Rock Climbing – Ice Climbing – Ski Mountaineering
I've been battling a partial rotator cuff tear this summer, so I've been dipping my toes into the dark arts of rope-less climbing as a way to score significant mileage on easy terrain. The Chouinard Ridge provides a 1,600' vertical adventure on clean-as-a-whistle Middle Teton granite.
On Saturday July 13th Bobbi Clemmer and I attempted a Cloudveil Traverse, a classic seven peak link up following the skyline ridge connecting the South Teton to Nez Perce. Due to a few unexpected steep snow crossings and a critical route finding mistake by your's truly we were forced to retreat 150 feet from the summit of the final peak.
On Sunday July 7th Bobbi Clemmer and I climbed the uber-classic Dihedral of Horrors including the seldom climbed first pitch 5.10 variation. Because DOH has been documented on 10K2Far before, this article serves mostly to touch on the underrated 5.10 variation that more folks should climb.
I was pretty psyched to flash Blobular Oscillations, a renowned runout 5.10- variation to the first pitch of Guide's Wall, and thought it a good excuse to talk about our whole day. Guide's Wall has never been covered on 10K2Far because it's one of the few super well documented multi-pitch outings in GTNP, but maybe I can add a tidbit or two to the collective knowledge.
On Sunday June 23rd Justin Gilbert and I clawed up the equally remarkable and unexpectedly difficult 1961 South Buttress route on the 1400 foot East Face of Table Mountain. 10 pitches, 15 hours, 15 miles and 5000 vertical feet later we were slightly busted, but far more stoked.
My sixth ski descent of, and third consecutive year ending my ski season on, the Grand Teton. This time I was accompanied by first time Grand Teton skier Connor Reithmayr, and we caught the Ford Couloir in nothing short of perfect corn.
A video trip report from June 1st, when Bobbi Clemmer and I enjoyed what can only be called a magical day of late spring corn skiing. We connected the North Bowl of Table Mountain and the West Ridge of Peak 10,650 for 7,000 feet of type one fun.
On May 20th, 2024, I made the third descent of the "Buck Triple", linking the Bubble Fun, Newc and Northwest Couloirs for a near 8,000 foot day of tremendous steep skiing on the north face of Buck Mountain. From what I can gather this is the first time the Buck Triple has been completed solo, and the third descent in total.
The Alpine Peanut remains motivated to earn her turns well into May. The weekend of May 11th and 12th we skied the East Face of Rockchuck Peak and one of her season projects, the South Face of Taylor Mountain, in perfect corn!
Hayden Evans and I "skied" the Koven Couloir after bailing on a different higher objective. It skied very poorly, as I always assumed it would after having climbed it many times over the past few years. Also, a few reflections on late season ski mountaineering on north facing aspects, and the volatility of spring storm systems.
Ten Thousand Too Far 