Grand teton

Other routes I've climbed on the Grand Teton: 
Owen-Spalding to Upper Exum Ridge (low 5th)    •    Complete Exum Ridge 2012 (5.7)    •    Complete Exum Ridge w/ Gold Face 2023 (5.10a)     •    North Ridge (5.8)    •    Grand Traverse (12 summits, up to 5.8, 18 miles)
Category: Wyoming (Tetons)Summit Elev: 13,770 ftRock Type: Gneiss & Schist
This page contains two trip reports:

1.

Date: August 31, 2012 (Fri)Trip Report #: 134Partners: Mark Thomas, "Teton Bill"

2.

Date: July 10&11, 2023 (Mon&Tues)Trip Report #: 628Partner: Jenny Abegg

Route: Complete Exum w/ Gold Face (5.10a)

Climbing the Grand Teton via the Complete Exum, 11 years apart.

Trip Report #2 (July 2023)

(second time climbing Complete Exum, this time with Gold Face variation) 

Route Overlay

Intro

My sister Jenny was in the Tetons for a month working remotely and exploring the area in her free time as her boyfriend Michael guided people up the Grand. It had been four years since I had last climbed in the Tetons (when I climbed the South Buttress of Mt. Moran in July 2019), and three years since I had last seen Jenny (when she briefly came to visit me in Boulder when I had my knee injury). So Jenny and I planned a four day trip together. I drove up after work on a Friday, and we climbed The Snaz (5.9-5.10+, 9p) on Cathedral Buttress (Saturday), Do It For Doug (5.10c, 4p) and Exum Arete (5.10a, 3-6p) on Rock Springs Buttress (Sunday), worked/rested Monday morning and hiked to the Lower Saddle Monday afternoon, and climbed the Complete Exum w/ Gold Face (5.10a) on The Grand Teton (Tuesday). I drove back to Estes Park on Wednesday, after putting in a full day working remotely from the library and Whole Foods in Jackson Hole. What a stellar 4 days of climbing and hanging out with my sister!

This page gives a trip report for our last day of climbing: the Complete Exum w/ Gold Face (5.10a) on The Grand Teton. This is one of the great rock climbs of the Tetons. The Exum Ridge is easily identified from the Lower Saddle as the serrated skyline ridge that descends from the summit and foms the right wall of the broad gully above and northeast of the Lower Saddle. I had climbed the Complete Exum in 2012 (trip report on this page), but Jenny had never climbed it. (For terminology: The Upper Exum Ridge is the easier upper half of the ridge and can be accessed via a ledge system called Wall Street. The Lower Exum Ridge is considerably steeper and more difficult. The entire ridge beginning from the Black Dike is referred to as the Complete Exum Ridge.) Solid rock, interesting routefinding, and commanding position along the south ridge of the highest peak in the range combine to yield one of the classic ascents of North American climbing. So I was happy to climb it again. Plus, the weather looked great for it, sunny, relatively calm, and a low chance of thundershowers.

Jenny and I decided to do the four-pitch Gold Face variation to the Lower Exum Ridge.  This variation ascends a section of very steep, golden rock out to the right of the Black Face of the standard Lower Exum Ridge. It may be reached by a short descent east from the top of the second pitch of the Lower Exum Ridge or by ascending the middle of three long ramps that angle up and left from the Black Dike.

We tossed around the idea of doing the climb car-to-car or with a camp at the Lower Saddle. We decided to camp at the Lower Saddle. It's always fun to spend a night in the mountains, and it meant we could get a longer night's sleep before the climb. Plus, Jenny's boyfriend Michael, an Exum guide, would be staying at the guide hut with some clients making a summit bid the same day as us, so we figured it would be nice to all be up there together. So after a morning of work on Monday, we packed up and hiked up to the Lower Saddle. We enjoyed an evening up high, and then on Tuesday we climbed the route.  

We had a blast. We thought the Gold Face variation to the Lower Exum was excellent. We made good time, climbing the complete Exum Risge in about 7 hours camp-to-camp. We were the only ones climbing the Exum Ridge that day, likely since the snow/ice on the upper stretches of the mountain were disuading climbers. Aware of the conditions, we had brought aluminum crampons and lightweight ice axes on the climb; the crampons were essential, but we never felt the need for ice axes.

The following page gives an overlay, time stats, and plenty of photos from our climb of this classic North American route.

Time Stats

Times:
  • Leave trailhead (Mon): 12:50 pm
  • Arrive at camp at Lower Saddle (Mon): 4:36 pm
  • Leave camp at Lower Saddle (Tue): 6:34 am
  • Arrive at base of Pitch 1 of Lower Exum: 7:00 am
  • Start climbing: 7:09 am
  • Arrive at top of Lower Exum: 10:46 am
  • Arrive at summit: 12:02 pm
  • Begin descent from summit: 12:17 pm
  • Arrive back at camp at Lower Saddle: 1:40 pm
  • Leave camp at Lower Saddle: 2:36 pm
  • Arrive back at trailhead: 5:47 pm
Split times:
  • Trailhead to camp at Lower Saddle: 3 hours 46 minutes (includes nice break in meadows half way up)
  • Camp at Lower Saddle to base of route: 26 minutes
  • Climb Lower Exum w/ Gold Face: 3 hours 37 minutes
  • Climb Upper Exum: 1 hour 16 minutes
  • Climb from base to Summit via Complete Exum w/ Gold Face: 4 hours 53 minutes
  • Descend from summit to camp at Lower Saddle: 1 hour 23 minutes
  • Camp-to-camp time: 7 hours 6 minutes
  • Hike back to trailhead: 3 hours 11 minutes

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

2nd

It is possible to climb the Grand Teton car-to-car, but it makes it a more chill climb to camp at the Lower Saddle (as we did).

From the Lower Saddle, follow the path northward through tundra as for the Owen-Spalding. Break right at a point short of the Black Dike and follow a faint path up over a promontory, then contour to a ledge 150 feet beneath the chimney of the first pitch. 

Driving towards Lupine Meadows Trailhead.
Packing for the one-night adventure.
Popular trailhead.
Hiking through the forest.
Breaking above treeline. Middle Teton in distance.
Middle Teton and Lower Saddle.
We had plenty of time, so we took a break in the meadows. Photo by Jenny.
A natural couch with a view.
Sitting in the natural couch with a view.
An early summer snowfield below the Lower Saddle. This was avoidable by taking fixed lines through a rock band to the right (which we did on the hike back down the next day).
It got a bit steep towards the top. But Jenny and I were raised in the North Cascades, so we are used to this.
The Lower Saddle.
Setting up our tent at the Lower Saddle.
Our camp at the Lower Saddle, with the Grand Teton looming above.
Our camp at the Lower Saddle, with the Grand Teton looming above.
Water at the Lower Saddle. I am on a mission to discover giardia in our National Parks, so I did not filter/treat mine. Jenny treated hers.
A pretty little flower garden.
Forget-me-nots.
A pink flower. Not exactly sure what this one is called.
Jenny's dinner. This is a brand of freeze dried dinners she is reviewing for her job. She said it was pretty tasty.
Enjoying an evening at camp. Photo by Jenny.
Jenny and her boyfriend Michael. Michael is an Exum guide and was guiding some clients up the Owen-Spalding route on the Grand the following day. Such a nice guy.
Evening light and clouds over The Grand.
View out towards Jackson Hole about 5500 feet below.
Evening light on the Exum guide huts at the Lower Saddle and Middle Teton above.
The morning of the climb. We left camp at 6:30am and never needed headlights.
A guided group leaving the Lower Saddle around 6am. Some nighttime thundershowers had blow through and delayed their start by a couple of hours.
Hanging packs to keep them away from the voracious marmots.
Some chocolate-covered espresso beans I had bought at Starbucks the previous morning (thanks Aunt Mary - I used the $10 gift card you had given me for my birthday!).
Beginning the approach.
Approaching along the Black Dike feature.
Scrambling up to the base of the Lower Exum. This brought us to a rope-up location about 50 feet below the actual base of Pitch 1, so it is possible there is a ramp that cuts in a bit further along the Black Dike.
Scrambling to the start of the route.

Lower Exum

5.7, 6p

One way to reach the Pitch 1 chimney is to do an easy (~5.4) short (~50 feet) pitch to reach the ledge beneath the Pitch 1 chimney. The easiest way to reach the Pitch 1 chimney is to continue father along the Black Dike towads the Petzoldt Ridge and follow a long, grassy ramp back left to the ledge. 

Pitch 1: Climb the large chimney past two chockstones (5.6) to reach a pedestal at the top of another long ramp.  You can also climb the wall (5.6) just right of the chimney.

Pitch 2: Follow an easy ramp up to the left, then climb a dihedral and crack to a belay just below a major step in the ridge (5.6). Move the belay up to the next steep section.

The Gold Face variaiton begins after Pitch 2 of the Lower Exum. See my 2012 trip report for the Complete Exum (at the bottom of this page) for photos from Pitches 3-6 of the Lower Exum.

This is where we roped up and started Pitch 1. This is about 50 feet below the actual start of Pitch 1, but we easily just included this into our Pitch 1 lead.
The actual start of Pitch 1 chimney of the Lower Exum.
Jenny starting up Pitch 2 of the Lower Exum.
Chocolate-covered espresso beans gone!
Midway up Pitch 2 of the Lower Exum.
An old piton on Pitch 2 of the Lower Exum.

Gold Face

5.10a, 4p

The Gold Face is a four-pitch variation to the Lower Exum. It ascends a section of very steep, golden rock out to the right of the Black Face of the standard Lower Exum. It may be reached by a short descent east from the top of the second pitch of the Lower Exum (this is what we did) or by ascending the middle of three long ramps that angle up and left from the Black Dike. 

Pitch 1: Climb a 5.9 face to and past a ledge and into a crack that angles slightly up and left onto a slab for the belay. Downclimb the slab to the base of a right-facing corner.

Pitch 2: Climb the right-facing corner past the right end of a roof to and up a steep back rock face to a belay ledge. 

Pitch 3: The third long lead is the crux pitch of the Gold Face, going up to and passing the left end of an overhang/roof and then straight up the Gold Face on steep cracks (5.10a). 

Pitch 4: The final lead ascends a 5.8 crack just to the right of the ridge crest and gains the boulder ledge at the end of Wall Street.

Looking over at start of Gold Face variation from top of Pitch 2 of Lower Exum. Descend a bit to set the belay. The Gold Face pitch climbs through crack feature on right side of photo.
Some pretty yellow flowers.
Pitch 1 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 3.
Steph on Pitch 1 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 3. Middle Teton behind. Photo by Jenny. This was one of my favorite photos from the day.
Looking up Pitch 2 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 4.
Looking down Pitch 2 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 4.
Anchor at the top of Pitch 2 of the Gold Face.
Jenny starting up Pitch 3 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 5. This is the 5.10a crux pitch.
Belay shadow.
Jenny high on Pitch 3 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 5. This is the 5.10a crux pitch.
Midway up Pitch 3 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 5. This is the 5.10a crux pitch.
Steph enjoying life at the hand traverse at the top of Pitch 3 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 5. Photo by Jenny.
Looking up Pitch 4 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 6. 
Looking down at Jenny belaying at the base of Pitch 4 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 6. 
Higher on Pitch 4 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 6. 
Jenny topping out Pitch 4 of the Gold Face. This was our Pitch 6. This finishes the Lower Exum. Next up: Upper Exum.

Upper Exum

low 5th

The Upper Exum begins just above the Lower Exum, where Wall Street intersects the Exum Ridge on the south ridge about 1500 feet from the summit. The Upper Exum basically follows a line of least resistance to the summit, climbing through named features such as the Golden Staircase, Wind Tunnel, Friction Pitch, and V-Pitch.

The Golden Staircase at the start of the Upper Exum. Fun climbing on solid knobby rock with great exposure.
Upper Exum between the Golden Staircase and the Wind Tunnel.
Wind Tunnel on Upper Exum.
Exiting Wind Tunnel on Upper Exum.
Upper Exum between the Wind Tunnel and the Friction Pitch.
I think this is the Friction Pitch on the Upper Exum.
After the Friction Pitch, we put approach shoes (instead of climbing shoes) on.
Upper Exum between the Friction Pitch and the summit.
Upper Exum between the Friction Pitch and the summit. There was some early summer snow to negotiate.
Upper Exum between the Friction Pitch and the summit. There was some early summer snow to negotiate.
Upper Exum between the Friction Pitch and the summit. 
Nearing the summit.
Nearing the summit. Photo by Jenny.
On top!
We enjoyed a 15 minute summit break on the leeward side.
The view out towards Jackson Hole 7,500 feet below.

Descent

Downclimb and rappel the Owen-Spalding route. 

Some early-summer snow on the descent from the summit. 
Some early-summer snow on the descent from the summit. 
We had brought aluminum crampons for the descent and were happy to have them.
The first (of 2) rappels.
The first (of 2) rappels.
The second (of 2) rappels.
The descent from the Upper Saddle to the Lower Saddle via the Owen-Spalding route.
There was a bit of snow on the descent from the Upper Saddle, but soft enough that did not need crampons here.
The descent from the Upper Saddle to the Lower Saddle via the Owen-Spalding route.
Nearing the Lower Saddle.
Back at our camp at the Lower Saddle. Time to pack up and head down!
Starting the hike down from the Lower Saddle.
There is a cliffband below the Lower Saddle. Rather than descend the snow we had come up the previous day, we descended through the drier side of the cliff band with the help of some fixed ropes.
Fixed ropes through the cliffband below the Lower Saddle.
Flower shadows on the trail.
I spent the evening at Whole Foods in Jackson Hole. I repeated my dinner from the last time I had been there two nights previous: a tasty sandwich (turkey, fig jam, goat cheese, spinach), a box of frozen yogurt bars, and later some rice puffs. My snacks and dinner there certainly paid for my stay. 

PARENTS' CLIMB OF THE GRAND IN 1982

Our parents climbed the Complete Exum (5.7) in 1982, the year before I was born. In 1982, they were 32 years old, 8 years younger than me as I write this trip report.

The Grand Teton in 1982, taken from my soon-to-be parents' camp in the Lower Saddle.
My soon-to-be dad leading the Black Face on the Lower Exum.
My soon-to-be dad leading the Black Face on the Lower Exum.
My soon-to-be mom following the Black Face on the Lower Exum.
My soon-to-be parents and friend Ralph (middle) on the summit of The Grand Teotn.
My soon-to-be parents after their succesful climb of the Grand Teton. Middle Teton in background.

Trip Report #1 (August 2012)

(first time climbing Complete Exum) 

(copied from my original trip report for the Teton Grand Slam, which also includes climbs of Middle Teton, Mt. Owen, Teewinot, Symmetry Spire, another route on the Grand Teton)
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previous and next adventures

(August 2012)
(July 2023)