Grand Teton Climbing Conditions August 20-21, 2016

The Owen-Spalding Route

Conditions were outstanding on every
popular route up the Grand Teton.


A few trip reports for April through October

July 17th, 2016 (UXM) PNG Variation 
Overview - Upper Exum
Overview - Owen-Spalding
Detailed Look At Specific Route Features


All images may be used without permission or attribution for all not-for-profit purposes.





Climbers taking a break on the switchbacks above Spalding Falls and Petzoldt Caves Camping Zone.

A very busy Lower Saddle

Camping sites on the western side of the Lower Saddle







Hiking above the Lower Saddle and toward the Needle

Taking a break below the Black Dike & the Central Rib's Needle

Middle Teton

Needle's Chockstone Chimney

Climber exiting the Eye of the Needle - a natural tunnel.

Climber exiting the Eye of the Needle


Climbers descending over the top of the Eye of the Needle

Tim checking out Wall Street from the Central Rib's Lower Crossover

Scrambling toward the Central Rib's Black Rock Chimney

Looking back along the western side of the Central Rib



Break time by the access to the Central Rib's Black Rock Chimney. The smooth slab is next to a short chimney that takes you to a steppy ramp to the CR's ridgeline

Steppy ramp to the ridgeline (above smooth slab) - access to the Black Rock Chimney's lower section

View northish from the Upper Saddle


 Owen-Spalding Climbing Route


View toward the exposed section of the Owen-Spalding Route

Climbers waiting at the Belly Roll & a few climbing the Wittich Crack

Climber in the Crawl and heading for the access to the Double Chimney

Looking down the Belly Roll

View from the Belly Roll and toward the Upper Saddle and the Black Ice Couloir.

View up the Wittich Crack

Climbers backed up at the Belly Roll

Using the lower ledge to access the 2nd Entrance of the Double Chimney


Climber in the bottom of the Owen Chimney

Taking a break at the Catwalk

Catwalk

Climbers scrambling from the Catwalk to the Main Rap Overlook

Climbers scrambling from the Catwalk to the Main Rap Overlook

Climbers scrambling from the Catwalk to the Main Rap Overlook

The Main Rappel to the Upper Saddle

Looking down the Owen Chimney. A climber in a red jacket is exiting the Double Chimney.

Looking back toward the Catwalk from the top of the Owen Chimney. The climber is above the Wittich Crack.

Climbing Sargent's Chimney


Climbers in Sargent's main chimney (rap line)

Sargent's Chimney

SC

View back toward climber above the Wittich Crack and view toward Main Rap. View from Sargent's

Tim taking the Hidden Exit from Sargent's - midway up the exit.


Exiting the Hidden Exit

The alternate exit from Sargent's Chimney. Hidden Exit.


View of climbers just above the Sargent's Chimney area - Three Stooges area.

Climbers descending into the Hidden Exit. Sargent's main chimney is at the end of the ledge.


Scramble to the summit


Summit







Pointing out Frank Spalding's name
































Scramble between summit and Slabby Wall


Narrow ledge above the Slabby Wall - downclimb


Climber 'switchbacking' around the Slabby Wall


Climber heading down the center crack of the Slabby Wall (background).
The center crack points toward the summit and back to the Sargent's Chimney area.

Climbers below the Slabby Wall

Scramble to Sargent's - downclimb

Sargent's main chimney

Alternate exit from Sargent's - bottom access. The Hidden Exit.

Sargent's main chimney

Descending Sargent's main chimney

Descending Sargent's main chimney

Descending Sargent's main chimney

Scramble / downclimb to the Catwalk from the Main Rap Overlook.


Scramble / downclimb to the Catwalk from the Main Rap Overlook.

Scramble / downclimb to the Catwalk from the Main Rap Overlook.

Catwalk

Double Chimney - upper exit area

Downclimbing the bottom of the Owen Chimney

Owen Chimney

Exiting the tunnel variation in the Double Chimney

Double Chimney

Looking back down the DC. Climber is at the 2nd Entrance.

DC

Free-Soloing Climber accessing the upper northern slot of the Double Chimney from the Open-'V'

DC
DC
DC
DC
Free-soloing climber exiting the Open-'V' instead of taking the northern slot.

DC
DC
Southeast scramble from the DC to the Catwalk

Accessing the Double Chimney

Accessing the Open-'V'

Exiting the Open-'V' above the icy tunnel. We slipped around in the tunnel.


Free-soloing climber at the access to the Open-'V', Tunnel & Northern Slot.  This is in the middle of the DC

Middle of the Double Chimney

Climber accessing the northern slot

DC
DC
Free-soloing climber accessing the tunnel

Climber setting up a belay station at the 2nd Entrance of the Double Chimney.

Free-soloing climber moving from the 1st Entrance to the 2nd Entrance of the Double Chimney.

...ditto

...ditto
...ditto
Entering the 2nd Entrance

Entering the 2nd Entrance
Another free-soloing climber heading into the 2nd Entrance of the Double Chimney

Entering the 2nd Entrance
Free-soloing climbers using the tunnel in the middle of the DC


Looking down the 2nd Entrance of the DC

Climber in the Open-'V'


Looking down the 2nd Entrance DC


Climber descending from the 2nd Entrance of the Double Chimney toward the 1st Entrance

Tim at the 1st Entrance of the DC - a stemming pull-up move.

Tim accessing the Crawl

The Crawl

The Crawl






Looking down from the Crawl

Looking back northish at the access to the Double Chimney from the Crawl


Tim after passing the Belly Roll and reaching the Upper Saddle


The Enclosure




Leaving the Upper Saddle

Wall Street Couloir

Main Rap to the Upper Saddle

West side of the Central Rib and view down the Owen-Spalding Couloir

Upper access to the Central Rib's Black Rock Chimney

View toward Wall Street / Exum Ridge

Climbers on the Upper Exum Ridge about to enter the Wind Tunnel area

Black Rock Chimney

Dartmouth Basin


Smooth Slab by lower access to the Central Rib's Black Rock Chimney

Short chimney by the smooth slab and below the steppy ramp to the ridgeline

Tim by smooth slab and access to the Central Rib's BRC

Eye of the Needle

Tim going under the Belly Roll Almost

Tim in the Eye of the Needle



Exiting the Chockstone Chimney below the Runners' Slab

Taking a ledge out of the Chockstone Chimney

Ice was still around the drainages



Chockstone Chimney far right

Westside of the Needle - far left. Lower Saddle at center.






Water hose. You probably don't want to put the hose in your water bottle like this.
Too many people with dirty hands touch the hose.

Looking back down the North Fork of Garnet Canyon


The Morainal Camping Zone

The Fixed Rope at the Lower Saddle's headwall




The Middle Teton Glacier

Looking back at the Lower Saddle










The Meadows Camping Zone

Climbers' Trail to the top of Spalding Falls



Garnet Creek


The Meadows' headwall









Enjoy Safe Climbing