CEDAR FALLS — The ordinarily featureless landscape of Cedar Falls was broken by makeshift mountains Saturday for the second annual Silo Summit.

The competition, hosted by Northern Iowa, gave climbers the chance to scale three ice-covered silos for prizes. Students from universities throughout the Midwest came to compete in the event.

The four silos, one reaching 70 feet, gave climbers a different challenge than they might be used to.

“This is harder than nature because it’s pure vertical,” said Don Briggs, instructor of outdoor pursuits at Northern Iowa. “Nature cascades more.”

It takes three full days of constantly running water down the sides of the silos to make the ice form, Briggs said.

The winner of the event was the climber with the best time up the shortest silo.

S‚amus Kelly, president of the ISU Climbing Club, said he was glad Iowa State was invited to the climb. Kelly said the club has made trips to Minnesota, Wyoming and Canada to climb ice.

“It’s a lot closer than driving to Canada,” Kelly said.

Briggs said he has had people from as far as Alaska and California come to climb the silos, as well as regulars from Des Moines and Iowa City.

“It’s a draw because you don’t have to drive far,” Briggs said.

— Eric Rowley