The tallest dry tooling climbing wall in the country was unveiled at Millcreek Common on Jan. 16. 

It is the city’s new winter recreation addition to the area. This new dry tooling climbing wall simulates ice climbing, a competitive winter sport that has grown in popularity over the past two decades. 

In 2023, over three million Americans were ice climbing every year according to the Outdoor Industry Association, up from just 50,000 participants in the early 2000s.

The tallest dry tooling climbing wall in the country was unveiled at Millcreek Common on Jan. 16. (Photo courtesy Millcreek)

Not currently an Olympic sport, it is a candidate for the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics with the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation lobbying for its inclusion. A final decision by the International Olympic Committee is expected this summer. 

Millcreek’s new wall now gives aspiring ice climbers a new place to train or newcomers an introduction to the sport. A demo day was held at the wall Jan. 17 with two more scheduled for Feb. 16 and March 14. 

The Salt Lake valley is home to several prolific ice climbers including Millcreek’s Alex Rudow, Draper native Noah Rowley and Riverton’s Landers Gaydosh. 

Rowley told the Journals in 2023 his primary goal was to see the sport match the support other countries receive. “My biggest plan is to grow the sport in Utah,” he said. “The more people who join, the more resources we’ll have.”

Gaydosh, a Riverton High student who began as a rock climber before moving into ice climbing, has won several youth ice climbing championships around the world. The teen started when he was 11 after being encouraged to try it out. 

Winter weather permitting, Utah has several places for climbers to learn and practice their sport like Little Cottonwood Canyon or Bridal Veil Falls up Provo Canyon. But Millcreek’s new wall allows training year-round. 

The wall comes via a partnership between Millcreek Common and The Scratch Pad, according to a Millcreek City press release. The existing climbing wall has been reconfigured to support dry tooling to make a once-niche sport accessible to the broader community.