On December 28th, 2025 I opened my ice season with Erik Boomer on the Teton classic Right and Left Ghost Pillars (WI5 & WI4). Both routes were in virgin conditions with thin top outs. A few observation notes on nearby routes are included at the bottom.
I’ve written about the Ghost Pillars on Ten Thousand Too Far before (Right & Left – Jan. 2024, Left – Nov. 2024). Climbing both in a day is a classic linkup of two great Teton ice climbs. This article will serve mostly as a short beta blast for local ice climbers.
Teton Valley was experiencing a record and prolonged warm spell before today. The last few weeks were warm and drizzly, with highs in the upper 50’s. The previous two days were transitional, hovering in the low 30’s with a dump of snow and high winds. Today the temperature cellar dropped out, with lows in the negative double digits. Immediately Erik Boomer and I rushed to the back of Teton Canyon hoping the Ghost Pillars, which can be reluctant to form early and are often wet, would be in. We struck gold. The Right Ghost is a 90 foot free standing WI5 pillar, the pair’s king line lesser likely to form. When I climbed the Left Ghost mid November last year, the Right was a colossal hollow hanging dagger. Today, the Right was in perfect condition with only a slightly thin top out. After both leading the route, myself with a significant flash pump fresh off two months of sunny rock climbing in the desert (note to self: an untouched wilderness WI5 pillar is a tall task for first ice pitch of the season), we presumed The Left Ghost would be gigantic and shifted west. Ironically, it was just about as thin as last November, with a hollow and brittle mid-section, and a poorly protected mixed top-out of scratchy drytooling and moss sticks. Combining the two made for a symphonic duality of pump and headiness.
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Both routes are in a growth phase with significant fresh ice, running water of various degrees, and all that entails. A gentle swing, candle clearing, and three dimensional blob tip-toeing was the name of the game. The Right Ghost is fully ready to go, and as this cold spell continues I would expect the Left to evolve into its standard and generous WI4 condition. We did not use nor desire skis for the approach. Ice climbing season has begun!
Other Route Conditions
- The Eagle Scout (WI5) has been climbed but is currently wet and difficult for the grade
- Landslide (WI4, II) is beginning to form but is currently not in
- Lehman’s Lament (WI3, II) is not in
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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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