Insane adventure: Ice climbing festival draws 300 to Shoshone National Forest falls

Posted 2/15/18

For those seeking insane adventure, climbing waterfalls in the middle of Wyoming’s harsh winter is the perfect ticket to free-flowing adrenaline.

All of Novak’s work with the festival was done in an attempt to save it and to educate future …

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Insane adventure: Ice climbing festival draws 300 to Shoshone National Forest falls

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When Ari Novak stepped in to organize the Cody Ice Festival two years ago, it was out of love for climbing the ice in the Shoshone National Forest. Many consider the area to have the best climbing in the west.

For those seeking insane adventure, climbing waterfalls in the middle of Wyoming’s harsh winter is the perfect ticket to free-flowing adrenaline.

All of Novak’s work with the festival was done in an attempt to save it and to educate future and fellow climbers about the thrills available.

“Cody has so much to offer that nobody knows about. Some want to keep it that way,” said the ice-climbing instructor and adventure addict, who lives in Bozeman. “I’ve done my best job. I try to run a fun festival.”

But the business of the festival is often harder than facilitating the fun afield. Previous organizers made Novak’s job a challenge as he fought through a reputation of poor safety records and unpaid bills, he said. This year, more than 300 enthusiasts participated in the festival with about 150 climbing clinic participants.

“Cody is such an awesome place that I felt I had to step up,” Novak said.

One hall of fame climber rates Park County ice near the top in the nation.

“It’s the best ice adventure in the lower 48,” said Conrad Anker, master of technical mountaineering and Jack Roberts Lifetime Achievement award recipient at the festival.

The Roberts award, for “excellence in the mountains and contributions to alpinism,” was established by the Cody Ice Fest in 2017. Jack Roberts was a longtime friend and mentor to the climbing community around the world. Roberts died climbing Bridal Veil Ice Falls east of Telluride, Colorado in 2012.

The first recipient of the Roberts award was the late Scott Adamson, one of two climbers who were lost on the north face of the 23,901-foot peak known as Ogre II in Pakistan in 2016. A massive search — aided by a crowd-funded campaign that raised nearly $200,000 in six days — failed to locate the climbers.

In the Shoshone National Forest, adventure begins well before you strap on crampons and grab your ice axe. The easiest of climbs follows a drive up a heavily rutted, rocky double-track — four-wheel drive mandatory. From the parking lot, the adventure continues with a steep descent into the Corral Creek valley and a nearly 2 mile hike up the creek bed to the most accessible falls. But that’s all part of the experience, according to Novak.

“Ice climbing is what you make it. For most it’s all about the adventure, a proper day in the mountains. It’s strenuous, but at the end of a long day, it’s a great feeling,” he said.

Advanced climbing requires more technical skills and endurance just to locate a frozen waterfall. The sport itself is dangerous. Threats of falling rocks, avalanches and ice fall make worries of climbing hundreds of feet above creek beds on glassy ice seem petty.

On Friday, snow fell through the day during a trip to the Three Fingers area of Corral Creek. In the isolation of the Absaroka Range, too much snow makes traversing boulder fields and crossing ice-covered creeks much harder — a turned ankle or broken leg could force a long delay in the cold. While there were several stable crossing points on the creek, the sound of water rushing beneath the ice is unnerving.

Kymberly VanderWeyde traveled all the way from Los Angeles to attend the festival.

“This is exactly the environment we were looking for,” VanderWeyde said while looking up at the huge plumes of ice created from seeping snow melt. “We don’t usually have to deal with this much powder in California. And it’s much chillier and steeper here.”

For those looking for insane amounts of adventure, contact codyicefest@gmail.com.

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