All Locations > Wyoming > Grand Teton NP > Death Canyon > Cathedral Buttress

SW Ridge of Albright

Name: SW Ridge of Albright
Rating: 3.3

5.6 YDS 4c French 14 Ewbanks V UIAA 12 ZA S 4b British

Routes in Cathedral Buttress

L › R R › L A › Z

	Aerial Boundaries T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Aerial Boundaries (FNG Variation) T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Alpine Cow T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
	Caveat Emptor T 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Cotton Mouth T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c PG13
	Cousin Leroy's Uncle T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b
	Escape from Death T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Fountainhead T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b PG13
	Freedom Fighter T 5.12d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
	Snaz, The T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
	Snazette, The T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
	Sunshine Daydream T 5.11- 6c 22 VIII- 22 E3 5c
	SW Ridge of Albright T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
	Widowmaker, The T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R

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Type:	Trad, Alpine, 3000 ft (909 m), 12 pitches, Grade III
GPS:	43.66063, -110.82348
FA:	Leigh Ortenburger and John Whitesel. August 18, 1975
Page Views:	1,326 total · 21/month
Shared By:	jediah porter on Sep 22, 2020
Admins:	Mike Snyder, Taylor Spiegelberg, Jake Dickerson Page Updates (admin only)

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Description

This is an excellent scrambling adventure. The Jackson/Ortenburger book calls it grade "II". I think that is a significant sandbag. Soloing, and pretty fast, I was on route for 2:40 (4:48 round trip, descending by way of Albright’s East Slope. With a rope you will take 2-3 times that long, at least. There is close to 3000 vertical feet from the first climbing moves to the summit. In terms of mileage to scrambling ratio, it doesn’t get much better than this in the Tetons.

Jackson and Ortenburger have a satisfactory description. Note that you will use their description for the East Ledges of Sentinel Turret (page 96) plus their description for the SW Ridge of Albright (page 103).

Some notes to complement the guidebook descriptions:

Getting to the 5.1 pitch of Sentinel Turret's East Ledges is pretty straightforward. Use a map/gps app to complement description.
From the Sentinel Turret notch the side trip to the top of ST is worth the few minutes it takes. Scout ahead from that vantage point. Notably, identify the nearby blade of "Harrington Spire".
From the ST notch I wandered a bunch and am confident this is the best route, at least for a soloist. Climb west (left) under Harrington Spire.
Turn up and right, on steep and juggy stacked blocks, to just beneath and S of the blade of Harrington Spire. I did not summit HS, but was within feet of doing so.
Scramble down and east ish from HS onto a big and widening ledge. I followed that ledge all the way to its end.
Near the end of this ledge I wormed and thrutched my way just a few moves to easier ground that reached the next big ledge up.
You could probably find a more direct route between these two big ledges. Especially with rock shoes, a rope, and/or a partner.
I traversed back west/south along that ledge to the crest of the ridge.
Follow the crest all the way up from there. Near the end of the difficulties but well before the summit you will intersect the end of one of the Alaska Basin/Static Peak trail switchbacks.

Descend by way of the Alaska Basin/Static Peak trail or Albright East Slope. The east slope is definitely faster, but is punishing and unrelenting steep grass