Wind River Mountains, Wyoming – Custom Ice Climbing Trip

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Explore the best of ice climbing in the Wind River Mountains, Wyoming

 

We offer custom guided ice climbing trips in the northern Wind River Mountains near Dubois, Wyoming.  The northern Winds feature two incredible mulipitch ice climbs near Lake Louise in addition to several great cragging. multipitch, and alpine ice climbing venues in Bomber Basin, in addition to some phenomenal early season alpine ice climbs in the Dinwoody Glacier area.  The ice climbing is moderate in nature, with most routes ranging from WI3 to WI4+, but challenging in its own right due to the requisite backcountry camping, longer approaches, high elevation, and alpine character of many of the climbs.  If you’re looking to hone your ice climbing skills in a wilderness setting with phenomenal ice climbing, a custom ice climbing trip to the Wind River Mountains is a great option for you.

 

Why climb in the Winds with us:

 

We are currently the only guide service that guides ice in Bomber Basin in addition to being the most active ice climbing guide service in the state of Wyoming.  Our ice 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.  All of our ice climbing guides live and climb in the area throughout the winter, which is a major advantage because they know the climbs, conditions, and hazards of the places they guide extremely well.

 

Trip Locations:

 

• Lake Louise – Lake Louise features two classic multipitch ice climbs with a relatively moderate approach in a beautiful alpine setting.  The moderate Lake Louise Gully (WI3, 4-5 pitches) is an area classic and is a great warmup for harder climbing in the area but also a worthy objective in itself.  The more challenging Golden Tears (WI4-5 M6, 4-5 pitches) is the king line of the area and a must-do if it’s in good condition, with pitch after pitch of engaging climbing on well-featured ice and impeccable granite.  We recommend scheduling a two day trip to Lake Louise, hiking in and climbing Lake Louise Gully on day 1, camping overnight at the lake, and then climbing Golden Tears and hiking out day 2.

 

• Bomber Basin – Bomber Basin features the greatest variety of ice climbing in the northern Wind River Range, ranging from long moderate multipitch climbs to some great cragging options just a short walk from our campsite to several engaging alpine ice and mixed lines further up the valley.  The approach is longer than to nearby Lake Louise so we recommend scheduling at least three days to make the most of your trip to Bomber Basin.  Our preferred itinerary is hiking in and climbing the classic Fancy Walking (WI2-3, 750′) along the way, then spending the second day cragging and honing technique in the Atlantis Area (WI2-4+), and then pushing your yourself and climbing a longer alpine line the final day such as Whack Friday (WI3+ M4 500′).

 

• Dinwoody Glacier Area – The Dinwoody Cirquefeatures some of the longest continuous alpine ice climbing routes in the state that are best climbed in early season conditions.  For instance North Face of Sunbeam Peak (WI3 M4) features over 2000′ of climbing on glacial, alpine, and waterfall ice in addition to two moderate rock pitches leading to the summit of the 13th highest peak in the state.  There are several other more challenging routes to be explored in the area, making for an excellent week-long ice climbing adventure deep in the Wyoming wilderness.  This trip is for experienced ice climbers who don’t mind the long and strenuous approach and who want to push themselves in a challenging alpine environment.

 

Trip Itineraries and Rates:

 

• 1 Day Itinerary – Lake Louise

Cost: 1 person – $540; 2 people – $840

Our 1 day custom ice 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 an exciting objective (either Lake Louise Gully or Golden Tears) that is in good condition, appropriate for your skill and fitness levels, and features fun, high quality climbing. Our primary objective with this trip is providing a safe and highly rewarding ice climbing experience that you will remember for many years to come!

 

• 2 Days / 1 Night Itinerary – Lake Louise

Cost: 1 person – $960; 2 people – $1560

Our 2 days / 1 night custom ice climbing itinerary to Lake Louise is a full-value experience for those looking for an action-packed two days of guiding in one of the best multipitch ice climbing venues in the region.  Day 1 we will hike in to Lake Louise, set up camp, and climb the Lake Louise Gully (WI3 4-5 pitches).  After a good night’s rest in an incredible backcountry campsite near the lake, we will get an early start climbing Golden Tears (WI4-5 M6 4-5 pitches) and then hike out to the trailhead.  Participants are responsible for bringing their own sleeping bags, pads, utensils, and food for this trip.

 

• 3 Days / 2 Nights Itinerary – Bomber Basin

Cost: 1 person: $1440, 2 people: $2340

This is an incredible itinerary for those looking for a longer backcountry ice climbing trip with a great variety of climbing options!  We recommend spending at least one day cragging and the rest of the days exploring the longer multipitch and alpine ice routes in the area.  The 5.5 mile approach is long but the camping in Bomber Basin is incredible and the climbing very exciting as the area is still being explored for its potential – who knows, you may have the opportunity to help establish some new lines in the Basin!

 

• 6 Days / 5 Nights Itinerary – Dinwoody Cirque Area

Cost: 1 person – $3000, 2 people – $4800

This is our premier alpine ice climbing trip!  The Dinwoody Cirque features several long alpine ice climbs that are best climbed in early season. Two days of hiking lead us to the base of the cirque where we set up base camp.  This leaves 2-3 of climbing on some of the earliest ice climbs to form in the lower 48 – and what classic climbs they are at that!  This trip is highly dependent on both ice conditions and a good weather window, so it is best to schedule with some flexibility in dates.

 

Trip availability:

 

Our custom ice climbing trips to the Winds are available in December through March.

 

Guide to climber ratio:

 

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

 

Trip logistics:

 

Transportation:  The closest full-service airport is in Jackson Hole.

Meeting location:  You will meet your guide at a designated location in Lander or Dubois WY.

Equipment:  Many climbers choose to bring all of their own gear, but we can provide all technical ice climbing equipment including Camp ice tools, crampons, helmets, harnesses, ice screws, etc.  We do highly recommend bringing your own mountaineering boots if you own them because the approaches in the Winds require extensive hiking off-trail and it’s preferable to hike in boots that are broken in to your feet.

 

Contact us:

 

Interested in booking a custom ice climbing trip to the Winds 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.