Cody, Wyoming – Custom Tower Climbing Trip

Description

Adventure climbing at its best on the wildly unique volcanic towers near Cody, WY

Explore the wild and scenic tower climbing in Cody, Wyoming

We offer custom guided rock climbing trips on free-standing volcanic and sandstone towers in Cody, Wyoming near the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.  The area is home to hundreds of breccia towers in addition to a number of sandstone towers that make for some adventurous yet moderate climbing on remarkably good rock.  The tower climbing in Cody is akin to that in Fisher Towers, UT but with bigger holds, better protection, and even more improbably shaped towers.  What’s more, the high-desert setting is unlike any other, with bighorn sheep and bison roaming in a windswept landscape riddled with rock spires, natural arches, and impressive peaks.  If you are looking for adventurous climbing on unique features and an awesome experience exploring this wild and scenic part of the country, a custom tower climbing trip to Cody is for you!

Why climb towers in Cody with us:

Our rock climbing guides are experienced professionals, talented climbers, and well-trained teachers.  They are also humble, personable, and overall great humans to be around in the mountains.  Our guides are adept at providing safe, supportive, and inclusive climbing experiences for people of all backgrounds and ability levels.  Many of our rock climbing guides live and climb in the Cody throughout the summer, which is a major advantage because they know the areas they guide extremely well.  Being based in the area also minimizes travel for our guides, which makes our service more affordable than our competitors and reduces our carbon footprint.

Favorite tower climbs in Cody, WY:

The towers we guide are all located on BLM and Forest Service lands near Wapiti, Wyoming between the town of Cody and the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

The Ramos Route (5.9, 2 pitches) on the Truffula Tower in Whoville

• Ramos Route (5.9, 2 pitches) – The first route established in Whoville, and a spectacular route at that.  And you can’t find a more convenient approach than this roadside tower complex.  The longer first pitch follows incredible cobbles through a steeper crux at the top and then turns hard right to a ledge.  The second pitch climbs past a small roof and then traverses on amazing holds to a picturesque summit.  The nearby 5.10 routes at Whoville are also not to be missed!

The Titan Tower (5.8, 2 pitches)

• The Titan (5.8, 2 pitches) – The Titan is one of the tallest and most impressive free-standing towers in the Cody area.  Two pitches of engaging yet moderate climbing on excellent rock lead to a large summit platform with outstanding views of the Wapiti valley.  This route features great movement on big holds, solid but well-spaced protection on both bolts and large cams, and lots of exposure as you climb high above the surrounding sagebrush steppe.  The 3.5 mile approach is one of the longest among the towers we guide but is mostly flat and well worth it for this classic tower climb.

The second pitch of Cinnabear Tower (5.8)

• Cinnabear (5.8, 2 pitches) – Cinnabear (5.8) is an extraordinary multipitch tower climb and a contender one of the best moderate climbs in the Cody area.  The route starts up a stem chimney, climbs a juggy steep face, and then traverses between two towers via a natural arch.  The top pitch is incredibly fun but very exposed as you climb on either side of a steep arete to gain the second summit.   The route can can be protected entirely on bolts but supplemental mid-sized cams can help be helpful as well depending on your comfort level with long runouts.  This route is also conveniently located next to the Titan and Four Bear Towers making for a fun day of climbing multiple towers!

The Stilletto Tower (5.11, 2 pitches

• The Stilletto (5.8, 2 pitches) –Amazing climb on one of the most beautiful towers in the area!  The first pitch consists of 5.8 climbing on good cobbles in stem box to an exposed ledge.  The shorter second pitch involves a fun roof pull on thinner holds to a sweet summit.

Antigone (5.10) on the Sphinx Tower

• Antigone (5.10, 3 pitches) – Antigone at the Sphinx Tower is a beautiful 3 pitch sandstone tower route that sits high above Shoshone Canyon.  The climbing ranges from Zion-esque crack climbing to fun face climbing on bullet sandstone with good holds.  The approach to the tower is steep but well worth it as the Sphinx offers incredible climbing on great stone with unbeatable views of the greater Cody area.

Trip itineraries:

• 1 Day Itinerary  

Our 1 day custom tower climbing itinerary is a great option if you only have a single day to climb but you want to make the most of it!  Your guide will work with you to select some exciting objectives (typically area classics) that are appropriate for your skill and fitness levels and that feature fun, high quality climbing on good rock. Our primary objective with this trip is providing a safe and highly rewarding tower climbing experience that you will remember for many years to come!

• 2 Day Itinerary 

Our 2 day custom tower climbing itinerary is a full-value experience for those looking for an action-packed two days of guiding in one of the best tower climbing venues in the country.  Your guide will coordinate with you to choose exciting objectives that align with your climbing goals and are well-suited to your skill level. Generally people like to choose several moderate objectives for day 1 to work on technique and streamline their systems followed by more challenging objectives on day 2 to push themselves on harder climbs.

• 3 Day or More Itinerary

This is our most popular custom tower climbing itinerary by far!  Our 3-4 day itinerary is an excellent option if you’re looking to really progress in your climbing and explore a variety of climbs in the area.  Your guide will work with you to select objectives for each day that align with your climbing goals and appropriate for your skill level.  We suggest climbing in as many different crags over the course of your trip in order to experience the incredible variety of terrain the area has to offer.  We also highly recommend scheduling at least one rest day after two days of climbing in order to recharge for the rest of your trip.

Trip availability:

Our custom tower climbing trips to Cody are available from May to October.

Guide to climber ratio:

All of our custom tower climbing trips to Cody have a 1:1 or 1:2 guide to climber ratio.

Trip logistics:

Transportation: Nearby Cody, Casper, and Sheridan have airports serviced by Delta and United Airlines.  You can also fly into neighboring Billings, Montana (where flights are often cheaper) and rent a car to drive to Cody.

Accommodations:  We recommend staying at either a hotel or bread and breakfast in Cody.

Meeting location:  You will meet your guide at Rawhide Coffee in Cody.

Daily schedule:  We typically will meet at 8am, drive to the climbing location, and finish climbing by 4pm.

Equipment:  Many climbers choose to bring all of their own gear, but we can provide all technical climbing equipment including CAMP helmets, harnesses, and Butora climbing shoes.

Cody-based guides:

Our talented team of Cody-based climbing guides includes some of the most prolific climbers in the region who are at the forefront of rock and ice climbing development in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  Most 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.

Dane Steadman is a skilled multi-disciplinary guide with significant accomplishments including the first guided ascents of Pilot Peak and Stinkingwater Peak, guided ascents of Cloud Peak, Gannet Peak, Granite Peak (MT), guided ice climbs in the Cody area up to WI6 in difficulty, and has guided rock climbs across the state of Wyoming up to 5.12 in difficulty.  Dane is also a very driven and talented climber whose main focus is exploratory alpine climbing both in Wyoming and in the greater ranges.  Notable climbs of his include the first ascent of Technicolor Super Dream on Mt. Huntington in Alaska, the first ascent of the North Face of Pik Alpinist in Kyrgyzstan, the second ascent of Titanic on Torre Egger in Patagonia, and several first ascents of hard ice and mixed climbs in the South Fork of the Shoshone River Valley up to WI6+ and M10 in difficulty.  What’s more, Dane is incredibly personable, patient, professional, and really fun to be around in the mountains. 

—-

Zach Lentsch is an avid climber, guide, and owner of Wyoming Mountain Guides. A Bighorn Basin native, Zach has been exploring wild parts of northern Wyoming for as long as he can remember. In addition to running the business and designing Wyoming Mountain Guides’ suite of climbing programs operating across the state, Zach works extensively in the field and guides a wide range of trips ranging from introductory programs to advanced rock, ice, and alpine trips on challenging terrain. Zach is also a passionate developer of new climbing routes with over 100 first ascents across Wyoming, including the longest ice climb in the state (Ultralight Beam WI3+ 1000m) in the Wind River Mountains, the longest sandstone rock climb in the state (The Fall of Satan 5.10 C3 250m) in the Bighorn Mountains, and a high concentration of rock, ice, and mixed climbs in the Cody area up to 5.12, WI6, and M9 in difficulty.  Zach is an experienced teacher and works hard to integrate as much technical and environmental education into the climbing experience as possible while also prioritizing safety and having a great time together.

Booking and payment:

You can view each of our guide’s availability on the calendar above.  To book your course directly via our website, you need to first select a guide and choose from available dates.  Then to finalize your booking we require a 25% deposit, which is non-refundable.  The remainder is to be paid two weeks before the course and is non-refundable if you cancel within two weeks of the program.  If you do cancel last minute on your own accord and want to transfer your credit to another course or trip, we do charge an additional 30% rescheduling fee.  However in case of bad weather or a medical emergency we will waive the rescheduling fee.

Contact us:

Interested in booking a custom tower climbing trip to Cody with us?  Please send us an email including your name, email address, phone number, climbing experience, in addition to a description of what, where, and when you’d like to climb.