Grand Teton Free Solo

Hi y'all, I was wanting to inquire about your recommendations for a possible free solo to The Grand. I've read a couple of things in regards to numerous successful attempts but have not found a true forum or post about which route to take. My boyfriend and I will be going around May or so. We have already looked into buying crampons and ice axes since we have read that snow is still very prominent at that time of year. We have rock climbing experience although it is mostly from our gym and have also done minor scrambles when we have done Emory Peak here in Texas. We don't have too may options for outdoor rock climbing unfortunately. Our plan is to hike up to a camp site at The Meadows, then the following day we will head to another site probably at The Moraines and go for a summit of the Middle Teton in the morning, and then wake up crazy early and attempt The Grand the following day. We would love to attempt to get to the summit if possible but of course don't want to go about it the wrong way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Before doing any kind of free soloing outdoors I would definitely suggest (very strongly) a great deal of outdoor, real rock climbing experience. There is a long list of uncontrolled factors on real rock that do not exist in the gym and should be learned about and prepared for in a controlled environment. Unless you're understating the amount of real rock climbing youve done I wouldn't recommend any kind of free soloing.

What have you got against ropes?

You've never been climbing outdoors and you want to free solo this? Well ok,can I have you stuff when you fall off?

1) considering how much snow they got this year.. I would imagine this route is going to be in pretty rough shape in early May.. lots of snow and ice

2) Also in May you won't be able to hike of the summit and down climb the O.S because it will be very icy and snowy.. You'll have to bring a harness and rope to do the repels. So why not bring some trad gear.. really you don't need much to make this climb safe.

3) Do you know what it feel like to have to pull 5.4 moves while looking at a 2000ft drop-off below your feet?

I only roped up for about two pitches on this thing and while I agree in the right conditions the climbing is never insecure and it's very easy.. I would not take for granted how exposed the route felt especially the step across at wall street. The golden stair pitch and the open book pitch.

Maybe you're braver than I am but when I was first starting to lead trad making oves on 5.4 pitches was still scary even with gear jut below my feet. It took a long time to become comfortable with my ability reading rock and climbing to be comfortable climbing run outs or unropes on easier terrain.

I get that the Teton seems "easy" and it is.. but to have your first outdoor climbing trip be a free solo with extremely high 5th class consequences.. is asinine...

It's a free country and no ranger is gunna ask for a belay card before you go so do what you want.. but I wouldn't take this lightly

Troll

Ivonne Esparza wrote:Hi y'all, I was wanting to inquire about your recommendations for a possible free solo to The Grand. I've read a couple of things in regards to numerous successful attempts but have not found a true forum or post about which route to take. My boyfriend and I will be going around May 21-28th or so. We have already looked into buying crampons and ice axes since we have read that snow is still very prominent at that time of year. We have rock climbing experience although it is mostly from our gym and have also done minor scrambles when we have done Emory Peak here in Texas. We don't have too may options for outdoor rock climbing unfortunately. Our plan is to hike up to a camp site at The Meadows, then the following day we will head to another site probably at The Moraines and go for a summit of the Middle Teton in the morning, and then wake up crazy early and attempt The Grand the following day. We would love to attempt to get to the summit if possible but of course don't want to go about it the wrong way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

All this suggests that you're probably not experienced enough to do the Grand roped, let alone free solo. When will you have time to learn and practice using crampons and an axe? Why do most parties that climb the Grand bivi up at one of the Saddles and not do it from the Moraines? Have you ever climbed above 10K'? What about above 12K? Are you good at route finding on alpine climbs? How do you plan to get down from the summit?

Is this Elanor again?

Ivonne Esparza wrote:We have rock climbing experience although it is mostly from our gym and have also done minor scrambles when we have done Emory Peak here in Texas.

My $.02? Don't even think about it. You're based in Texas, which at Emory Peak's highest elevation, is typically the minimum elevation in the Tetons. That will definitely have an impact on your cardiovascular ability and need to consume copious amounts of water. Throw snow into the mix - I'm going to assume you have very little snow mountaineering experience - and you're just setting yourself up for a potential major epic. Plus, even experienced climbers have met an untimely demise on lower grade routes; just last year experienced climbers were unroped and met an unfortunate fate: cbsnews.com/news/2-women-pl….

Hi Ivonne:

Late May is still quite early season for climbing in the Tetons. It's certainly possible to do so, but you will likely encounter considerable amounts of snow, as well as significant wet avalanche potential. Further, while the Grand Teton is regularly free soloed, this is best accomplished by experienced climbers with years of ascents behind them. The vast majority of parties use a rope, particularly for the descent which would otherwise involved potentially tricky downclimbing. It would also be best to have solid snow climbing and self-arrest skills in advance; I imagine that since you are planning to buy crampons and ice axes this is not the case.

If your hearts are still set on climbing the Grand Teton, I'd strongly urge you to go with a guide. A knowledgeable guide can teach you the prerequisite skills in advance of the climb and help you put them into practice on the mountain. Your climb will likely be much safer, more efficient, and could even be more fun. Jackson Hole Mountain Guides and Exum Mountain Guides are both great services that operate on the Grand.

Yer gonna DIE!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for the input! We may do two outdoor classes prior to our trip but I don't think that will be enough at all! In trying to research The Grand, I just saw so many mixed posts in which some stated that it was very attainable without gear and others highly suggested gear depending on which route you took. Either way, I'll be glad to get as high up as we can before turning back for our descent. I'd like to be ballsy but I'd also like to live another day and summit another mountain. This is not going to be my first high altitude climb by the way. I appreciate the positive and helpful feedback. I was asking cause I had no idea what to expect in this particular route. I have no problem using gear or going for one of the smaller mountains in the park. Thanks everyone!

May this year could be a toss up snow wise but expect pretty heavy snow into mid to late June as an average. For perspective, they just got a foot overnight last night and it typically snows on and around Memorial Day every year. The Tetons are known to get snow mid-summer, just like any other mountain range in the area.

The Grand may be considered a "hike-up" but because of its vertical relief and aspect, it gets hit by storms often without warning. Being caught above 12k in a storm is no fun, especially if you've treated the route as a "hike-up".

If you don't have much snow/alpine experience, climbing to the Moraine would be a fun trip. You can get permits to camp there and experience the mountains in a relatively safe environment. You will get experience on snow and navigating mountain terrain, plus get to "bivy" at 10,700(?). There's a TON of info out there on how to get to the Moraine.

You have to take things in small steps. You can't expect to fly from sea level/ low altitude and climb the Grand. It's a serious trip whichever way you do it. Knowing when to bail is a very good skill to have, especially when you don't have the experience. Good luck.

Here's a few pictures from June 21st of 2011 on the Owen Spaulding...The early months (May and June) can still be rather rowdy up there, especially after prolific snow years. The first picture is of the 'Belly Crawl' move and the second is exiting the 'Owen Chimney'. Plan on climbing in at least 3 season mountaineering boots to get up anywhere past the Lower Saddle. You will most likely want to climb in crampons as there will be ample snow and ice on the upper mountain.

Keith Sidle
Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

KeithS wrote:Here's a few pictures from June 21st of 2011 on the Owen Spaulding...The early months (May and June) can still be rather rowdy up there, especially after prolific snow years. The first picture is of the 'Belly Crawl' move and the second is exiting the 'Owen Chimney'. Plan on climbing in at least 3 season mountaineering boots to get up anywhere past the Lower Saddle. You will most likely want to climb in crampons as there will be ample snow and ice on the upper mountain. Keith Sidle Jackson Hole Mountain Guides

Best response ever.

Not sure if you are really serious but I have been up there twice and can offer some advice.
I climbed the Exum route many years ago. I went back last summer and backpacked to the Morraine but turned back due to illness & didn't summit.

I was there the end of July and there were several ice storms right before we got there, which made the descent potentially sketchy (lots of verglas). In May, you will definitely be climbing in snow and ice. Appropriate gear and knowledge is pretty essential.

OS is pretty easy (easier than Exum, which is technically easy) but alpine climbing requires a skill set that is best learned before tackling a relatively serious mountain like the Grand.

The weather up there, even in late summer, can be horrendous, with high winds, clouds, hail, ice storms, snow, etc. Good to have equipment and skills to bail if needed.

Thee approach is pretty strenuous with 7 miles and 7000 feet of elevation gain (approximately). Feels even harder with a heavy pack and thin air (the lower saddle is over 11k feet above sea level).

The climbing also feels more strenuous due to the altitude and the wind. There is loose rock, patches of snow, ice/verglas and route finding is not always straightforward.

The descent in May would require at least one rope to be safe.

Climbing the Grand is amazing but should not be taken lightly or seen as a beginer climb for someone with minimal rockclimbing and alpine experience, in my opinion.

Do what you like but be smart and be careful.

Holy eff!!! Thanks for sharing that Keith! We have the boots from previous trips and yes, definitely getting crampons. Ummm...also looking into y'alls guide services if The Grand is definitely something we decide to do. Thanks for sharing those pictures. That makes it a total game changer.

If those pictures are what it took for you to realize that your idea may not be a good one, I'd say your risk assessment and avoidance skills are poor, and you probably don't belong in the mountains.

YER GONNA DIE!!!!!

Hire KiethS.

May is very different from August. Because of the snow and ice, the Grand in May is not suitable for anyone who isn't experienced at alpine climbing. For a look at what winter conditions can be like (on June 23!) check out bootedandfed.com/?p=520 .

Later in the season when the snow is gone from the Owen-Spaulding and with no icing from recent storms, experienced scramblers with little or no roped climbing experience have done the Grand (here is one account with a whole lotta responses: supertopo.com/tr/Grand-Teto… ), but other experienced scramblers with similar levels of experience have been killed trying ( nationalparkstraveler.com/2… ).

Even experienced professional guides climbing roped have been killed on the Owen-Spaulding in icy conditions ( publications.americanalpine… ).

Here's a thought: don't even think about an unroped ascent of the Grand until you have acquired at least a minimal range of mountaineering skills and have successfully climbed the Grand (Owen-Spaulding or Exum Route) WITH a rope and the associated equipment. Those minimal mountaineering skills can only be obtained...in the mountains. You can't learn any of them in a gym. You have to go to mountain areas and do mountain routes. Either you do this on your own, working your way up the challenge levels, or you speed up the process and increase your likelihood of surviving it by spending some bucks on professional instruction.

Frankly, unless you have experienced friends who are willing to take you out and teach you, you almost have to get professional instruction in the very basic aspects of snow and ice climbing. This would be required for plain old hiking in the Tetons in May, much less climbing the Grand.

cdec wrote:Hire KiethS.

I'll put in one more plug for KeithS. Good guide, solid climber, generally just rad to hang out with.

rgold wrote:May is very different from August. Because of the snow and ice, the Grand in May is not suitable for anyone who isn't experienced at alpine climbing.

This comment is crucial. Keith Sidle is a remarkably strong climber and guide and an enthusiast for the mountains. But Jackson Hole and Exum guide services both usually are not open in May, and don't get regularly onto the Grand before well into June. Whether Keith would be out to the Tetons in May remains to be seen....

Also it might be worth noting that the accident Dylan Grabowski cites was on Teewinot, on a route rated 4.0, not necessarily a roped climb at all. The problem there appears to have been one of route-finding combined with insufficient experience to get out of a jam. The need for technical expertise can soar if you're not on route, and most people with limited experience are often not very skilled at down-climbing.