CEDAR FALLS (AP) — The specialized sport of silo ice climbing is gaining followers at an eastern Iowa farm considered the largest site for such activity in the Midwest.

Dozens of enthusiasts strapped into harnesses climbed the 80-foot silo at Rusty Leymaster's farm northwest of Cedar Falls on Saturday, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. The silo had been sprayed with water that froze, coating the structure in ice.

The practice of icing a silo to climb is fairly new. Don Briggs, a University of Northern Iowa professor, started researching the sport in 2001, looking at how to rig hoses in order to make ice when the weather turned cold.