Best Time of Year for Grand Traverse

My climbing partner got a new job and will only have time to give it 1 shot this season. When is the best time of year to give the Grand Traverse a try? We were thinking the last week of August. With the kind of snow we had this year can we go little earlier? Any other info is appreciated. Thanks.

Josh Allred wrote:My climbing partner got a new job and will only have time to give it 1 shot this season. When is the best time of year to give the Grand Traverse a try? We were thinking the last week of August. With the kind of snow we had this year can we go little earlier? Any other info is appreciated. Thanks.

I am trying to give it a go this summer as well Josh. From my trips up there this winter it seams like the park has a average to slightly below average snowpack. Mostly dry already below 8k. I would think early August might be possible if we see a dry rest of the spring and a normal summer. Last year the amount of rain and bad storms during the summer seamed to have really made the Grand Traverse a challenge. The "monsoon" like weather last year caused lots of rockfall on a number of places along the traverse and even a few accidents.

I have also been giving the traverse a lot of thought. Do you guys know if the rappels could be done on a 60M 7/8mm tagline?

Useful site:

tetonclimbing.blogspot.com/

I would shoot for earlier if you can if you are looking for summery conditions. A few years back I went out there over Labor Day to solo it, and a storm laid a sheet of ice on the N face of the Grand. I dropped by Exum to get a conditions report, and they looked at me like I was crazy for coming out there so late in the season.

Josh Hohner wrote:I have also been giving the traverse a lot of thought. Do you guys know if the rappels could be done on a 60M 7/8mm tagline?

We did it in early August 2013, which I think was an average snow year, and it was fine.

One disadvantage of waiting until very late in the season is that the bivy sites might be dry. Of course if your name is Alex or Rolando that's not an issue.

Although it was mostly snow-free we took aluminum crampons and lightweight axes (BD Venom or similar). We used them in a couple of places, such as the Koven Col and the col between the Ice Cream Cone & Gilkey Tower. I don't think those ever melt out, and later in the season isn't necessarily better, because you might have to deal with bare ice instead of soft snow.

A 60m rope will get you through the GT fine. This year was a low snow year and the peaks are melting out quickly. I would not wait until late august to go as winter storms can drop snow and verglas-up the north ridge by then (like last summer). Early August in a non-monsoonal system would be best bet. The best weather forecast for the tetons is mountainweather.com and ideally you want 0% chance of thunderstorms.