Summary
Located in north central Wyoming, Ten Sleep can be summarized in three words – hole-y, overhung(ish), dolomite/limestone (aka. juggy pumpfest fun). It consists of a huge bands of dolomite cliffs that flank a wide canyon. There are upwards of 1000 climbs, most of them bolted sport.
Directions
Ten Sleep is an itty bitty town and huge canyon basically in the middle of nowhere (off highway 16), but that doesn’t stop psyched climbers from going there.
The nearest “larger” cities are:
Rapid City, SD – 4.5 hours
Bozeman, MT – 5 hours
Denver – 6.5 hours
Boise, ID – 10 hours
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
The grades and bolting are modern (not old school, not particularly run out), but can vary with the route developer.
Below are guidebook resources (listed alphabetically):
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
Dolomite/limestone, sport, face climbing with tons of holes and pockets (from monos to jugs). Much of the rock has a mildly bulgy, slightly overhung quality so climbs can be pumpy.
Some climbs seem to favor the tall since you are often at the mercy of the hole locations. Shorter climbers may occasionally find their body stretched to its limits.
Camping & Amenities
The town of Ten Sleep is small – like really small. There is a little general store (Dirty Sally’s) that sells ice cream, coffee, and basic groceries with some local fruit and veggies (and it’s a bit pricey). If you have your favorite standby meals, you might want to come prepared.
The brewery is a favorite hangout with beer, food, and live music. There are a couple of other bars and places to grab a bite, but the selection is very limited.
There’s no shortage of camping options, from paid to free. You can pitch a tent at the local brewery, easily find a climbing partner at the Ten Sleep Rock Ranch campground, or find some free dispersed camping. If you do the dispersed camping thing, please poop in a bag and remove all toilet paper and trash. It’s getting busy enough and its enough of a desert/low rain environment that the poop is accumulating. Packing out your shit, literally and figuratively, needs to be a habituated climbers’ standard. Climbers are badass enough to not be afraid of their own shit.
Here’s the list of some camping options:
Yeahs
Neahs
Opinion Rating (It Rocks, Worth It, Meh, or Trash)
It Rocks!
Located in north central Wyoming, Ten Sleep can be summarized in three words – hole-y, overhung(ish), dolomite/limestone (aka. juggy pumpfest fun). It consists of a huge bands of dolomite cliffs that flank a wide canyon. There are upwards of 1000 climbs, most of them bolted sport.
Directions
Ten Sleep is an itty bitty town and huge canyon basically in the middle of nowhere (off highway 16), but that doesn’t stop psyched climbers from going there.
The nearest “larger” cities are:
Rapid City, SD – 4.5 hours
Bozeman, MT – 5 hours
Denver – 6.5 hours
Boise, ID – 10 hours
Grading, Boltings, and Guidebook Tips
The grades and bolting are modern (not old school, not particularly run out), but can vary with the route developer.
Below are guidebook resources (listed alphabetically):
- $25 Punk Rock…Climbing Guide to Ten Sleep Canyon by The Bighorn Climber’s Coalition (2016)
- This is a printed guidebook that is sold in “local” shops in Ten Sleep (local also includes an appropriately wide girth like Spearfish, SD and Rapid City, SD)
- All of the proceeds of the book benefit The Bighorn Climber’s Coalition, whose members work hard to care for this increasingly popular area.
- This book has some major personality. If you are board in your tent at night, you can try to figure out any meaning to the odd images, and pick up some local lore.
- https://bighornclimbers.org/25-punk-rockclimbing-guide-ten-sleep-canyon-available-june-15/
- Holy Ten Sleep – “The world’s first 3-D climbing guidebook.” This was a limited edition leather-bound 3-D book that is now difficult to find and costs around $100. You might be able to find a few floating around here and there like at Rock and Snow – they may have 1 in stock at the time of this writing (https://www.rockandsnow.com/81526/Holy-Ten-Sleep) and I recall seeing one at The Front in Ogden, UT.
- Mountain Project: https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105819641/ten-sleep-canyon
- Rakkup (app) Ten Sleep Rock Climbing Guidebook - https://rakkup.com/guidebooks/ten-sleep-rock-climbing/
Rock Type, Climbing, and Style
Dolomite/limestone, sport, face climbing with tons of holes and pockets (from monos to jugs). Much of the rock has a mildly bulgy, slightly overhung quality so climbs can be pumpy.
Some climbs seem to favor the tall since you are often at the mercy of the hole locations. Shorter climbers may occasionally find their body stretched to its limits.
Camping & Amenities
The town of Ten Sleep is small – like really small. There is a little general store (Dirty Sally’s) that sells ice cream, coffee, and basic groceries with some local fruit and veggies (and it’s a bit pricey). If you have your favorite standby meals, you might want to come prepared.
The brewery is a favorite hangout with beer, food, and live music. There are a couple of other bars and places to grab a bite, but the selection is very limited.
There’s no shortage of camping options, from paid to free. You can pitch a tent at the local brewery, easily find a climbing partner at the Ten Sleep Rock Ranch campground, or find some free dispersed camping. If you do the dispersed camping thing, please poop in a bag and remove all toilet paper and trash. It’s getting busy enough and its enough of a desert/low rain environment that the poop is accumulating. Packing out your shit, literally and figuratively, needs to be a habituated climbers’ standard. Climbers are badass enough to not be afraid of their own shit.
Here’s the list of some camping options:
- Ten Sleep Brewing Company
- 2549 Highway 16, Ten Sleep, Wyoming 82442 (in town)
- Camping opens May 15 and goes until Sept/Oct depending on weather
- Camping is cheap
- There are porta-potties, showers, and free wifi
- They do not accommodate 5th wheels or motorhomes
- http://tensleepbrewingco.com/camping/
- Ten Sleep Rock Ranch
- Cabins and inexpensive camping under a bunch of apple trees with nice bathroom and showers.
- Located just inside the canyon off HWY 16.
- Open Season: May 1st to October 31st.
- No RV hookups or a dumping station, and cannot accept fifth wheelers due to the limitations of entry way. Small, four wheel, tow behind trailers are acceptable, as well as vans.
- https://tensleeprockranch.com/
- Leigh Creek Campground, U.S. Forest Service, Fee:
- Reservations: 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639 or TDD 877-833-6777) or online.
- From Ten Sleep, drive 7.5 miles on Hwy 16 to FSR 018. Bear right and travel nearly 1 more mile to the campground.
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/bighorn/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=30484&actid=29
Yeahs
- Oh so many climbs
- Approaches are quite reasonable
- This is a peaceful, wilderness type setting. Please keep it that way.
- If you like juggy, pumpy climbs, this place is for you.
- Great camping options
- Lots of happy climbers
Neahs
- Climbs tend to be concentrated at 5.10 and above. There are a few crags with climbs in the lower grades.
- If you aren’t a big fan of pump and are on the shorter side, you may get a little frustrated.
- Parking can be limited for some walls.
Opinion Rating (It Rocks, Worth It, Meh, or Trash)
It Rocks!