Ten Sleep Vibes

We recently took our first trip to Ten Sleep Canyon, in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. Even though it’s within a reasonable driving distance, I’d not made it a priority to climb there because I’d heard it was very crimpy and technical, which is not my preferred style. In my head I was imagining climbing similar to Siurana, or Smith Rock, and while I can appreciate those places, that kind of climbing isn’t what I’m generally looking for while on vacation.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found plenty of big holds, an awesome variety of styles and one of the chillest summer crags that I’ve visited. Much has been written about the place elsewhere, since everyone else got on board years ago and I’m obviously pretty late to the game. That being said, there were a couple things that stood out which I didn’t know in advance that I think would be helpful for folks planning a visit.

Steeper cliffs & bigger holds
As mentioned above, based on what I’d heard and read, I was expect a lot of less than vert climbing on small holds. Admittedly I didn’t get on anything hard for me as I was nursing a small finger tweak, but what I found in the 5.10 and 5.11 grades was plenty of steep and juggy climbing that was incredibly fun. (It did look like the 12s and 13s had pretty small holds compared to steeper crags like Rifle, Maple, etc.)  Of course if you were looking for it you could find plenty of techy stuff, but it wasn’t like that was your only option. I’d even venture to say that the 5.10s were some of the better sport routes of that grade that I’ve done.

Varied rock
Over the course of the week, every crag we visited had rock that was a little different and unique. The Ice Plant was less than vert and techy, the Circus Wall, just up the hill, was steep and juggy. Valhalla had everything from techy vert to giant roofs, the FCR had beautiful blue stone, and Lake Point reminded me of Wild Iris, with white rock and big pockets.

Other thoughts on the climbing
On a lot of the routes we climbed, the bolts were very close together, like practically gym close. Many climbs here in Western Colorado are more modern, but I don’t think I’ve ever been to such a major climbing area with bolts this close. It certainly made for a very “vacation-like” climbing experience, as you were never far from the next bolt.

We were told that standard procedure here was mellow starts because the main cliff goes into the shade at 2pm, which is true, but there are plenty of crags with morning shade. And from the looks of it, there are miles of dolomite that are waiting to be developed (or maybe word just hasn’t gotten out yet) on the east side of the canyon.

Lastly, there were a lot of routes with mid-anchors, so you can climb a 5.10 or 5.11 to the first set, and then keep going for a 5.11 or 5.12 experience. We do that around here and I appreciate that you can enjoy 60 feet of 5.10 to warm up, even if the rest of the climb is 5.12.

The upper canyon was quite a bit cooler, being several thousand feet higher. You leave camp in the heat of the day and then spend the afternoon in the cool shade. Perfect.

Ten Sleep Rock Ranch
We weren’t sure where to camp initially but decided to base out of the Rock Ranch for the first few days to keep things simple, and ended up staying there the entire trip. Driving in, it felt very cramped and busy, but once settled, the vibe was mellow, there were plenty of sites, and toilets, running water and wifi were awesome. They even have some cabins if you want a little more privacy. (We didn’t use the showers, as the black mold looked a little out of control at the moment. The brewery had really nice showers for $3.)

Fly fishing
This has always been a favorite activity of mine. Through some bigger injuries, it became a big focus, and I love the zen-like qualities of going out to catch fish. I had heard the fishing was good in Ten Sleep Creek, so I made sure to pack my kit. I won’t give too much away, but very close to the Rock Ranch are some excellent spots, with some super fun browns and rainbows. It was also healing to be in a river that had good water flow, unlike the poor Crystal River that runs behind my house and is currently at a sad 50 cfs.

Small town vibes
The town of Ten Sleep is really, really small. But somehow there are at least three different places to get ice cream. So if that’s your thing, you’re in luck! Dirty Sally’s had an impressive selection of local and organic produce and meats, which is nice if you don’t want to drive further afield for resupply.

Overall we were super impressed with the place, and we’ll certainly be back!