Rack for Tetons and surrounding areas

Hey guys,

Any suggestions on building a trad rack for the Tetons? I'll be moving out to southern Yellowstone in May. I'm from Va, so climb mostly granite and sandstone out here.

I have:

DMM wallnuts
Cams from .2-3
a couple hexes

Nick-R wrote:Hey guys, Any suggestions on building a trad rack for the Tetons? I'll be moving out to southern Yellowstone in May. I'm from Va, so climb mostly granite and sandstone out here. I have: DMM wallnuts Cams from .2-3 a couple hexes

Yeah, that's a good Teton rack already. I used to place Tricams a lot there, so if you're itching for more gear . . .

Awesome... I want to say I'm done buying stuff but everyone knows thats not true... I think a set of tricams was next on my list. Maybe double up on a couple cam sizes.

Thanks! Can't wait to get out there...

For the most part, climbing in the Tetons involves long hikes to relatively moderate alpine rock climbing. General rule of thumb is that you will hike a mile for each pitch you climb. There are a few exceptions to this rule (Death Canyon), but even the "short" approaches are more than an hour. For this reason, a pretty basic/light rack is all you want anyway; you rarely want to carry a double set of cams up that damn hill. What you have is plenty for most Teton objectives. What you don't have can probably be supplemented from partners' racks.

If you do buy more stuff, think lightweight. Small, light wiregates, dental-floss spectra slings. Buy a skinny rope. Like a really really skinny rope. Remember what I said about the long hikes? Doubles or twins (ropes) can be useful in that setting. I really like the versatility of a set of ~8.4 half/double ropes. You can use them the proper way (i.e. use both ropes) for more technical routes with shorter hikes (like in Death Canyon), or you can use just one of the half ropes to save weight when doing easy ridge climbs on the higher peaks.

The rock season is short up there. Skis and a ski pass would be a good decision if you stay in the area for the 8 months of winter.