Rock Springs Buttress
Date: July 9, 2023 (Sun)Trip Report #: 627Partner: Jenny Abegg
Routes: Do It For Doug (5.10c, 4p) & Exum Arete (5.10a, 3-6p)
Two excellent routes, waffle and ice cream sandwich, and an aerial tram ride down.
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 second day of climbing: two of the most popular and better routes on Rock Springs Buttress. Rock Springs Buttress, composed on granitic gneiss, has become Jackson's premier cragging area. One often gets the sense of being at a remote crag in the Alps. This wall has been climbed at for over fifty years; thus there are routes and combinations of pitches that have been linked together all over the place. There are some pure sport climbs and a lot of routes that mix bolts and gear.
Although you can take the aerial tram up and then hike over to Rock Springs Buttress, Jenny and I decided to hike up to Rock Springs Buttress from below. This saved us $45 each, gave a bit of a warm-up workout, and probably actually took less time than taking the tram and hiking over and down to the base of the Buttress. The hike up took us only 1.5 hours and there were some nice flowers along the way. Our first route of the day was Do It For Doug (5.10c, 4p). This route is fully bolt-protected up through Pitch 4 (Pitch 5 to the top is 5.8 gear-protected and probably not often climbed). This climb is one of the best in the area and uses all techniques, from working up corner systems to featured, exposed faces. We rappelled the route (with a single 70) and then headed left 100 feet for our second route of the day: Exum Arete (5.10a, 3-6p). This route takes an improbable line up a stunning arete and does so a modest grade. The climbing is fun, rock quality superb, belays fixed, protection plentiful, and exposure wild. Although you can rappel the route with a single rope, we had plans to top out and hike over to the aerial tram. We had come in light, since the follower carried the pack on this route. Once at the top, we hiked over to the aerial tram. This took us about 50 minutes. We splurged on snacks at the waffle hut (Jenny got a waffle and I got an ice cream sandwich), and then we took the tram (for free!) back down to Teton Village just minutes from where we had parked.
This page gives overlays and photos from our two climbs on Rock Springs Buttress. This was the best kind of day, unique in so many ways, and overflowing with experiences. I had a blast climbing with my sister.
APPROACH
Although you can take the aerial tram up and then hike over to Rock Springs Buttress, Jenny and I decided to hike up to Rock Springs Buttress from below. This saved us $45 each, gave a bit of a warm-up workout, and probably actually took less time than taking the tram and hiking over and down to the base of the Buttress. The hike up took us only 1.5 hours and there were some nice flowers along the way.
Do It For Doug (5.10c, 4p)
Do It For Doug is fully bolt-protected up through Pitch 4 (Pitch 5 to the top is 5.8 gear-protected and probably not often climbed). This climb is one of the best in the area and uses all techniques, from working up corner systems to featured, exposed faces.
Route Overlay
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
Pitch 1
5.8/9
The climb begins about 100' climber's right of the Exum Arete, down the loose trail at the base. Find the start by looking left of a very large corner and high for the first bolt. As of 2023, we also found "Do It For Doug" marked in Sharpie at the base of the route.
Pitch 1 follows a line of bolts up left of an obvious corner. The pitch goes way right at one point. This is a nice warm-up pitch for the harder climbing above. Fixed anchors.
Pitch 2
5.10a/b
Awesome stemming up the dihedral leads to a step right onto an arete. Fixed anchors.
Pitch 3
5.10b/c
Cool moves up a right facing corner lead to a undercling and then a steep and challenging headwall. Fixed anchors. Hanging belay.
Pitch 4
5.10b/c
More awesome, steep edging up the headwall. Fixed anchors.
Pitch 5
5.8
The final pitch is gear-protected 5.8 to the top. Most climbers probably just bring draws and finish the route at Pitch 4, as we did.
Descent
Rappel
Rappel the route with a single 70. For the rappel from the top of Pitch 2, the first one down should set directionals to get to the anchor and give a firemans for the second one down.
Exum Arete (5.10a, 3-6p)
Exum Arete takes an improbable line up a stunning arete and does so a modest grade. The climbing is fun, rock quality superb, belays fixed, protection plentiful, and exposure wild.
Route Overlay
Pitch-by-Pitch Photos
Pitch 1
5.6
A huge gnarled tree sitting in the crack about 30 feet high marks the start of the first pitch of this route. Begin at a flat spot below a big tree, and yard away on roots and trees. Gain a huge, dirty ledge system. Walk across this ledge system all the way to an obvious tower. Belay at a fixed anchor.
It is possible to link Pitches 1&2, but there is a potential for rope drag.
Pitch 2
5.7
Climb up the left corner of this tower, place some gear, and then traverse out to the right and flop onto the top of the tower. Fixed anchor on a big ledge.
It is possible to link Pitches 1&2, but there is a potential for rope drag.
Pitch 3
5.9/9+
Climb the thin crack directly above the belay and work left to the first bolt. Good fun climbing. Continue up the bolts to a chain anchor at a semihanging stance. Short pitch.
It is possible to link Pitches 3&4&5 (or two at once), but there is a potential for rope drag.
Pitch 4
5.9
Bolts lead up to a ledge and another fixed anchor. Short pitch.
It is possible to link Pitches 3&4&5 (or two at once), but there is a potential for rope drag.
Pitch 5
5.9
Follow more bolts up the right arete. Great finishing moves with beautiful exposure! Another chain anchor. Another short pitch. Great belay seat.
It is possible to link Pitches 3&4&5 (or two at once), but there is a potential for rope drag.
Pitch 6
5.9+/10a
Take the left bolt line until the bolts run out. Work up the thin crack with good, thin gear until you reach an awkward roof. Reach high and right and clip a hidden bolt. Make the crux move (stemming and a right reach help) to clip another bolt below another roof. Good holds above the roof and a little more gear gets you to the final chain anchor. An aweome finish to an awesome route!
Descent
Rappel or Aerial Tram
You can rappel the route with a single rope. Or you can top out and hike upt to the Aerial Tram hut, treat yourself to some waffels, and tram back to Teton Village. We went with the tram opton. Hiking from the top of the route to the tram took us about 50 minutes. We splurged on snacks at the Corbet's Cabin Top of the World Waffles (Jenny got a waffle and I got an ice cream sandwich), and then we took the tram (for free!) back down to Teton Village just minutes from where we had parked.
