Tucked in northern Wyoming, where the old West still reigns, sits the small town of Cody, built in 1896. Past the museums, saloons and log cabins is Bighorn Basin, a labyrinth of steep mountains, cold rivers, and hidden slivers of frozen waterfalls. To self-professed ice climbing “addict” Aaron Mulkey, the mountains surrounding Cody offer a lifetime of adventure. Like a treasure hunter, he’ll ride snowmobiles for hours, and thrash up steep hillsides with hopes to find hidden gems. To date, he has more than 100 first ascents outside of Cody, some hanging ice daggers, some frozen smears of white, others a mix of ice and rock. “My passion has always been first ascents,” he says of his 20 years with the sport. Why So Many People Are Falling in Love With Ice Climbing Tools on the rock, feet in the air, another Mulkey first ascent. Mulkey is one of the country’s top ice climbers, and his favorite place to climb is in the hills surrounding his home. That’s why this year he’s writing a g...