Ice Giants: Shots From America’s Least-Known Climbing Mecca

Last week, you may have seen our post about one of America’s best but least-known ice climbing areas. (The article: “New Film To Showcase Michigan Ice Climbing.”)

The images below do justice to the ice-climbing scene around Munising in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where an annual festival draws ice junkies from around North America.

The images, courtesy of Clear & Cold Cinema, reveal the stark beauty of the landscape as well as the stunning climbs, many set above the frozen expanse of Lake Superior.

A few of us on the GearJunkie staff have climbed in the area and can attest to its epic qualities, including massive steep ice that drops off lake-side cliffs, hidden waterfalls in the woods, and ice bouldering near the town.

If you’re a climber looking for something new don’t miss a chance to see the ice in and around Michigan’s Grand Island National Recreation Area and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, where more than 100 routes stand tall and ready for the picking.

—Support Clear & Cold Cinema’s Kickstarter campaign to create a film on the ice climbing of the region.