Your Guides to Ice Climbing in Wyoming
Ice climbing in Wyoming is a rewarding way to push yourself and explore this wild part of the country. Carving your way up frozen waterfalls, you’ll develop technical skillsets and overcome new challenges in the Bighorn Mountains. You’ll be rewarded with a well-earned sense of accomplishment and breathtaking views of northern Wyoming’s high desert canyons.
What programs do we offer?
Intro to Ice Climbing Courses
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$300.00 – $350.00
Our Intro to Ice Climbing Courses are great for anyone interested in trying out the sport for the first time.
- Dates: December 7-8 & 14-15, 2019, January 4-5 & February 1-2, 2020
- Cost: $350 (includes equipment), $300 for WYMG alumni
- Locations: Shell and Lovell WY
- Climber to guide ratio: 4:1
Intermediate Ice Climbing Courses
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$350.00 – $400.00
Take your ice climbing skills to the next level as you venture onto vertical and multi-pitch ice routes.
- Dates: January 11-12 & February 8-9, 2020
- Cost: $400 (includes equipment), $350 for WYMG alumni
- Locations: Ten Sleep, Shell, and Lovell WY
- Climber to guide ratio: 2:1
Advanced Ice and Mixed Climbing Courses
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$350.00 – $400.00
Geared toward more experienced ice climbers, these courses focus on steep ice and mixed climbing techniques.
- Dates: February 29-March 1, 2020 & upon request
- Cost: $400 (includes equipment), $350 for WYMG alumni
- Locations: Ten Sleep, Shell, and Lovell WY
- Climber to guide ratio: 2:1
Alpine Climbing Courses
The culmination of our ice climbing course progression, we offer this course to a select group of experienced climbers willing to prepare for larger alpine ice climbing objectives.
- Dates: TBD, summer 2020
- Cost: $500 and up, depends on the objective
- Locations: Bighorn Mountains WY
- Climber to guide ratio: 2:1
What makes our programs unique?
Quality Ice Climbing Instruction
Our professional guides teach the fundamentals of ice climbing safety, movement, and technique in a welcoming and supportive manner.
All of our ice climbing trips include personalized instruction on the following topics and techniques:
- Ice climbing safety, belay, and anchor systems
- Ice climbing movement and techniques
- Mitigation strategies to safeguard resources and heritage
- Leave No Trace and Beyond Leave No Trace practices
- Lessons the area’s geology, ecology, archaeology, and history
World Class Climbing Terrain
The Bighorn Basin is home to one of the largest concentrations of waterfall ice in the Lower 48 (that’s the continental United States), with a long climbing season and wide range of difficulties.
- Ten Sleep Canyon
- Canyon Creek
- Shell Canyon
- Cottonwood Canyon
- Five Springs Falls
Logical Progression of Courses
Our upper-level courses provide a structured way to review and build on lessons learned in our introductory courses.
Affordable Programs
We offer a season’s worth of professional instruction and rental equipment for less than the cost of new ice climbing gear.
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Intro to Ice Climbing$300.00 – $350.00
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Intermediate Ice Climbing$350.00 – $400.00
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Advanced Ice and Mixed Climbing$350.00 – $400.00
Focus on Sustainability
We’re privileged to climb ice in beautiful high-desert canyons and we work hard to minimize climbers’ impact on these pristine places.
Sustainability in Action
Five Springs Falls is home to three rare plant species found only in the northern reaches of the Bighorn Mountains. The BLM’s Resource Management Plan recommended no climbing at the falls in order to protect these rare plants, but this de facto climbing ban was not well known and ice climbers continued to climb at Five Springs. As part of the BLM’s Special Recreation permitting process, Wyoming Mountain Guides worked with BLM resource specialists to support a plan that protects these rare plant species by restricting rock climbing while maintaining access for ice climbers.
