high school, my photo teacher from high school, my ex's daughter (who is now 21! OMG she was 3 just yesterday!), my friends from Countrywide, and my new friends from the China trip this year. What a blast. I still can't believe it's nearly 10 years since I moved out of LA. The ties and memories are still strong though. There's no "home" like the place you grew up.