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.  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

Our Intro to Ice Climbing Courses are great for anyone interested in trying out the sport for the first time.

  • Dates: November – March
  • Cost: $350 (includes equipment), $300 for WYMG alumni
  • Locations: Ten Sleep, Shell, and Lovell WY
  • Climber to guide ratio: 4:1

Intermediate Ice Climbing Courses

Take your ice climbing skills to the next level as you venture onto vertical and multi-pitch ice routes.

  • Dates: December – March
  • Cost: $400 (includes equipment), $350 for WYMG alumni
  • Locations: Ten Sleep, Shell, and Lovell WY
  • Climber to guide ratio: 2:1

Steep Ice and Mixed Climbing Courses

Geared toward more experienced ice climbers, these courses focus on steep ice and mixed climbing techniques.

  • Dates: November – March
  • Cost: $500 (includes equipment), $450 for WYMG alumni
  • Locations: Bighorn Mountains and Cody WY
  • Climber to guide ratio: 2:1

Multipitch Ice Climbing Courses

This course is for experienced ice climbers who want to learn how to safely climb bigger terrain.

  • Dates: November – March
  • Cost: $550 (includes equipment), $550 for WYMG alumni
  • Cody WY
  • Climber to guide ratio: 2:1

Custom Ice Climbing Trips

We offer custom ice climbing trips for ice climbers of all ability levels who want to explore the best of ice climbing in Wyoming.

  • Dates: November – March
  • Cost: Depends on objective
  • Bighorn Mountains and Cody WY
  • Climber to guide ratio: 2:1

Alpine Ice Climbing Trips

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: Fall – Spring
  • Cost: $500 and up, depends on the objective
  • Locations: Bighorn Mountains and Cody 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.

Logical Progression of Courses


Our upper-level courses provide a structured way to review and build on lessons learned in our introductory courses.

Step 1
Intro to Ice Climbing Course

Learn the fundamentals of ice climbing safety and movement

Step 1
Step 2
Intermediate Ice Climbing Course

Further hone your skills and improve your technique

Step 2
Step 3
Advanced Ice Climbing Course

Learn how to climb steeper ice and mixed terrain

Step 3
Step 4
Alpine Ice Climbing Course

Work towards a larger alpine climbing objective in summer 2020

Step 4

Affordable Programs


We offer a season’s worth of professional instruction and rental equipment for less than the cost of new ice climbing gear.

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.

Our ice climbing course participants in action…

An intro to ice climbing course participant demonstrates proper footwork after the first day of lessons
Lead ice climbing guide Zach Lentsch demonstrates proper ice screw placement during a clinic in the Bighorn Mountains in February 2020
Mixed climbing course participant Scott Davis pulls the crux of a traditional mixed climb in Shell Canyon
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