On Thursday June 19th, 2025, I climbed Irene's Arete with new-to-the-Tetons desert coworker Kenzi Stemp, including a two pitch direct start which has surely been climbed before, but is undocumented and often skipped. Higher, we explored a few harder variations with pleasant rewards. This article will focus solely on the variations we climbed, and others I've climbed over the years, which add tremendous value to this already great route.
Connecting the Dots – Direct South Face of the Dike Pinnacle – Grand Teton Nat. Park, WY (04.29.25)
On April 29th, 2025, I skied a rare line on the South Face of the Dike Pinnacle. I'd been dreaming of connecting the dots on this improbable face for many years.
98% of a Cloudveil Traverse (5.6, IV) – Grand Teton National Park, WY (07.13.24)
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.
Another Spontaneous Link-Up – Dike Pinnacle South Couloir, South Teton SE Face and Wanda Pinnacale NE Couloir (04.24.24)
On April 24th, 2024 I rose early and kept an open solo itinerary that resulted in a link-up of routes on the Dike Pinnacle, South Teton and Wanda Pinnacle. All three routes had been on my radar for years, and it was especially meaningful to link them in a single logical push.
Low Tide Ski Mountaineering – Okie’s Thorn Couloir – GTNP, WY (12.29.23)
On Friday I got out and enjoyed my first GTNP high country ski of the season in Okie's Thorn Couloir, a unique and seldom visited line just northwest of the popular Dike Snowfield.
Almost Leisurely – Direct South Ridge (5.7+, III) – Nez Perce – GTNP, WY (09.16.23)
Two weekends ago Ricky Bobbi and I packed sparkly waters and fresh produce into high places, and enjoyed an awesome, almost leisurely, camp-to-camp ascent of Nez Perce's acclaimed Direct South Ridge (5.7+, III) over three days.
Sound The Alarm – Armed Robbery (5.9, IV) – Cloudveil Dome – GTNP, WY (09.09.23)
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.
Teton’s Finest? – Irene’s Arete (5.8, III) – Disappointment Peak – GTNP, WY (07.30.23)
Irene's Arete is widely stated as the finest rock climb in Grand Teton National Park. Many variations are possible, but we sought the path of least resistance and cleared the ridge at 5.8, with truly remarkable positioning on a golden, awe inspiring knife's edge arete. Yep, she's a classic - but, THE classic? Oh, and we hit some traffic too.
MORE MAY POWDER – Spalding Peak North Snowfield – GTNP, WY (05.14.23)
The North Snowfield of Spalding Peak is yet another "steeper than it looks" and overlooked line in the South Fork of Garnet Canyon, complete with a unique summit, and on May 14th was the bearer of rarefied May powder. Skiing from just below 12,240 feet, this line could possibly be the mellowest descent from 12,000 feet in Grand Teton National Park.
50 Degrees in The Overlooked Couloir – Nez Perce, GTNP, WY (03.19.23)
The Overlooked Couloir is the lower NW Couloir on Nez Perce, topping out a few hundred feet above the East/West Hourglass's and sporting a sustained 50 degree slope for over 400 feet, above a cliff with a low crux - no falls accepted - an interesting consolation prize, and first personal descent, in the South Fork of Garnet Canyon.