CODY - Pick, pick. Step, step.

Up they went, dozens of climbers inch by inch, picking their way up the incredible frozen waterfalls of the South Fork Valley.

The 10th Annual Waterfall Ice Festival showcased the hundreds of ice climbing routes of the Cody area last weekend. The event attracted 75 participants this year, many from around the country. About 45 of them took part in free hands-on ice climbing clinics offered by local guides and veteran climbers.

Many of the clinic goers were learning the ropes for the first time. Ricky Parker came all the way from Florida to attend the ice fest and give ice climbing a shot.

"It's something different, something life threatening, not something the average tourist would do," he said, as he strapped crampons onto his boots.

On Saturday, Parker and nine other beginning climbers hiked up a steep frozen drainage to climb Deer Creek Falls, a two-tiered vertical wall of frozen water in the South Fork Valley.

It's about a 45-minute drive from Cody and a difficult hike of at least 45 minutes to most of the ice climbs in the valley, said Don Foote, founder and chairman of the Waterfall Ice Festival.

"For so many people the hard part about climbing here is getting to the approach of the waterfalls," Foote said. "It's an epic adventure just getting there sometimes."

The area has the highest concentration of ice in the Lower 48 with 153 natural waterfalls that have been named and rated, he said. Many climbers consider the region the best ice climbing in the American Rocky Mountains.

"The ice climbing here in Cody is just phenomenal. Nobody else has anything like this. It's all natural, no man-made ice," he said.

The Shoshone National Forest prohibits commercial guides from leading climbing trips in the South Fork Valley but grants a special-use permit for group trips one weekend a year during the annual non-profit festival.

Cody's location off the beaten path and the extra work required to reach many of the climbs are probably what keep the South Fork such an "undiscovered gem," said local ice climber John Lovell.

"You could spend a lifetime out here climbing," he said. "There are no crowds. That's what makes it for me. Out here you don't see anybody all day. It's a wilderness setting. You're out in the woods by yourself."

The Shoshone National Forest does not allow guided ice-climbing trips in the South Fork Valley. But experienced climbers going on their own can find out the latest ice conditions and pick up a guidebook of South Fork climbing routes at Core Mountain Sports in downtown Cody. Stop by the store at 1019 15th St. or call 1-877-527-7354.

For online information, go to www.coldfear.com.]]>