Grand Teton

Grand Teton (13,770ft) via Upper Exum Ridge

On the summit

Eric and Katie

August 27, 2014

Aug 18 – fly from Slovenia to Jackson, Wyoming.
Aug 19 – hike to lower saddle camp
Aug 20 – summit attempt, retreat in bad weather
Aug 21 – hike back to trailhead
Aug 22-25 climb Eagle Peak
Aug 26 – hike to lower saddle camp
Aug 27 – climb upper exum ridge route to summit
Aug 28 – hike out

I’d been mountaineering in Europe with Matthew for a few weeks and when we

Staying at the lodge in Jackson, with Grand Teton in the background

finished in Slovenia I flew back to the US to meet Katie in Wyoming.  We spent the first day relaxing in Jackson and spent the night at the American Alpine Club lodge. The next morning we picked up a permit and hiked up to the lower saddle and set up camp.

In the morning we scrambled up from camp to wall street, then started climbing across the ledge. We got to the edge of Exum Ridge and were soon enveloped in thick clouds. The weather seemed to be getting worse, and we were worried about getting stuck high on the ridge if it started raining or snowing. It’s difficult to retreat from Exum Ridge, so we bailed out and climbed/scrambled back to camp. Soon after we got to camp it started snowing and we quickly jumped in the tent. We were happy to not be stuck higher on the mountain.

Climbing through the V notch near the summit

Several inches of snow fell the rest of the day, and we spent the night at the saddle. The next morning the weather was still bad, so we hiked back down to the trailhead, planning to return when the weather improved.

Over the next few days we drove into Yellowstone National Park and climbed Eagle Peak, the highest point in the park. We spent a rest day in Jackson, then August 26 it looked like a good weather window had lined up for another attempt at Grand Teton.

In the morning of August 27 we picked up a permit at the ranger office and started up the trail again. At the edge of treeline I realized I had left the permit in the car, so dropped my pack, ran back to the car, then ran back up with the permit. We camped at the lower saddle again that night, then started up again in the morning for the Upper Exum route.

Somehow we were the only ones on the mountain except for two rangers, I think because it was still covered in snow from the earlier storm. Maybe other climbers were waiting til all the snow melted

Rappelling the Owen Spaulding route

off. We climbed across Wall Street again and started up the Upper Exum ridge. This time the weather was nice and sunny. I led through some low angle rock, then at the wind tunnel stuggled up icy and snowy chutes to drier terrain. The two rangers passed us in this section, then we were alone.

The route was generally fun and well-protected, though the friction pitch (the crux), was exposed with very little protection. By mid afternoon we made the final traverse to the summit, then scrambled down to the descent route, the Owen-Spaulding route. Luckily we could follow the ranger boot prints in the snow and easily found the rappel.

It only took one double-length rappel, but somehow the ropes got stuck. Eventually I freed them and we made it back down to camp before dark. The next morning he hiked back to the car and started driving to Glacier National Park for our next mountain, Mt Cleveland.

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