Route Climbed: SW Couloir Date Climbed: Sep 04 '03
Fun climb - except for the weather. Forecast called for mostly sunny skies with chance of late afternoon thunderstorms (sound familiar?). Awoke at camp in Meadows with very overcast skies. Climbed with on-again, off-again showers, wind, and a little sleet. Didn't spend much time on summit as weather continued to deteriorate and it was appearent the afternoon thunder would soon begin.
Route Climbed: SW Couloir Date Climbed: September 4, 2003
Had a great time climbing with Alan Ellis and Iceaxeman. Perfect weather and rock. Only downside was a few REAL MOUNTAINEERS (I know they were real because they told me) sending rocks down the couloir towards us.
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: September 4, 2003
This climb is an absolute joy! After a long approach, the couloir itself is wonderful. With mostly 3rd class scrambling, and a few class 4 moves, it's a blast.
The best part of my day was the birthday party on the summit. Jerry (Iceaxeman) turned 50 on our summit day. Eric (hendere) burned a match in a Clif Bar for a cake and gave him an old 'biner for a gift. We all sang "Happy Birthday" and enjoyed the summit with perfect weather and no wind. Thanks to Eric and Jerry for making this one of the highlights of my trip.
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: June 1996
The first time I camped on the snow, the first time I used an ice axe, my first Teton summit, my first yearning for the Exum Ridge once I saw it from the summit of the Middle Teton.
Route Climbed: Chounard Ridge Date Climbed: August 9, 2003
What a great route. Simulclimbed this route with my wife and found it to be much better than the Upper Exum on the Grand. More sustained for the 5.4 grade, longer and best of all not a single person on the route or summit. One of the Exum guides I met along the trail said this route sees almost no traffic and he was right. There were no traces of other climbers having passed which means lots of route finding and although the rock was lichened it was still beautiful solid Teton granite.
Route Climbed: SW Couloir Date Climbed: July 31, 2003
Climbed solo to the summit in about 5.5 hrs from Lupine Meadows Trailhead and then went to the summit of South Teton as well before heading back down. The route was really fun with nice scrambling in the upper sections. It isn't even that exposed, since the route stays in a very deep gully most of the way. Routefinding was quite straightforward since there was a clear path from so many other climbers. Quite a long approach over lots of talus but well worth the effort.
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: 2003 July 16
A beautiful mountain with great position in a wonderful range. It's too bad the climbing isn't all like the upper portion of the couloir (steeper and more solid). We kicked steps up the snow in the couloir to 11,800ft before exiting on rock but took the "trail" down avoiding the snow. Nice day. Four-and-a-half hours round-trip from South Garnet Camp Zone with daypacks.
Route Climbed: Southwest Coulior Date Climbed: 10/10/2002
Attemped to solo dayhike this route from the Lupine Meadows parking lot. Got to the saddle at about 1:00 PM and scrambled up to about 11,400 feet. The winds picked up to about 50 mph and a front was moving in so I turned around. Good thing, this storm brought lots of snow to the Tetons and Yellowstone that night and the next day. The route was pretty easy, mostly scrambling. When I get better at alpine rock, I'll be back to tackle a harder route.
Did the climb with J.Z. We didn't read the guidebook and made the mistake of rapping towards the saddle. Became disinterested in looking for rappel slings in the dark so sat down for the night with only a light windbreaker over tights and a tank-top. I thought about how Johnny Cash used to sing "I know I've fought tougher men, I just can't remember when." Some nice people at the saddle gave us some tea when we passed through the next morning.
This was only the second or third real mountain I'd ever climbed. I was woefully unprepared with junky lightweight hiking boots and an old borrowed ice axe. When we got to the saddle, and could see the praries of Idaho, we saw small thunderheads forming. Foolishly we continued on to the summit. Even more foolishly, we decided to glissade down a different coulior 'to save time'. Of course this coulior ended in super steep terrain, so we had to reclimb back to the summit, and descend the normal route.
By this point the thunderstorm was picking up speed, and struck just as we reached the Middle-South Teton Saddle. We were buzzed by our ice axes a couple times as the lightning struck nearby. We huddled under large boulders above the Garnet Canyon meadows, waiting for the storm to subside. After the lightning passed, we took off running in the downpour, down the endless switchbacks to the car.
In the last 12 years since that climb I've discovered that if one can just survive the stupidity of one's first few climbs, the rest will be OK.
TDRoberts - Oct 20, 2003 9:30 am
Route Climbed: SW Couloir Date Climbed: Sep 04 '03Fun climb - except for the weather. Forecast called for mostly sunny skies with chance of late afternoon thunderstorms (sound familiar?). Awoke at camp in Meadows with very overcast skies. Climbed with on-again, off-again showers, wind, and a little sleet. Didn't spend much time on summit as weather continued to deteriorate and it was appearent the afternoon thunder would soon begin.
Hendere - Sep 8, 2003 6:16 pm
Route Climbed: SW Couloir Date Climbed: September 4, 2003Had a great time climbing with Alan Ellis and Iceaxeman. Perfect weather and rock. Only downside was a few REAL MOUNTAINEERS (I know they were real because they told me) sending rocks down the couloir towards us.
Jerry L - Sep 8, 2003 4:35 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: September 4, 2003Awesome.
Alan Ellis - Sep 6, 2003 10:12 am
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: September 4, 2003This climb is an absolute joy! After a long approach, the couloir itself is wonderful. With mostly 3rd class scrambling, and a few class 4 moves, it's a blast.
The best part of my day was the birthday party on the summit. Jerry (Iceaxeman) turned 50 on our summit day. Eric (hendere) burned a match in a Clif Bar for a cake and gave him an old 'biner for a gift. We all sang "Happy Birthday" and enjoyed the summit with perfect weather and no wind. Thanks to Eric and Jerry for making this one of the highlights of my trip.
b. - Sep 3, 2003 1:07 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: June 1996The first time I camped on the snow, the first time I used an ice axe, my first Teton summit, my first yearning for the Exum Ridge once I saw it from the summit of the Middle Teton.
miztflip - Aug 12, 2003 7:20 pm
Route Climbed: Chounard Ridge Date Climbed: August 9, 2003What a great route. Simulclimbed this route with my wife and found it to be much better than the Upper Exum on the Grand. More sustained for the 5.4 grade, longer and best of all not a single person on the route or summit. One of the Exum guides I met along the trail said this route sees almost no traffic and he was right. There were no traces of other climbers having passed which means lots of route finding and although the rock was lichened it was still beautiful solid Teton granite.
Tom Fralich - Aug 8, 2003 5:07 pm
Route Climbed: SW Couloir Date Climbed: July 31, 2003Climbed solo to the summit in about 5.5 hrs from Lupine Meadows Trailhead and then went to the summit of South Teton as well before heading back down. The route was really fun with nice scrambling in the upper sections. It isn't even that exposed, since the route stays in a very deep gully most of the way. Routefinding was quite straightforward since there was a clear path from so many other climbers. Quite a long approach over lots of talus but well worth the effort.
climbit - Jul 21, 2003 4:43 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: 2003 July 16A beautiful mountain with great position in a wonderful range. It's too bad the climbing isn't all like the upper portion of the couloir (steeper and more solid). We kicked steps up the snow in the couloir to 11,800ft before exiting on rock but took the "trail" down avoiding the snow. Nice day. Four-and-a-half hours round-trip from South Garnet Camp Zone with daypacks.
gato - Jul 16, 2003 1:19 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest Couloir Date Climbed: October 2002Solo climb, beautiful day. Only one other person in Garnet Canyon that day!
bighurtbob - Feb 7, 2003 1:27 pm
Route Climbed: NW Ice Couloir Date Climbed: August 1998Cool route. Crappy descent.
Martin Cash - Nov 26, 2002 10:45 am
Route Climbed: Southwest Coulior Date Climbed: 10/10/2002Attemped to solo dayhike this route from the Lupine Meadows parking lot. Got to the saddle at about 1:00 PM and scrambled up to about 11,400 feet. The winds picked up to about 50 mph and a front was moving in so I turned around. Good thing, this storm brought lots of snow to the Tetons and Yellowstone that night and the next day. The route was pretty easy, mostly scrambling. When I get better at alpine rock, I'll be back to tackle a harder route.
OregonNative - Nov 14, 2002 6:50 pm
Route Climbed: Dike Date Climbed: Summer 2002Did the climb with J.Z. We didn't read the guidebook and made the mistake of rapping towards the saddle. Became disinterested in looking for rappel slings in the dark so sat down for the night with only a light windbreaker over tights and a tank-top. I thought about how Johnny Cash used to sing "I know I've fought tougher men, I just can't remember when." Some nice people at the saddle gave us some tea when we passed through the next morning.
rmjwinters - Oct 5, 2002 9:42 pm
Route Climbed: Southwest chute Date Climbed: August 22 1998Summited and then off to South Teton. See trip report for details.
darinchadwick - May 18, 2002 3:37 am
Route Climbed: SW coulior Date Climbed: July 1990This was only the second or third real mountain I'd ever climbed. I was woefully unprepared with junky lightweight hiking boots and an old borrowed ice axe. When we got to the saddle, and could see the praries of Idaho, we saw small thunderheads forming. Foolishly we continued on to the summit. Even more foolishly, we decided to glissade down a different coulior 'to save time'. Of course this coulior ended in super steep terrain, so we had to reclimb back to the summit, and descend the normal route.
By this point the thunderstorm was picking up speed, and struck just as we reached the Middle-South Teton Saddle. We were buzzed by our ice axes a couple times as the lightning struck nearby. We huddled under large boulders above the Garnet Canyon meadows, waiting for the storm to subside. After the lightning passed, we took off running in the downpour, down the endless switchbacks to the car.
In the last 12 years since that climb I've discovered that if one can just survive the stupidity of one's first few climbs, the rest will be OK.