Sport Climbing in the Cowboy State
Deep in the heart of central Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, just an arrow’s shot from the geysers and grizzlies of Yellowstone, lays a small western town tucked into the reddish foothills of a spectacular wonderland known as Ten Sleep Canyon.
For a first-time visitor, Ten Sleep Canyon is a sight to behold. Multi-tiered limestone cliffs line both sides of U.S. Highway 16 for 20 kilometres. At first glance, it’s a European limestone destination that seems out of place in the heart of the Wild West. Closer inspection reveals a sport-climbing hotbed with great views and the best steak in America.
Climbing in Ten Sleep got rolling in the late 1970s, when Stan Price put up the canyon’s first routes – and they were ice climbs. Often without a partner, it was another decade before he and Jim Krudener established the canyon’s first rock climbs, tackling the obvious cracks. Eventually they began bolting the faces, ultimately pioneering more than 100 routes in the lower canyon at sectors such as the Dry Wall and Home Alone.
By the mid- 1990s, Worland local, Aaron Huey, discovered the Mondo Beyondo area and saw the potential. He led a lively crew of partners, including Charlie Kardaleff and Jim Hausmann and during their bolting mission developed Rusty Cage, the Slavery Wall and Hot Lixx amongst others. One of Huey’s earliest efforts is the phenomenal Happiness in Slavery 5.12b on the Slavery Wall, a cliff that many, including myself, have spent entire road trips projecting on. With a selection of impressive lines such as ekv 5.12c, Crown Prince Abdullah 5.12d, Burden of Immortality 5.13a and Goldmember 13d, the Slavery Wall will always be one of Ten Sleeps’ biggest draws.
In 1999, the first Ten Sleep Climbing Festival brought many wide-eyed sport climbers who were anxious to sink their claws into Wyoming’s best-kept secret. Among t hem were Matt Wendling, Mike Snyder and Mark Devries who were all eager to contribute routes of their own. Shortly after the event, Alli Rainey moved to town and joined the tight-knit crew. Together