In the middle of a retired apple orchard in Fenton, Michigan, there’s something there that is not like it’s surroundings.

There are trees that enclose a large clearing, and in the center of it a massive ice formation is jutting out of the earth during the colder months. A crane and lines surround the towers, a heated barn sits nearby, and Garrett Peabody is somewhere, making the ice.

Peabody Ice Climbing Club was established in 2005, by Peabody and a few of his friends after they realized that they needed a place to train for the relatively short ice-climbing season in Michigan.

Peabody started climbing at a gym in Alaska when he was 22, and then moved south and began climbing out in the deserts of Arizona. He was hooked, and eventually it led him to colder climbing conditions. He was introduced to ice climbing, and realized that it would be pretty tough to get good at something that you can only do for two months out of the year. In Michigan, the ice climbing season spans from about January 10 to March 15. That doesn’t leave much time for improvement, especially when the only climbing is in the upper peninsula, a good six to eight hour drive away from where Peabody lives in Fenton. “The season is short, and drive is long,” he said about when he decided to start the ice climbing club. “We said, ‘let’s build something to train on.’”

The retired apple orchard turned out to be the perfect location. After word started to spread about the ice climbing, Peabody knew he had to get certified, get insurance, and start getting organized. This wasn’t going to be just him and his friends anymore. Last season the ice towers saw over 500 visitors, and the club itself has about 50 members. “The word is out,” said Peabody.

When he was first getting started, he had some help from friends who donated some equipment to make the ice, which is mostly done with a sprinkler system that is suspended on the ice. “When it’s cold you just flip on the water, it’s basically gravity fed,” said Peabody. “If the water is constantly flowing it will not freeze, if the pressure is slow it will freeze in place. It took a couple years to figure that out.”

Wind can play a part in the ice as well, if it’s extremely windy, the ice will form unevenly. Peabody has been figuring out the system now for seven years, and has had “a series of happy accidents,” as he says, to figure it out. The help of skilled people and resources to bring it to fruition have certainly helped. The old apple orchard alone has proven it’s keep. Because of the old well where the water comes from for the tower, they’re able to get enough pressure to pump water up over 60 feet, and the rural setting with industrial power certainly adds to the natural feel.

Peabody lives on the farm, and the tower is right outside his back door. Right now, he’s the only one that makes ice. “It’s a full time job, it’s like a child,” he said. “It changes everyday you have to take care of it.” He has two other employees, but for now the ice making is left to him, “It’s such a finicky little system,” he said. “It’s too delicate and I haven’t concepted it through or taught anyone else how to do it.”

Come weekend in the winter, the tower is surrounded by crowds of climbers, awaiting their turn to scale one of the three massive towers. There is a 63 foot, 45 foot, and 30 foot tall tower. Weekdays are slower, and better for beginners who might need a little more instruction. Ice climbing shouldn’t be the first jump into climbing though, Peabody advises. The gap between rock climbing and ice climbing is large enough, the gap between never climbing and ice climbing is even bigger. He recommends that first-timers head to the nearby rock climbing gym, Planet Rock, to learn how to belay and get the basics down. As amazing as it is to look at, this isn’t a place for standing around and gawking, it’s a place to train and to try a different type of climbing.

Ice climbing isn’t too different from rock climbing, according to Peabody. “The movement is the same as far as weight transfer and balance, all those skills transfer, you’re just adding crampons and ice axes to the mix.” He adds that it’s a little more aggressive, and instead of finding holds, you’re creating your own. It’s much more controlled, and fleeting. If it was 20 degrees warmer, the ice wouldn’t exist, whereas rock is always stationary. The terrain is always changing with ice climbing, and the climber has a bit more of an advantage because of it. “You go from conforming yourself to the rock to making the rock conform to you,” Peabody said. “If you’ve got the climbing function and the movement down, then you’re really going to be able to do well.”

The massive ice towers serve as a place for friends and climbers to congregate, a place to train, and Peabody hopes that it can act as a springboard to experience the climbing that Michigan has to offer – and beyond that. Ice climbing gear is expensive, a full setup of gear can run into the $3000 range and up, and there’s not a lot of places to try it out on real ice. Peabody’s is one of a small handful in North America.

“My big goal is to introduce people to something new that they might be interested in and learn those skills and take them out to experience Michigan’s ice climbing resources, to get outside and do something different,” said Peabody. “That’s why we continue to do what we’re doing.”

Peabody’s is open during the winter and has gear for rent, but it is recommended to reserve your gear ahead of time. Weekends are busiest, and weekdays are best for more instruction. Check their Facebook page to stay updated on hours. They are located at 12326 Foley Road, Fenton, Mich., 48430.

Images by Mike Wilkinson