The South Fork Canyon is home to some of the best ice climbing outside of Alaska and the Canadian rockies. The climbing here is generally consists of long approaches with equally long routes. For this reason climbing in the South Fork should not be taken lightly. It is not the easy access of New England or Colorado style ice cragging. Rescue from this area is extremely hard and an injured climb can expect to stay stranded for long periods of time. Becaues of this use extreme caution when entering this exciting realm.
To access the climbing, drive south on the Southfork Road out of Cody. After approximately 35 miles the road turns to a dirt road and you will be able to begin to see many of the routes. Most of the climbing is accessed via USFS land but there is private property in the canyon so be careful not to trespass. The South Fork is also home to many wintering animals including Elk, Deer and Big Horn Sheep. Be careful while driving as a number of people hit these animals a year driving down the road. Also be careful to keep your distance from the animals. Up to date route information can be gained by contacting Core Mountain Sports in Cody at 1-877-527-7354 or on www.coldfear.com.
There is a guide book by Joe Josephson to the Southfork and southern Montana areas called WInter Dance. This Book is available at Core Mountain Sports and has great detail on the routes and how to find them.
