Description
Learn to Climb Steep Ice!
Overview:
This upper level course introduces participants to climbing difficult grades of waterfall ice. The curriculum of this course focuses on route selection and preparation for hard climbs, evaluating hazards and conditions, protection strategies, movement on steep and featured ice, resting, aiding, and egress strategies including down climbing and bailing. The course also includes as much practice as possible toprope climbing on steep ice pillars and curtains grades WI4+ or greater. This course is challenging but highly rewarding as you gain experience climbing some of the most classic steep ice pitches in the region. We highly recommend taking our introductory and intermediate ice climbing courses prior to enrolling in this advanced course, as the climbing is considerably more demanding and requires a solid foundation of safety systems and base of climbing fitness.
Dates:
Oury Steep Ice Climbing Courses are available December 2021 – March 2022 upon request. Please use our email contact form below or give us a call to arrange dates for your course.
NOTE: All of our ice climbing courses are privately arranged for individual parties – we do not mix groups of strangers for our courses unless specifically requested to do so. Our lower cost ice climbing clinics are larger group events scheduled for specific dates that are open to anyone who signs up for the clinic.
Recommended course locations:
We are fortunate to have access to several incredible ice climbing venues for our Steep Ice Climbing Course. When selecting a location for this course, it is important to consider not just the quality of ice climbing but also ease of access, good distribution of moderate grades, lack of crowds, minimal objective hazards, and stunning natural beauty. Each of the following venues is an excellent ice climbing classroom – which location we end up choosing will depend on your specific objectives, climbing experience, party size, and preferences regarding the kind of ice climbing you want to experience. You can learn more about the these and other areas we guide at our Ice Climbing Areas page.
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- Ishawooa Mesa and Boulder Ridge areas (WI4-5+), South Fork of the Shoshone – The South Fork of the Shoshone River is one of the best places to climb steep pillars of ice in the world. The valley is home to a high concentration of difficult ice pitches that are well suited to our Steep Ice Climbing Course.
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- Gunbarrel Creek (WI4-5), North Fork of the Shoshone – The Gunbarrel area is home to some of the most accessible steep ice cragging in the Cody region and is a great location if you’re looking for an easier approach for one day of your Steep Ice Climbing Course.
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- Greybull River and Jack Creek areas (WI4-5), Meteetsee – The Greybull River and Jack Creek areas west of Meteetsee contain several classic hard ice climbs in a beautiful alpine landscape that few climbers have had the opportunity to explore. This is a great venue for a Steep Ice Course if you’re looking for no crowds and exploring deep in the Wyoming backcountry.
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- Five Springs Falls (WI3-5), Northern Bighorn Mountains – Five Springs Falls is undoubtedly one of the best ice cragging venues in the region with one 40m pitch of WI3+ and one 80m pitch of WI5. The short approach, long climbing season, and incredible quality of climbing makes this one of our go-to venues for our Intermediate and Steep Ice Climbing Courses.
Lessons:
Our Steep Ice Climbing Course includes personalized instruction on the following topics and techniques:
- Ice climbing safety systems
- Route planning
- Hazard evaluation
- Protection strategies
- Steep ice climbing movement and techniques
- Means of egress
- Practice toproping difficult grades of ice
- Minimal-impact ice climbing strategies to safeguard resources and heritage
- Leave No Trace and “Beyond Leave No Trace” practices
- Lessons the area’s geology, ecology, archaeology, and history
Course guides:
Our talented team of ice climbing guides includes some of the most talented ice climbers in the region who are at the forefront of ice climbing development in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. More importantly our guides are skilled teachers who are patient, kind, and helpful to people from all walks of life as they learn new skills. Their top priority is making you feel safe and supported as you take on a new challenge. Feel free to request a particular guide for your course as well.
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- Dane Steadman
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- Zayne Hebbler
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- Zach Lentsch
Sample 2 day itinerary
Saturday:
- 7am: Meet and drive to ice climbing area
- 8am: Start approach hike to the crag
- 8:30am: Gear up for ice climbing as guides set up climbs
- 9am: Review route selection and hazard evaluation
- 9:30am: Steep ice movement lesson
- 10am – 12pm: Toprope ice climbing
- 12-12:30pm: Lunch break
- 12:30pm: Protection strategies lesson
- 1-3:30pm: Toprope ice climbing
- 3:30pm: Hike out
- 4pm: Debrief
Sunday:
- 7am: Drive to ice climbing area
- 8am: Start approach hike to the crag
- 8:30am: Gear up for ice climbing as guides set up climbs
- 9am: Evaluating ice structure and conditions lesson
- 9:30am: Featured ice climbing movement lesson
- 10am – 12pm: Toprope ice climbing
- 12-12:30pm: Lunch break
- 12:30pm: Means of egress lesson
- 1-3:30pm: Toprope ice climbing
- 3:30pm: Hike out
- 4pm: Debrief
Meeting location:
For all of our ice climbing courses, we prefer to meet the night before the course for equipment rentals and safety orientation at Sunlight Sports in Cody WY.
Rates:
| Size of Party | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 1 Day | $375 | $550 | $650 | $775 | $850 | $950 |
| 2 Days | $625 | $850 | $1000 | $1150 | $1300 | $1425 |
Contact Us:
Have questions about our Steep Ice Course or want to book a course? Please contact us via the form below:
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