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On Saturday, Feb. 28, a group of UNH students took part in an ice climbing trip to Stonehouse Pond in nearby Barrington with instructor Nathan Fitch. At Moss Slab, a 30-foot cliff in the woods off of the Ledges Loop, a thick sheet of ice covers its entirety, providing a perfect space for ice climbing.

Outdoor Adventures through Campus Recreation provides students of all experience levels with trips to learn outdoor skills such as hiking, camping, paddling, skiing, climbing  and more. Ice climbing, which is offered in the early months of the spring semesters, is taught and led by Fitch, a senior lecturer in outdoor recreation. Six ice climbing trips were offered through Outdoor Adventures in the spring 2026 semester, but trips can also be taken during J-Term as LAP 501: Life Act Prog/Ice Climbing.

Students on these trips learn how to stay safe in an ice climbing environment and how to ice climb with proper movement and belay skills in order to work as a team and keep each other safe. Students also gain an understanding of how to prepare for winter environments for a long period of time, and learn how to use the correct boots, crampons (metal spikes for ice traction), and ice picks to climb.

For Elayna Marinelli, a senior from Attleboro, Massachusetts, ice climbing was not something she had previously done because of the high barriers to entry - like obtaining all the necessary equipment - surrounding it. “I’ve learned a lot about being able to step outside my comfort zone,” Marinelli says. “It’s a lot to get up early on a Saturday morning and come out here and stand in the cold but it’s so rewarding and it's so much fun.” 

“Nate Fitch, our instructor, is the best of the best,” she adds. “He’s a little bit of a celebrity in the climbing world.”

“Ice climbing is great but it has a pretty high barrier to entry, and we’re lucky that we have the equipment like boots and crampons,” Fitch says. “If you wanted to get those from a rental agency it would be about $60 to $70 per day, and that’s not even teaching you how to use them.” Another potential hurdle is location. Climbers who live in the northeast must find multiple disciplines to keep themselves climbing in the different seasons, and climbers who live in warmer climates may not have the ability to ice climb at all.

Jasper Billingsley, a senior from Chicago, Illinois, has been climbing for two years and took Lead Rock Climbing (OUT 547) with Fitch prior to attending this trip. After an opening became available, he quickly signed up. “It makes me realize that a good attitude about things you don’t necessarily understand will get you pretty far and it’s okay to make mistakes,” he says. “It’s not that deep.”

Both Marinelli and Billingsley noted how beneficial it is to learn a new skill such as ice climbing with other people who may also be doing it for the first time, as it reduces the potential embarrassment aspect. “It’s fun to do it with other people, and the kind of people who like climbing are usually pretty cool and chill people,” Billingsley says.

Students can sign up for Outdoor Adventures trips through Campus Recreation where they offer trips, events, and clinics to all skill levels. “Just give it your all and just try,” Billingsley says, “You don’t have to be perfect, you don’t even have to finish the climb, but you still tried it, and that’s what matters.”