Ten Sleep, Wyoming

Ten Sleep is a small ranching town on the western flank of Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains, at the mouth of a canyon that has become one of the premier sport-climbing destinations in the United States. The dolomite walls of Ten Sleep Canyon rise in tiers above a cottonwood-lined creek.

The rock is Bighorn dolomite, a hard limestone-like stone forming vertical to gently overhanging faces studded with pockets, edges, and knobs. The climbing is entirely sport, clipping bolts, and the canyon is renowned for technical, sustained face routes on excellent stone. The grade range is broad and generous, with a large supply of moderate 5.9 to 5.11 lines that make it welcoming to newer sport climbers, plus a deep collection of hard 5.12, 5.13, and 5.14 testpieces spread across dozens of walls.

Practical detail: the crags line Highway 16 as it climbs the canyon, so approaches are short, though the walls sit at 1,900 to 2,600 metres, keeping temperatures cool. Camping is available on national forest land and at private climber campgrounds near town, and Ten Sleep supplies basic services while larger towns lie farther off.

Season and character: the high elevation makes summer the main season, roughly June to September, when the canyon is pleasant while lower deserts bake. Spring and autumn can be cold, and winter closes the area with snow. The remote setting, cool air, and enormous supply of quality routes have turned this quiet corner of Wyoming into a summer gathering place for sport climbers, who camp among the pines and work the canyon's pocketed walls.