Hot Dogs, first established by Paul Gagner and Jim Woodmency in July of 1986, is an excellent single pitch 5.9 crack climb on the south buttress of Storm Point, about 100M east of Guide’s Wall – perhaps the best 5.9 pitch I’ve climbed in Grand Teton National Park. If you’re in the area and need another pitch, don’t miss this!
Single pitch trad climbs are not the reason people come to Grand Teton National Park, but just like any venue with excellent multi-pitch climbing, there are many mini gems to be found between the longer lines. These routes typically won’t be seen in modern guidebooks, only discovered by a person sifting the Ortenburger-Jackson guide with thorough eyes. I found Hot Dogs in an effort to extend our half day outing on Symmetry Crag 4 (which we ended up bailing from) with another challenging pitch, attracted by the FA’s description of an “excellent one-pitch climb” on a “5.9 jam crack”. What we found was truly an excellent pitch, with 20M of sustained lay-backing capped by a difficult crux roof and finishing on a healthily runout slab, for a total length of approximately 40-45M on clean and mostly solid rock. Judging by the incredibly weathered fixed anchor I bet Hot Dogs hasn’t been climbed in a decade – and once again I am left wondering why, especially because it shares a start with Bat Attack Crack (5.11, Gagner, Jackson, 1986), one of the rare, well known, single pitch GTNP climbs. For parties seeking a logical add-on to the longer faire up canyon, or a warm-up to the devilish looking BAC, this one could be for you.
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The only detractor to a four star experience is a paper thin, hollow and relatively large “pull down, not out” flake (about 25 square feet) that cannot be avoided and demands caution (discussed more in the description below). I removed the dangerous 80’s anchor and added a fixed anchor of two bomber nuts complete with repurposed rappel rings. I did, though, thread the anchor cord directly through the nuts in hopes the next ascentionist would be willing to donate a pair of biners – money doesn’t grow on trees. I descended with two 60M ropes, but if I had to guess the distance to the ground would be about 35-40M. This route should be climbed more, and if it perks your interest please hop on it – I bet you’ll be psyched!
To wrap this up I’ll leave some pictures and my route description, location, topo and recommended rack recently added to Mountain Project. Happy climbing!
(copied from my post on Mountain Project)
Hot Dogs (5.9, I)
Description
Seven days after nailing the first ascent of Bat Attack Crack, Paul Gagner returned with a different partner for the FA of Hot Dogs. This route shares the same start as Bat Attack, but busts out right around the major arching roof following a crack/flake system on excellent granite. A wide variety of movement makes this a great climb, tainted only slightly by a few detached flakes that require restraint. This might be my favorite pitch of 5.9 I’ve climbed in Grand Teton National Park, and would make a sweet addition to a day on Guide’s Wall.
Begin beneath the obvious Bat Attack Crack, wondering up easy slabs and a trough to the right side of the arching Bat Attack roof. Place some gear, swing onto the face and begin what will be the namesake of this climb, steep and bold laybacking up a layered flake feature. There is a very large (25 square feet?) and thin flake in the beginning that sounds quite hollow, which I felt comfortable pulling on but resisted placing protection behind. Luckily there is a thin crack above the flake where you can place a small nut to redirect the rope, and the fall line of the flake does not include your belayer. After this obstacle the rest of the route is relatively widowmaker free, with the crux mantling into and pulling a small roof above the flake. There’s no pro for a good ways above the roof, on 5.8 slab terrain, so perhaps an extra piece at the roof is worthwhile. When the difficult terrain peters out, a traversing and ascending ramp to the left leads to comfy belay ledge with a new fixed anchor of two nuts and rappel rings. Because the anchor is equalized for rappel and not the traversing direction of pull from your follower, it could be nice to save a medium sized cam or two for the top. An estimated 40M rappel gets you back to the ground.
Note: There was a very weathered and dangerous slung horn anchor here which I removed, due to both the nature of the cordage and the shallowness of the horn, replacing it with a two nut vertical anchor behind a large flake. I threaded the anchor cord through the nuts directly and left rappel rings. Perhaps the next ascentionist could donate a two carabiners, or even a third piece (I ran out of large nuts, and the crack is pretty consistent) to further this anchor.
Location
Shared start with Bat Attack Crack, just right of Vieux Guide, about 100M right of Guide’s Wall. A fourth or low-fifth class scramble up and right from where the Guide’s Wall approach trail meets the cliff will be necessary, and a rappel anchor is rigged from this ledge if someone in your party doesn’t feel like down-climbing afterwards. Can be spotted from the Cascade Canyon trail with a keen eye, once identifying the Bat Attack Roof.
Protection
Standard rack of cams to three inches, with doubles from #0.5 to #2 if desired, and nuts. Save a medium sized cam for the anchor. Two ropes for descent.
Resources
- A Climber’s Guide to the Teton Range, Jackson, Ortenburger (guidebook)
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DISCLAIMER
Ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and all other forms of mountain recreation are inherently dangerous. Should you decide to attempt anything you read about in this article, you are doing so at your own risk! This article is written to the best possible level of accuracy and detail, but I am only human – information could be presented wrong. Furthermore, conditions in the mountains are subject to change at any time. Ten Thousand Too Far and Brandon Wanthal are not liable for any actions or repercussions acted upon or suffered from the result of this article’s reading.
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