Rock Climbing – Ice Climbing – Ski Mountaineering
Surf's up in Teton Canyon. On December 14th I climbed Landslide (WI4, II) with Bobbi Clemmer and Brian Emory. Alongside this very short trip report is a full ice report from the canyon, where most routes are in good shape.
The South Couloir of Albright Peak, not to be confused with the massive "Southeast Couloir" drainage running directly to Phelps Lake, is a 3,000 foot fall-line descent with a variety of terrain, including a quirky approach, exposed entry, and a few tight chokes that may or may not beckon a rope.
We've been climbing in the Tetons all summer - it was time to head west. Bell Mountain's Northwest Face stole the show as an excellent sustained fourth class scramble on a remote and gigantic Idaho Peak, and White Mountain brought a long enduro ridge traverse to the tallest peak in the Salmon River Range.
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 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.
On May 16th I spontaneously skied the relatively unknown Southwest Couloir on Mount Woodring after bailing from a different objective. What I found was top quality moderate ski mountaineering adventure on par with the Banana Couloir, Static Peak and Rockchuck Peak. Here's a quick trip report.
On April 19th, 2021, Bobbi Clemmer and I tried our hands at the West Fork of Fat Man's Misery, a remote slot canyon requiring multiple rappels and water crossings just outside Zion National Park
Ten Thousand Too Far 