Grand Teton National Park Climbing Articles

Grand Teton National Park Guide: Climbing

About a mile into the Stewart Draw drainage approaching Static and Buck mountains is a prominent wall on the canyon's south side with several climbing routes. The 5.7-mile Spegelo Nero route ascends the formation’s east face via three pitches and some good crack climbing. There is also good bouldering in this area.
The first prominent buttress you see to the south along the Granite Canyon Trail is known as the Sharkshead Pinnacle, just west of Aprez Vous Peak. The Givler's Arête route follows the crest of the rock’s northern arête, a technical eight pitches to the top of this 500-foot pinnacle.
Explore the routes tackling the crystalline rock along the south wall of Death Canyon, including Black Diamond. This 5.10, five-pitch route follows a yellow dihedral up the first major formation to an exposed peak offering first-class views of the canyon.
Reach Delta Lake via a climber's trail up Glacier Gulch branching off the Garnet Canyon Trail, a half-mile south of Lupine Meadows. A series of five buttresses on the lake’s west side offer several established, popular routes, plus stellar views of Disappointment Peak and Grand Teton.
Visit the American Alpine Club's Climbers Ranch three miles south of Jenny Lake on Teton Park Road. Dorm-style lodging at the ranch is popular with visiting climbers, so the place has a great vibe, and the open-to-all library has a wealth of information on peaks and routes in the Tetons.

By Travel Expert: Brian Kevin

Non-technical routes reach the summit of Static Peak from the Static Peak Divide, but climbing routes include a 5.4 dihedral line up the north face. Follow the climber's trail along Stewart Draw from the Death Peak Trailhead to reach the base at Timberline Lake.
Glacier-strewn Mount Moran looks down on the Teton Range, and a number of challenging routes reach its summit. The classic route is the Direct South Buttress, a 5.7 A3, Grade IV or 5.12, Grade V route that requires paddling across Leigh Lake to reach the base.
You’ll need an ice-axe, crampons, and a lot of energy to summit Teewinot via the standard route up the east face, but a rope and rack is optional. Some Grade III–IV scrambling will get you to the peak's pinpoint summit, where views of nearby Mount Owen and the north face of the Grand are superb.
Climbing the Grand without a guide is for expert mountaineers only. Exum Mountain Guides is certainly the gold standard for guided mountaineering trips in the Tetons. The guides of this 75-year-old climbing school par excellence are credited with many first ascents.
Visit the American Alpine Club's Climbers Ranch three miles south of Jenny Lake on Teton Park Road. Dorm-style lodging at the ranch is popular with visiting climbers, so the place has a great vibe, and its public library contains a wealth of information on peaks and routes in the park.

By Travel Expert: Brian Kevin

The north couloirs of Buck Mountain offer 45- to 60-degree pitches of alpine ice and snow rising 3,000 feet toward the summit. The 5.6, Grade II routes are accessible from the south fork of Avalanche Canyon.
Climb the Middle Teton Glacier later in the season to avoid steep snows. Approach the classic 5.7, Grade III route from the Lower Saddle between Middle and Grand Tetons. Go with Exum Guides to take advantage of their base camp on the saddle.
The 5.9, Grade III Run-Don't-Walk Couloir on Mount Owen is a popular and challenging water-ice route between the north ridge and the Crescent Arête. Not for the claustrophobic, the narrow couloir is best approached earlier in the season when ice conditions are stable.
Without a guide, the famous Black Ice Couloir on Grand Teton is recommended for pros only. It's an undertaking just to approach the 15 pitches of vertical ice and rock that ascend between the mountain and the equally magnificent neighbor peak, the Enclosure.
During the early spring and late summer, a number of intensely challenging water-ice routes are accessible in chimneys and couloirs on the Grand's north face. Check with rangers or your guide for conditions of routes like Root Canal and Shea’s Shute.

By Travel Expert: Brian Kevin