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Nice Ice Climbing Silo- South of Chicago! Celebrating our 10th Season of Ice!

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185
Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185
Woodchuck ATC wrote: Cool idea of the 'balloon' kind of ice formation...not sure how that would be check-able either for thickness or strength. Our silo is one of those massive concrete ones as described,,,held together with over a half inch steel 'band..but not a flat band,,it's like steel rebar around the whole thing,,in double bands on lower 20 some feet, and single bands' upper. they are like 24 to 30 inches apart. This is on a very old farm,,,and the silo is like a 3Mt bomb proof missile silo...I'm saying this thing has survived a tornado ( I was IN it to escape the storm!),,and many days with winds over 60 mph over the decades. Its suffered natural freezing and thawing on the hot sunny side and the cold north side, (where we do our ice). It look absolutely the very same today as it was on our first year of making ice 5 winters ago..This monster isn't going anywhere. Besides,,most of the thick ice we climb on is not even attached to the silo,,,it's bot a solid thick base (7 ft thick last winter),,and really only 'attaches' to the upper foot or so where water flow originates... It is pretty much a free standing ice formation,,,just like most of the ones at our local state park are formed...Some sections do meet and freeze to the wall,,but hidden behind the thick ice,,we can't confirm how many attachments there are. It's had up to 7 top rope climbers on it at a time,,,all beating away at the ice and not a bit of 'sway' or movement. Only our personal spring , private outing in the meltout are scary,,where we know the ice is gonna come off, and maybe collapse as we beat out our last routes in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, just for fun. I've climbed much thinner ice outdoors, frozen to soft sandstone, on lead,,,in years past. Hope this answers any questions about the condition of our silo and our ice. NOW,,if we only would get a winter to begin out there..it's gonna be 50 on Sunday,,so looks like we will not have a Christmas season of ice climbing this year.
Great answer- Ditto Woodchuck!

www.PlayWildIL.com
Capt. Impatient · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Yeah great answer. You can always expect a long winded answer (or response) from woodchuck.

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

That's why he's called- "Capt. Impatient"

:)

www.PlayWildIL.com

Capt. Impatient · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Haha someone gets its. It's ok woodchuck just some friendly jabs. Keep climbing and be safe. Didn't mean any harm.

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

We have farmed ice and will do so more and WILL be OPEN on Monday Jan. 5th 2015 at 6:30 PM for FULL Moon climbing.

Call 708-341-3255 to let us know you will attend. www.PlayWildIL.com

Thanks!

moon

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

Silo will be OPEN this coming weekend. Just let us know when you can make it out

ALSO, next Tues Jan. 13th is Taco Tuesday at the Silo..... 6 PM

www.PlayWildIL.com

Taco

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

Taco Tuesday at the silo TOMORROW- Jan. 13th. BE There!

www.PlayWildIL.com

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

Excellent conditions on both Saturday and Sunday on the ice silo this weekend. Good crowd,,and I hear several are due back on Tuesday for Taco Tuesday climbing night. We got fat ice very fast with all that cold last week. ,,,and should 'grow' some more ice this week too.

4 of 6 ropes in use at this moment.

great ice: not too brittle and not soft either.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280

Great conditions still going for us...first day above 35 will be tomorrow, but low in 20's or colder every night. Rebuilt one side very thick over last 3 day/nights. Should be a comfy Saturday of climbing for us. And it's a holiday weekend,,so we should be climbing on Monday too.

Our superb comfy warming hut with 3 big couches and food serving tables.

Nice for naps between climbs..

Big and thick as of Thursday night.

steep and very cold below zero day.

Morgan Patterson · · NH · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 8,945

Pretty cool lookin these days! Nice work all!

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185
Morgan Patterson wrote:Pretty cool looking these days! Nice work all!
Thanks Morgan..... see new pix and even shots of climbing INSIDE the silo here:

facebook.com/groups/1086077…
Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

Chili night at the silo on Jan. 24th. 4 PM

See PlayWildIL.com for details

Chili

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

Open climbing Sat. Jan. 24th at 11 AM

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

Fox News is coming out to spotlight the silo next Tues AM Feb. 10th...if you can watch the morning news on Fox 32... starting at about 7:30 AM-10 AM

FoxNews

Double J · · Sandy, UT · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 3,931

That's Awesome! I love it when main stream media picks up the sport.

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185
Reid Kalmus · · Breckenridge, Colorado · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 0

Sweet!!! Get that word out:)

Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185
FIRE AND ICE AT THE SILO!

Pizza and Glow (fire Spinning or Poi) night!

Sat. Feb. 21st at 4 PM....till ?

Join us for some of the best Pizza that YOU guys can bring! Just bring your favorite pie to share....(IF YOU DON'T BRING A PIE TO SHARE THE COST WILL BE $5 IN ADDITION TO THE $25 CLIMBING FEE)

We also will have a few of the Dream Team Spinners out to show how us they "Glow" while spinning and throwing real Fire around! Glow sticks will also be available for purchase...

poi
Juggler Jones · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2009 · Points: 1,185

Thanks to WCIU TV for coming out today and doing their show live from the ice silo! A great time was had by all!

Video Here:

wciu.com/videos/youandme/ve…

www.PlayWildIL.com

wciu

wciu2

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Midwest
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