Ice Climbing

If you like rock climbing in the Black Hills and Badlands, you’ll love a fresh challenge during the winter months when the highest waterfalls and steepest spires are covered in a thick layer of ice and snow.

Scaling giant icicles is gaining in popularity, and experts say the Black Hills offers some of the most challenging climbs around with its frozen springs and waterfalls, icy mountainsides and steep cliffs.

Start at Eleventh Hour Gulch in Spearfish Canyon, or nearby Bridal Veil Falls. Two small flows of ice on either side of Bridal Veil offer their own challenges.

Hidden away in a ravine where sunlight is a rarity, ice climbing at Eleventh Hour Gulch begins early in the season and ends late. Enjoy the colorful rock walls in stark contrast to the frozen falls. It’s a short hike just to get there, but worth your effort.

Within minutes of Spearfish you’ll find steep, free-standing columns of ice at Community Caves.

A one-hour hike from the trailhead to get to the frozen flows at Crow Peak west of Spearfish is worth the effort, according to those who have tried it. It takes lots of snow and runoff to create a challenging chunk of ice here, so check the conditions before you head out.

Tackling one of the Cathedral spires along the Needles Highway or Sylvan Lake presents its own wintertime challenges. Two highly popular climbs are Honeybear near Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park and Palmer Creek near the Black Hills’ highest mountain, Harney Peak near Hill City.

The Black Hills’ largest formation and most challenging ice climbing is found on the backside of Harney Peak. A six-mile hike that gets you to the Harney Ice Flow will have you primed for the bigger challenges that lie ahead.

Black Hills Climbers is a local coaliton that works on keeping trails and climbing routes open and clean.

Just like any other outdoor winter sport, you’ll want to dress appropriately. Layering works best. Ice climbing equipment is comparable to that needed for rock climbing, but add metal crampons and bring along an ice ax. Black Hills Climbing has all the equipment that you would need.   Ice climbing guides can be hired at local rock climbing schools or climbing businesses.







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