Breaking the Ice (Or the Bank)

Ambitious to say the least, the proposed $1- to $3-million Bozeman Ice Tower would be the first large-scale, competition-grade ice climbing venue in the U.S., potentially putting Bozeman in the running for the first U.S.-hosted Ice Climbing World Championships as soon as 2013. Part of an initiative by local mountaineer Conrad Anker and MSU’s schools of engineering, architecture, and business, the tower has landed supporters such as the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, the city commission, and Bridger Bowl, who see many other uses for the 80-foot structure: outdoor concert venue, training facility, and community recreation center. Skepticism about the project abounds, but if $3 million falls from the sky, why not freeze it and climb it?