On a Wednesday afternoon in St. John’s, N.L., Justin Emberley saw a 45-metre iceberg floating less than 100 feet from shore in Quidi Vidi Harbour. He called up his friend, Kevin Le Morzadec, a French citizen doing his Ph.D. on the subject of glacier modeling in Newfoundland, and said, “Let’s climb it.” And climb it they did. They put on their wetsuits and life vests, threw their ice picks and clamp-ons in their bags, jumped in the frigid ocean and swam to the iceberg. The National Post’s Kristin Annable spoke Thursday to Mr. Le Morzadec, as Mr. Emberley listened nearby:
Q: First of all – what made you guys decide an iceberg would be a good object to climb?
A: Both of us had been rock-climbing for years and then we started climbing ice.
Q: Wait, climbing ice?
A: When ice forms on the mountains, you can climb that. It is different then iceberg climbing. So after that, we saw an iceberg – so we said to each other, “Hey let’s try that, it looks like a lot of fun.” But we didn’t go out right away and climb one. We thought about it for a year and waited. So it’s not like we saw an iceberg and right away jumped in the water and climbed it.
Q: I imagine that in April, the water in St. John’s isn’t exactly warm?
A: Luckily, the iceberg was close to shore – so it wasn’t too cold. Last week, we climbed an iceberg in the northern tip of Newfoundland that was much further from shore – now that was cold. And my wetsuit keeps me warm!
Q: So you swim to the iceberg, then what?
A: That’s the hardest part – is getting on the iceberg. You have one-metre swells and you have to go up and down. You can’t use your feet, so you have to use your arms to pull yourself up and onto the iceberg.
Q: Cold temperatures, 45-metre icebergs, one-metre swells, this sounds like a dangerous hobby.
A: It is risky and there is a chance that the iceberg could collapse and if it does, we could die. Even if you talk to people who have lived their whole lives in Newfoundland and see icebergs all the time – maybe they have seen one iceberg collapse. Statistically there is not a good chance of it collapsing. There is a risk like all extreme sports – but to minimize the risk you have to choose your iceberg wisely.
Q: With your expertise on the subject I’d assume you know a lot about what makes for a good climbing iceberg?
A: You can never really know how an iceberg is going to react or if it is going to break – but I know a little bit about ice. There are different shapes of icebergs, some shapes are more safe. When the iceberg is grounded and not moving – that’s a good sign. Also, when they are close to shore. A peak that is big and flat as opposed to tall and narrow is better. Narrow peaks are usually less stable.
Q: And you don’t use a rope?
A: Using a rope is actually more dangerous. If something happens and the ice breaks off then you don’t want to be trapped under the ice. You also don’t want to fall into the water attached to the ice chunk and drown. The use of a rope is an extra risk you take. That is why we usually try not to climb too high.
Q: So with your ice picks and clamp-ons you get to the peak. What was it like on the top?
A: We didn’t want to stay on the top of the iceberg for too long. We went to the flat part of the peak where you could walk and there was a small pool, so we swam in it for a few minutes. And then found the best spot and jumped off the iceberg into the ocean.
Q: You just jumped off into the water, what did that feel like?
A: (Mr. Emberley jumps in) Pure pleasure, a cold shock of water, hitting your face. It’s a great feeling because once you’ve hit the water you have left the danger.
Q: Wouldn’t jumping off be dangerous too?
A: We just looked for the best spot – one that was fun, but not so high that it was dangerous.
Q: People have been saying that you guys are risking the lives of other people if search and rescue has to go out and save you. What do you say to that?
A: For search and rescue, that is their job. First of all, we are not asking for people to come out and save us, but if they came I am not going to tell them to go away. They know how to assess a situation and see if they can help people without putting their own lives in danger.
Q: How about the people who say that if you get injured you are wasting taxpayers’ money?
A: How much a year do iceberg climbers really cost Canadians? Snowmobile accidents happen all the time. There are other risky sports – it is not like we are jumping off buildings. Think of how many times hikers get lost and search and rescue has to to find them. Drunk drivers, people eating unhealthy food, smoking – that stuff all costs billions. But oh no, two iceberg climbers climbed an iceberg, that might have collapsed.
Q: What about those who want to make it illegal?
A: Ridiculous – where would it end? Should we make it illegal for people to eat unhealthy food?