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5 wild winter adventures in New England

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THIS STORY APPEARED IN

January 08, 2012|By Diane Bair and Pamela Wright

(JOE MCGOVERN/PETER PAN…)

We clung like splayed bats to the curtains of cold, blue ice. Our toothy crampons and spiky axes held us, precariously perched on the frozen waterfall. Slowly, we picked our way, stretching overhead to hammer into the ice, scrambling for the next toehold.

“Look for a sweet spot,’’ said our guide from where he stood at the bottom of the massive folds of ice. “Find a place where there’s snow or an indentation to set your tool in.’’

We were learning to ice climb the frozen waterfalls at The Flume in Franconia State Park. After equipment fitting and some basic instruction, it was out of the warmth and into the cold. When we arrived at The Flume it was 15 degrees. That’s the thing about this sport: The best ice for climbing is usually found in dark, frigid places. Not surprisingly, New England boasts some of the best ice climbing venues in the country. Kinsman Gulch, Frankenstein Cliffs, Arethusa Falls, and The Flume in the White Mountains of New Hampshire draw ice climbers from around the world.

A few in our mixed group of young and old, men and women, made it to the top of the vertical sheet of ice, learning that the sport is more about grace than power.

“It’s so much more than ice climbing,’’ our guide said at the end of the first day. “It’s very personal; it’s pushing your limits, taking a risk. It’s a great metaphor for life in many ways: If I can just overcome this obstacle, I can make it to the top.’’

We were thinking if we just had a hot shower and some ibuprofen, life would be good.

Ice climbing, we discovered, is one heart-pumping winter outing! But, there are plenty more. In fact, New England adventure seekers don’t have to travel far for thrills. If you’re looking to jump out of your comfort zone this winter (C’mon, it’s fun!), consider these other adventures on the wild side.

GONE WITH THE WIND

“What is that?’’ our friend Angela Mangini said, pointing to a person tethered to a billowing kite, screaming up and down the snow- and ice-covered slopes of Mount Washington. We watched as he flew, touched down, hovered, and skied across the mountain. “That looks like a blast,’’ Mangini said. “And, no chairlift required.’’

More and more New England thrill-seekers are harnessing the power of the wind to take them up and down mountain slopes and across frozen lakes and ponds. It’s called snow kiting.

“Kites can lift you in the air; you can float or glide down slopes, and do acrobatic tricks and spins,’’ said Zebulon Jakub, a snow kiting instructor at the International Mountain Climbing School. “When you’re in the air, it’s almost like being in slow motion, with no gravity.’’