From backyard cliff to ice wall: Fairbanks man turns home’s edge into towering 40-foot climb

“This was my first year doing ice climbing. I went out with two friends here — a guy I work with and his friend — and they took me ice climbing,” Sharp said. “We went down to Healy, and I was like, ‘This is fun. I bet we could make something off the back of my house. Come over and check it out.’ So we did, and it turned out better than anticipated. It’s been a lot of fun.”

The motivation behind the project was simple: Sharp wanted a convenient place to go ice climbing in Fairbanks for himself and the local climbing community.

“I went out to some ice falls. There are some good places to go ice climbing outside of Healy, and then there are some great places in Valdez, like the Valdez Ice Fest they have every year. So why travel far when you can have something here in town?” Sharp said of the inspiration.

The wall quickly became an object of interest for passersby on the river, standing out as a towering sight in the area. The project was completed with a simple setup consisting of a chain-link fence, a water hose, a water well, and plenty of determination.

After weeks of crafting, the wall began to solidify. With help and input from Grant Wilson and Tristan O’Donoghue, two friends with experience building ice walls, Sharp’s creation successfully took shape.

The first climb took place on Jan. 1, just days after the build began in late December. By the time it reached its final form, the wall stood approximately 40 feet tall, with Sharp continuing to maintain it throughout the season.

“When we started, I had some leftover chain-link fence. I threw that over the cliff so I had something to build on, then we just used different types of sprayers off a hose — I had a heated hose that goes out there. Then we sprayed water all winter, and it grew pretty fast,” Sharp said. “I had the water flowing continuously for a few weeks, then it would depend on the weather. You get the best ice between negative 10 and positive 10 degrees — somewhere in there, you get the best ice.”

Sharp undertook the endeavor out of passion for his new hobby. Although he had only begun ice climbing a few months earlier and was busy with his professional career in the medical field, his lack of experience didn’t stop him from attempting the feat. For Sharp, the drive to create an ice wall in his backyard is something he credits as being unique to Fairbanks.

“You can’t do this in Anchorage. You can’t do this anywhere else,” Sharp said. “It’s a unique ability with our weather here that we can create something so fun.”

The wall has offered plenty of climbing adventures for Sharp and others, who have tackled the structure multiple times, both day and night, using ice climbing gear. The setup delivers the feel of a backcountry climb — all while being at home.

This winter marked Sharp’s first attempt at building the wall, and whether it becomes a one-time project or a returning tradition depends on how the cliff holds up going forward.

“I’m waiting to see what it does or does not do to my cliff. If it causes terrible erosion, such that I can’t do it again, then I won’t. But I’m hoping that I can do it every year,” Sharp said. “The structure is totally dependent on the cliff.”