High on Boulder (Cody area)

By: Janelle Jakulewicz | Climbers: Janelle Jakulewicz, Mike Anderson |Trip Dates: February 16, 2002

Photo: Michael Anderson

® The author(s) and naclassics.com | Back to climb page NAC Home page

ICE CLIMBING: A few years ago I thought I would never be doing such a thing. Who wants to spend a day or two in the freezing cold, scared out of your mind, sore and tired? The idea of ice climbing seemed horrible, but after my first time out, I was hooked. Now, I am climbing season to season and loving every bit of it! As you get more and more into the climbing world, you begin to realize the endless possibilities that lie ahead. It can be very overwhelming if you let it, but there also is such beauty in the sport. All the different aspects of climbing and a life long list of challenges to over come. It's like having a never-ending "To Do" list that gets bigger and bigger the more you discover. Ice climbs in Cody, Wyoming were on my personal "To Do" list but my knowledge of the area was slim to none.

The only thing I ever heard about Cody had something to do with an ice climbing festival, which was more than enough to get my attention. We had talked about taking a trip to Cody for months but it was hard to justify driving 6 hours when we have such wonderful ice basically in our Utah backyard (Provo & Santaquin). It's one of those things you just have to decide to do and follow through with regardless of how good the local ice is. A planned trip to Cody, Wyoming was past due and we were eager to explore this ice climber's heaven. We planned to leave town and head to Cody for the 4th Annual Ice Climbing Festival. Once on the calendar, it was hard not to get excited. The workdays seemed to get longer and longer as our departure date neared. I sat restless at my desk chair surfing the net trying to get more beta on Cody's secrets through local websites.

These websites were my window to Cody's Climbing World. The amount of ice photographed was amazing and my eyes were peeled to the screen. I kept noticing one climb that seemed to stick out above the rest. "High on Boulder" was it's name and the photos depicted gigantic ice walls for a total of 5 pitches. I could only imagine what they looked like in real life. I could picture myself climbing these great walls but there was a long stretch of road between "High on Boulder" and myself.

Getting to Cody is no easy task unless you're a Wyoming resident, however, no drive is too far when there's climbing on the other end. The festival was scheduled on a three-day weekend, which happened to be my last full weekend before leaving the states on a 3-6 month business trip so I had to make it a great one. By the time that weekend came, the anticipation had been building for months and finally the day was here. We set out on the 6.5-hour drive from Ogden, Utah headed for the middle of nowhere, Wyoming.

After driving for a few hours we realize that we have a chance to make it to the climbing store before it closes. This is our only hope of getting the "guide book" to Cody Ice. We race, trying to beat the clock and pull into town just in time. Mike runs to the store and pounds on the door. He is determined to find the grand climbing guide which will guide us through the weekend. The store manager just stares at him like he's nuts and finally gives in to the annoying pounding on the door. Well, to our disappointment the "guide book" could barely be contrived as a "book", more of a pamphlet, really. It is extremely vague and doesn't give us much information on where to find ice. We're lucky to find the right canyon! None-the-less we have made it to Cody and can't wait to get out and climb.

We wake up early the next day to go meet the rest of the Cody Ice Climbing Festival folks for breakfast. To our surprise they provide an excellent map of the area and plenty of beta to get us started. High on Boulder is our choice, so we start out for the trailhead.

Since we are both virgins to the area, we have all sorts of rumors floating around in our heads. The main one is to expect a heinous 2+ hour approach for every climb, but we're not going let that stop us. We hit the trail and instantly can see the climb. It is one of many, but it stands out among the rest due to its size and continues to taunt us during the hike. We are happy to discover that the approach only takes about an hour and is fairly pleasant.

Before we know it, we are standing at the base of an incredibly large flow of ice surrounded by incredibly crappy rock. The shale rock is an instant indication that this is definitely a winter climbing area only. I would never want to risk my life climbing that crap some call rock. For now, we can only see the first two pitches and hope that we can somehow work our way up to the others. We have no idea what condition the climb is in or if all 5 pitches are climbable. The uncertainty waiting above us becomes our drive to discover everything we can about this climb!

This is my last weekend to climb ice for the season, so with a tearfully impassioned plea and a bit of my Tae Kwon Do training I am able to pry the lead rack out of Mike's stubborn, bitter fingers. Pathetically bruised and battered, lying in a pile on the ground, he makes the ridiculous claim that he was only "kidding" about wanting to lead, and he is excited to see me lead this climb I have been dreaming of for so long.

The first pitch has seen many visitors and is really tracked out. Ever climb a flight of stairs? I don't mind too much as it turns out to be a great warm up for a not so experienced leader. By the time I reach the base of the 2nd pitch I feel pretty good and am amazed at the wall of ice that stands in front of me, which doesn't look tracked out. It's great to be the first one up there to view 200ft of ice just waiting to be climbed. I'm eager to get started and find out what's at the top.

I start climbing and quickly realize that I have found a true treasure in the ice climbing world. The crystal clear ice receives my picks with no arguments making each swing efficient and enjoyable. I work my way up and after a long, excellent pitch I reach the top to discover huge, green pine trees mixed with rocky cliffs. This is a welcome change to the bleak moonscape of the first two pitches. The ice flattens out, turning into a frozen river and weaves its way back up the canyon. We still can't see the upper pitches, no potential icefalls are visible from this point, but you never know what's around those blind rocky corners.

Mike cleans the second pitch and soon passes me as we continue up on this river of ice. That's one of many advantages that he has on me, his hiking endurance. By this time, I can feel the burn in my calves induced by the 45-degree ice. To my relief, my sore muscle thoughts are soon a thing of the past as the beauty of rolling, blue, plastic ice overwhelms me. The scenery gets better and better as we weave our way up the canyon. The trees become thicker and the ice becomes bluer with each new bend, and before long we come across a short pitch 3. This is a fun, short little pitch that requires no gear. We're able to climb it quickly and keep hiking.

As I hike, I let my mind wonder, which is easy to do because of the canyon's peacefulness. I become completely submerged in nature and I am definitely in my own little world. Something catches my attention and WHAM, Pitch 4! All of a sudden, in our faces is the fattest icefall I've ever seen. This wet, baby blue ice must be 50 feet wide, 20 feet thick and 60 feet high. It is a clear invitation to come climb and the pitch is calling my name. This pitch is steeper than the previous ones, but shorter, and definitely the most beautiful.

We set up a belay, took a few photos and I start up the center of this beautiful ice. I quickly learn that the view from the bottom of an ice climb is very misleading, but a good confidence builder. It looked fairly steep from below but not too long and I was psyched! It seems very do-able and the plan is to place two ice screws before topping out.

As I reach the point where I had planned to place my first ice screw I feel really confident so I decide to get a little higher. A few more kicks and swings lead to a good stance and I place a screw. My arms are pretty tired by this time so I try to rest as much as possible. I get a few feet higher and the wall gets steep. The pitch turns out to be much longer than I had predicted and the steepness is quickly wearing on my muscles. The ice has a top layer of clear, chandelier formations making it necessary to swing 2-3 times to get a good placement. This layer also makes it hard to find a good place for an ice screw. Because I am getting so tired, I don't want to mess with clearing tons of ice before placing a screw. I climb a few feet looking for a good place to stop but it always looks better just a few feet higher.

Suddenly, I glance past my feet and realize that my last screw is pretty far below me. Panic sets in! I begin to focus on how tired my muscles are and I desperately want to have an instant screw in place. I find a half decent stance and try to place a screw but that top layer is not helping. My arms feel heavier and heavier, making me more nervous and anxious.

With some deep breaths and encouraging words from below, I decide not to mess with any more screws. The top is visible and the wall begins to flatten. As soon as I make the conscious decision to make a dash for the top, I find some reserve energy and push out the last 15 feet. Boy am I happy to see the top of that pitch! I am tired and worn out but completely satisfied with my success. This is one of the longest routes I have ever climbed, let alone led, so I am thrilled at my performance.

I belay Mike up and am pleased to share with him that he can lead the last pitch. This is the least I can do after all the support he gave me earlier. Besides, I'm too tired and don't want to push it. With a look of suspicion and disbelief, he declines, muttering something about "bodily injury". However, after some reassurance from me he cautiously reaches for the lead rack all the while trying to keep a good distance from me. I don't know what his problem is; sometimes I just don't understand boys.

The fifth pitch, which is the crux, is even more magnificent than we had ever imagined. It's a very tall pillar with an intricate line that winds up the middle. What makes this pillar of ice even more intriguing, visually, is the "kick stand" pillar that has formed on the left side. The top sticks out like a shoulder and the pillar narrows as it touches the ground. We're high enough and in a big enough opening that the sun is able to shine directly on the climb illuminating its intricate details. Mike's face lights up with happiness as he takes his first few swings. He climbs out from the cave on the right side and weaves his way up through small overhanging blocks. It's a long pitch with tons of interesting features and the more I watch the more excited I get.

Mike reaches the top, and I begin to climb and clean the route. I soon realize how tired I am and I'm relieved to be on the other end of the rope at this time. This perfect pillar in this beautiful alcove is a great finish to an outstanding day.

I had an amazing climb, leading four challenging pitches, the longest lead I've ever done. Successfully finishing a climb like High on Boulder was a perfect ending to another great season of ice climbing. Not only did I end on a good note, I'm left with positive ice climbing memories to hold on to until the ice forms again next season. That last pitch still teases me, so next year I'll have to go back and lead all five pitches. Until then, my mind will be restless!

Editor's Note: Mike Anderson is a Major Contributor to the North American Classics project.