Protection thoughts in late June for the Tetons

Hey, heading to the Tetons at the end of the month. Bringing the standard wrack. What are the thoughts on snow pickets and/or ice screws? For sure are bringing crampons and ice ax. Thinking about doing for sure Owen Spaulding, and then a link up with another, not sure yet. Thanks.

Snow protection is not needed for OS/Exum. Just use rock gear if needed. Crampons might not needed either, ice axe is not a bad idea.

Is that how it is with most the routes up on the grand and surrounding peaks, or is that specific towards OS?

Bring a short axe and you ll be fine. If you are okay with real exposure then you won't need any gear for the OS. Just gear to rap If you re thinking if link ups in a day I'd reconsider. It's a long day car to car. 8 hours for most fit climbers

Bring a short axe and you ll be fine. If you are okay with real exposure then you won't need any gear for the OS. Just gear to rap If you re thinking if link ups in a day I'd reconsider. It's a long day car to car. 8 hours for most fit climbers

Josh Kornish wrote:Bring a short axe and you ll be fine. If you are okay with real exposure then you won't need any gear for the OS. Just gear to rap If you re thinking if link ups in a day I'd reconsider. It's a long day car to car. 8 hours for most fit climbers

8 hours car to car would be flying! I suppose with running shoes and a free-soloist mentality 8 might be doable, but I'd plan on more like 15 for the OS if you are going to rope up for any of it. Plus you'll probably be post-holing for a lot of the approach this time of year. Full Exum took us 23 hours car to car in dry conditions last September. Granted we were a group of 3 so we were slowed a bit by that, but I didn't think we were that slow (we passed a couple parties, and were passed by several free-soloists).

BTW I think there is still quite a bit of snow up there. I have a friend who climbed the Stettner Couloir last week and said it was continuous starting about 4 miles up the approach. Maybe you could get by without crampons, but I'd sure want to have them . . .

Have fun!

Cheers,
Cory

Josh Kornish wrote: 8 hours for most fit climbers

bahahahaha spray of the year right there. 8 hours car to car? Don't listen to this guy, its a lot longer than that.

Cory wrote: 8 hours car to car would be flying! I suppose with running shoes and a free-soloist mentality 8 might be doable, but I'd plan on more like 15 for the OS if you are going to rope up for any of it. Plus you'll probably be post-holing for a lot of the approach this time of year. Full Exum took us 23 hours car to car in dry conditions last September. Granted we were a group of 3 so we were slowed a bit by that, but I didn't think we were that slow (we passed a couple parties, and were passed by several free-soloists). BTW I think there is still quite a bit of snow up there. I have a friend who climbed the Stettner Couloir last week and said it was continuous starting about 4 miles up the approach. Maybe you could get by without crampons, but I'd sure want to have them . . . Have fun! Cheers, Cory

I think my partner and I hitched a ride on your rap line and walked out with you.

We did it in 21 hours but spent hours waiting behind a party of three and party of two on the lower. Solo'd the upper.

For the OS in the dry I would take a 70m twin/rap line and leave all the other gear in the car. 8h C2C would still be impressive with the seven mile approach. With snow I'd take a lite rack, crampons, and small axe/tool.

Keep an eye on these pages for condition updates.

tetonclimbinggrand.blogspot…
tetonclimbinggrand.blogspot…

Ha! Didn't mean to spray. We did it in around 8 hours though we were jogging to and from the cirque up Garnet Canyon and we soloed to OS.

Point is I wouldn't go up there with the mentality that you're going to do the Exum ridge and then come down and do the OS or whatever.

It's a long day

Ice screws won't be useful, but an ice ax likely will. The Tetons came in near normal snow pack this year, so its a matter of temps in June as to whether you are on snow or not. ANd thats key... snow accounts for almost 50% of the deaths in the Tetons, but its not protectable snow. You just need to know how to move on it with an axe. Take one, and take a light rack. You might leave the axe behind, but decide that from the Valley.

If its your first time up there, to do any route on the grand in a day would be fucking insane. Most all parties hike to lower saddle or near there first day. Then fire up either OS or Exum then descend back to camp, or if your real fast back to your car. The one tip I'd have for a first timer is DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE THE DESCENT! It's very loose and long. With early season conditions, there will be snow on approach and descent. I wouldn't bring winter specific gear, but plan on tedious approach and descent. Above all, be safe and use good judgment.