The man's identity wasn't released. His body was recovered by members of the Alleghany County Rescue Squad, who rappelled down the steep slope below the parkway at Ice Rock in Doughton Park.
Maintenance workers reported seeing the climber on Ice Rock on Wednesday afternoon.
The workers saw the climber's vehicle again yesterday morning and assumed that he had returned to climb again. They then spotted his body.
The area, near Milepost 242, is a popular spot for ice climbers. The rock face is steep and includes some sheer drops. Thick layers of ice drape the slopes above and below the road, but climbing is allowed only when that part of the parkway is closed to traffic because of snow and ice, as it has been recently.
The spot is about five miles north of N.C. 18, just south of the Virginia border. Climbers can park at an overlook and walk about a half-mile along the road to a 200-yard-long curve.
Typically, ice climbers wear crampons on their feet, with spikes that grip the ice. They use an ice ax, which has a sharp pick that they drive into the ice and provides a way to pull themselves up. They often work in roped pairs, with a climbing partner. It appears this climber did not have a partner.
Jeff
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