The man-made ice wall is 20-metre high and more than 15 metres wide, and is open to experienced climbers and beginners, who can learn the ropes of ice climbing from experts with tour operator One Axe Pursuits.
One Axe Pursuits’ Elora location is one of the few places in Southern Ontario where ice climbing is permitted. One Axe, which operates rock climbing, caving and zip line programs for recreation, corporate team building and for the film industry, has exclusive rights to offer ice climbing at its location overlooking the gorge along Irvine Creek.
One Axe staff provide lessons on the basics of ice climbing – including how to use axes and crampons to dig into the ice for traction – before climbers tackle the ice wall. Two climbing blocks are offered daily – one for beginners and one for experienced climbers – throughout the winter.