WYOMING WHISKEY: Owen-Spalding July 19, 2020

Grand Teton Climbing Conditions on the Owen-Spalding Route

Middle Teton on left, Spalding Falls, GT summit in sunshine top right

Caves Camping Zone in background. Natural spring with fresh clean water is just above.

Looking back at the Caves, Meadows, Main Fork of Garnet Canyon

East Face GT

Moraines, Lower Saddle

2 climbers on the saddle's bootpack. Fixed rope above the tip of the dry rock 'triangle'.

Bootpack

Snow by the Fixed Rope - unstable with void below snow.

Running water by rope. Wet shoe soles are a slip hazard.

Wall on northern side - possible to climb if snow is not stable - climb to Fixed Rope and not up the wall (possible but not recommended).

Shortcut above the Fixed Rope. NEVER take this option if the Fixed Rope is in play by other climbers! High probability that the very unstable rocks will fall on climbers by the rope or below it.

Looking over at the top of the bootpack. We were next to these climbers at the bottom of the bootpack.

Lower Saddle. The guides are using tents for clients instead of the COVID hut.

Moraines, MT Glacier, North Fork Garnet Canyon

Click to Enlarge

Briggs' Slab. We took the Eye of the Needle on ascent - still had some icy snow. Briggs' slab on descent. Chockstone Chimney between us and climbers.

Owen-Spalding Route Overview (from ≈ 13,200 ft Upper Saddle). Click to Enlarge

Climber at the Crawl. Double Chimney access in foreground. Photographer by 2nd Entrance.

Melting verglas at the 2nd Entrance of the Double Chimney... see below

Access to the 2nd Entrance of the DC

Notice melting verglas by climber's left hand.

Inside of the Double Chimney

Tunnel variation of the DC very icy/snowy

View from the top of the Double Chimney toward the direct access to the Catwalk. You can also access the Catwalk from the first opening in the Owen Chimney.

Owen Chimney and Bypass Crack on right. We went up the Owen Chimney.

OC. One of the new 'pitons'.

OC. Plenty of dry rock. We stayed north.

Sargent's Chimney. We went up the main chimney (south side) and it was a little icy. The Hidden Exit was busy. We took it on the descent and it was mostly dry.

Climbers at the top of the Hidden Exit. Past them on the ledge (just 20 feet or so south) is the rap for Sargent's

Ditto

Free-soloing climber descending the Slabby Wall just below the summit. Crack points to the summit and back to Sargent's. He climbed the UXM. We climbed the crack/face on the ascent.

Summit

GTNP Tourist Side

DOWNCLIMB

The ledge above the southern half of the Slabby Wall is part of a switchback. We took the ledge bypass on the descent. The climbers in the photo were doing the same thing.

Main Rap. Look closely (center-right near bottom of image above black crack) and you can see a sling for the 2nd setup of the secondary rappel which has a 70 foot drop to the Upper Saddle.

Guides were pretty busy

Catwalk - looking northish

Ice on Catwalk. Was easy to get around but not fast. Looking southish.

Climber just above the Double Chimney. Seen from the Catwalk. The direct access to the Catwalk (as seen above) was mostly dry, no ice.

Bottom of the Owen Chimney. We are at the 1st opening in the OC where you can also access or exit the Catwalk (head south around a tight corner to access).

These climbers climbed the crack to the right and avoided the Double Chimney's Open-V (left). Just above the crack is a nice ledge. That ledge can also be accessed via a very short chimney above the 1st Entrance when that area is dry (it was wet). You can see those two variations in the marked up image below...purple line and the orangish one to the purple's right.

Click to Enlarge