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South Fork Shoshone (Ice)
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Select Route:
Bitches Brew 
Bozo's Revenge 
Broken Hearts 
Cabin Fever 
Classroom Bully 
Desperate for Lovin' 
Duck Soup 
Festering Ice 
High on Boulder 
Hostile Takeover 
Ice Fest 
Main Vein, The 
Mean Green 
Moonrise 
Moratorium, The 
Outdoorsman, The 
Pillar of Pain, The 
Ro Sham Bo 
Schoolhouse Route, The 
Sendero Illuminoso 
Smoked Turkey 
Smooth Emerald Milkshake 
Spittin' Bullets 
Spyin' 'n Flyin' 
Stringer 
Too Cold to Fire 
Triptych Pillars 
Wake and Bake 

South Fork Shoshone (Ice) 


Photos: Recent | Best | Popular
Elevation: 7,000'
Lat, Long: 44.5024, -109.127 Map
Page Views: 79,065. Good page? (2 likes)   
Administrators: Mike Snyder, Tom Erickson
Submitted By: Alan Searcy on Jan 25, 2006

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Beautiful alpine setting and sharp toys, it doesn'...

Description 

Secluded valley southwest of Cody with the Shoshone River running through it. No phones, no lights, occasionally motorcars. A definite alpine feel with a variety of grades to climb. Many times the approach is the crux of the route. Bands of harder horizontal stone provide benches for ice to form on. Much of the rock is crap, referred to by locals as "kitty litter". Rock gear is a waste to carry in most cases, although bugs and angles can be helpful if you're putting up something mixed and you need a mental piece or something that may hold bodyweight. As a rule "V" threads are the preferred method for descent, occasionally bolts or a slung tree. Typical ice climbs may be 100m to 300m (or longer) in length interrupted by steps of creek walking between pitches.


Getting There 

From Cody take Hwy 291 (South Fork Road) to the South Fork, about 45 minutes. Bison Willy's at the mouth of the Canyon is no longer an option for sleeping closer to the ice. Hotel it in town or sleep in the dirt at the Deer Creek Campground a couple of miles into the canyon.

Check out Cold Fear for details on current conditions and lodging. For route info, get your hands on the old Cozzens guide or the new Winter Dance book (Joe Josephson) with all the details.


The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for South Fork Shoshone (Ice):
Ice Fest   WI5     Ice, Alpine, 220 feet   
Stringer   WI3+ Mod. Snow     Ice, Snow, Alpine, 2 pitches, 160 feet   
Sendero Illuminoso   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 425 feet, Grade II   
Cabin Fever   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 3 pitches, 200 feet   
Bitches Brew   WI5+     Ice, Alpine, 5 pitches, 650 feet   
The Schoolhouse Route   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 3 pitches, 450 feet, Grade III   
Desperate for Lovin'   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 2 pitches, 350 feet, Grade II   
Ro Sham Bo   WI5     Ice, Alpine, 1 pitch, 150 feet   
Too Cold to Fire   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 2 pitches, 70 feet   
Bozo's Revenge   WI3+     Ice, Alpine, 3 pitches, 100 feet   
The Main Vein   WI4 PG13     Ice, Alpine, 5 pitches, 900 feet, Grade III   
High on Boulder   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 3 pitches, Grade II   
The Moratorium   WI4+     Ice, Alpine, 2 pitches, 400 feet, Grade II   
Broken Hearts   WI5-6     Ice, Alpine, 7 pitches, 700 feet   
Smoked Turkey   WI3     Ice, Alpine, 3 pitches, 300 feet   
The Pillar of Pain   WI5     Ice, Alpine, 1 pitch, 120 feet   
Moonrise   WI5     Trad, Ice, Alpine, 3 pitches, 420 feet, Grade III   
Spyin' 'n Flyin'   WI5     Ice, Alpine, 5 pitches   
Smooth Emerald Milkshake   WI4     Ice, Alpine, 800 feet   
Mean Green   WI5     Trad, Ice, Alpine, 7 pitches, 900 feet, Grade IV   
Browse More Classics in South Fork Shoshone (Ice)

Featured Route For South Fork Shoshone (Ice)
Stone on Pitch 3 Broken Hearts

Broken Hearts WI5-6  WY : Cody : South Fork Shoshone (Ice)
Broken Hearts has one of the more milder approaches in Cody. Allow 45 minutes. The gully is 3.4 miles from the Ishawooa Mesa Trailhead. Park by some cottonwood trees when you can see the first 2 pitches from the road. The route meanders in a gully and some short WI3 steps 5-20 feet high are encountered in between the main pitches, which are a short slog of 5-15 minutes. Pitches 6 & 7 (both WI6) are rarely formed. This is probably one of the longer ice routes in the lower 48 esp. if all pitche...[more]   Browse More Classics in WY


Photos of South Fork Shoshone (Ice) Slideshow Add Photo
1st rope-stretching pitch of Mean Green WI4, only 6 more to go.

1st rope-stretching pitch of Mean Green WI4, only ...

Hey Baby, let me show you my "O" face!  Crossing the Shoshone River cause she ain't frozen yet.  Hypothermically invigorating.

Hey Baby, let me show you my "O" face! Crossing t...

Trying to finagle a mixed start to get on Joy After Pain.  Normally your friends encourage you by saying,"You got it!" or "You can do it!" After this picture was taken, I pulled off about 100 lbs of Kitty litter on my head.  Then everyone yelled something to the effect of, "Get your ass down here".  It was worth a shot.

Trying to finagle a mixed start to get on Joy Afte...

start of the approach..

start of the approach..

wildlife on the approach...

wildlife on the approach...

from right to left: One Hitter, Mean Streak, and Moratorium

from right to left: One Hitter, Mean Streak, and M...

Bozo's Revenge... Cody WI3... A great warm up for Cody, WY.

BETA PHOTO: Bozo's Revenge... Cody WI3... A great warm up for ...

Simon Ahlgren moves out on the fatter than I've ever seen it Bozo's Revenge, Cody, WY.

Simon Ahlgren moves out on the fatter than I've ev...

Thin first pitch Main Vein

Thin first pitch Main Vein

Main Vein

Main Vein

Last pitch Main Vein

Last pitch Main Vein

The crux of most of the climbs....not drowning on the approach!

The crux of most of the climbs....not drowning on ...

Racing the setting sun after a long day in the South Fork, Ted sets another V-thread high on the School House route.

Racing the setting sun after a long day in the Sou...

Cody sunrise.

Cody sunrise.

The Boss

The Boss

One of the many amazing belay platforms climbing in Cody affords.

One of the many amazing belay platforms climbing i...

View of the South fork of the Shoshone, looking up river.

View of the South fork of the Shoshone, looking up...


Comments on South Fork Shoshone (Ice) Add Comment
Show which comments
By kirra
Dec 23, 2006

Bison Willy's (at mouth of canyon) currently not available. Same name lodging in Cody town is open and a nice place to hang your helmet. Several climbs in and lots to choose. Check out 'Core Mountain Sports' -Aaron Mulkey for the latest beta in case he's been too busy climbing to update ColdFear.com...(:

FREE camping is available at Deek Creek Campgrnd in the valley about 5mi in. Saw several people tenting in the snow. But I don't think there is any Pizza delivery out there

By Alec
Jan 30, 2009

There was a fatality on the Main Vein in early January 2009 due to a massive avalanche: blog post

The South Fork isn't known for avalanches, but don't forget to check out conditions before getting out there.

By Bill Rusk
From: Duluth, MN
Aug 30, 2009

Hello,
I'm planning a trip here this winter. I was wondering when the climbs start forming up? Is late Dec. too early?
Thanks,
BR

By J. Albers
From: Colorado
Nov 7, 2009

Hi Bill,
I am sure that this is too late to be helpful, but no, Dec. is not too early.
Best.

By Buff Johnson
Nov 11, 2009

Lodging "Condition Report" (so to speak):

The Flying H Ranch has an interest in renting cabins to ice climbers.

Contact is Steve and Diane Byrum. Probably not best to put the full contact info on the web as of yet, unless someone has a better idea. No info as to rates.


From Kev:

They're at the end of the spur road on the south (north-facing) side of the Valley. This is the ranch that you hike around when approaching Mean Green, HoB, Moonrise etc. if you opt to drive across the river rather than do the Cody two-step.

By JonBates
From: cody, wy
Feb 23, 2012

Please consider using "naked threads" for rappel anchors in the South Fork. It seems most folks use double ropes and this technique is even stronger than using smaller diameter cordage (litter) to rappel on. I've used up to a 9.2mm rope w/o issues. If you don't have doubles and naked threads are not an option, please add a quick-link ($1-$2 at the hardware store) to your threads so more than just a few people can safely rappel off it. Way too many routes out here have huge rat nests of burned out cordage and webbing on top of the pitches. If there is an established thread at a rap station, use it, don't add another thread or steal the link thinking it's booty or something. How much trash we leave behind can affect the future of South Fork. thanks!

By cdec
From: SLC and Moab, ut
Jan 13, 2013

For those looking for a place to stay try the Big Bear Motel.
In Cody 1/4 from the turn off for the South Fork road.
1/13 we paid $47 a night for a 2 queen room. Clean and comfortable with table, fridge, micro and plenty of space to dry out gear.