On Saturday, September 9th, 2023, Liam Wylie and I climbed the sheer 1,000 foot South Face of Cloudveil Dome via the classic Armed Robbery (5.9, IV) route. This was by far my most efficient and seamless grade IV to date - a wonderful day out with a great friend.
Visceral Inspiration – The Widowmaker (5.9R, III) – Cathedral Rock, Death Canyon – GTNP, WY (08.24.23)
Established by Kevin Donald and Jim Erickson in 1969, The Widowmaker ascends perhaps the most impressive dihedral feature in Grand Teton National Park, characterized by abundant off-width, squeeze and chimney climbing on nearly every pitch, with supreme exposure, some loose rock and serious runouts - my wildest ride of 2023.
Just Plain Fun – The Bee’s Knees (5.9, II) – Prospectors Mountain – GTNP, WY (06.25.23)
The Bee's Knees is a newly developed four pitch route on the shady north wall of Prospectors Mountain, a worthy addition to an area flooded with classics.
Benighted in Cascade Canyon – (A Climb On) Trinity Buttress (5.9+, III) – GTNP, WY (06.24.23)
On Saturday June 24th Bobbi Clemmer and I got benighted on a wild ascent of a wet Trinity Buttress (a.k.a. Symmetry Crag 4). Originally graded 5.9 by Yvon Chouinard and T.M. Herbert in 1970, the climb ascends two-thirds of the major rock buttress west of the popular Guide's Wall with a few stellar, and a few not so stellar, pitches.
Reigniting A Classic – Hot Dogs (5.9, I) – Guide’s Wall East, Storm Point – GTNP (06.17.23)
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!
Thou Shall Not Fall – Chouinard-Frost Chimney (5.9, IV) – Disappointment Peak, Grand Teton N.P. (07.10.22)
The Chouinard-Frost Chimney (5.9, IV) is a notoriously old-school rock route on the north face of 11,623 foot Disappointment Peak in Grand Teton National Park. Run-outs, loose rock, visionary traverses and a very real sense of adventure characterize this "classic" Teton route.