Jul 13, 2015 6:05 AM

Gallery: Inside the Beautiful (And Precarious) World of Ice Climbing

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First time ice climbers top rope at Flume Gorge, a popular New Hampshire tourist destination in the summer.
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Josh Elliott top ropes a well formed ice pillar at Flume Gorge.

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Gabe Joseph leads Standard Route at Frankenstein Cliff in New Hampshire's Crawford Notch on avery foggy and rainy morning.
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Natalie Afonina smiles at her partner after a day of climbing at Lake Willoughby in Vermont.

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Josh Elliott takes off on his first ice pitch of the season up Huntington Ravine on Mount Washington.
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A climber leads the way up the ice above Lake Willoughby in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. The lead climber protects the party by placing ice screws in the ice. Screws generally range from 4-9 inches and catch falls as well as secure belays.

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Gabe Joseph top ropes a mixed climb at Echo Crag in New Hampshire.
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Michael Wejchert, a climbing guide based in North Conway, New Hampshire, leads up Way in the Wilderness, an isolated pillar of ice on a small cliff off the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.

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Jeffrey Longcor demonstrates that sometimes both rock and ice climbing skills are needed to get up a mixed line.
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Teams of climbers on the wall above Lake Willoughby in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

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A custom repair job on climber Bradley White's gloves.
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Jimmy Voorhis wakes up after sleeping outside the Tufts Mountain Club Loj in Woodstock, New Hampshire.

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Late at night, climbers mess around on ice at the "Auburn Ice Canyon" a drainage ditch outside Worcester, MA.
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Josh Elliott's silhouette is illuminated by his headlamp at the "Auburn Ice Canyon," a drainage ditch outside Worcester, MA that has reliable ice.

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A group of people set up tents outside the Tufts Mountain Club Loj at VICE(Vertical Ice Climbing Enthusiasts) Fest in Woodstock, New Hampshire.

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