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East Ridge of Grand Teton

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 5:51 pm
by Misha
Anybody here climbed East Ridge of the Grand? I am planning to do it over this 4th of July weekend with three partners (two pairs of two). Wondering about how much snow gear I should take, any decent bivy spots on the way to the summit, things to watch out for, beta, etc. We are thinking to take two days car to car.

Thanks!

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:32 am
by b.
I did the East Ridge. I think it was later in the year, so we climbed rock right from the bivy site on the moraine for 500 feet or so, we only encountered snow in a few places. The East Face snowfield of course is the biggest and most exposed. We did the route in a day, and I don't really remember being anywhere that I wanted to spend the night, but I wasn't looking. The last crux notch could be a decent spot. Email me if you have more specific questions.

East ridge

PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:44 pm
by gato
Yep, went there with b. We carried boots and an ice axe, but I think that was about it for snow gear. No pickets or ice screws. If I remember correctly, we just soloed that upper snow field as it was pretty mushy anyway and we were able to kick deep steps. I do remember being happy to have rock shoes as well, especially on those pitches passing the Molar Tooth and doing that move to get back onto the E. Ridge proper.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:02 am
by Misha
Thanks guys! I am hoping that we can avoid taking boots and instead use light crampons over approach shoes for snow fields. Do you think it is a smart idea that early in the season?

PostPosted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 6:20 am
by Sam Page
Here is a previous thread on this topic. There will probably still be a lot of snow up there in early July, and if so, I would bring leather mountaineering boots. Descending the Grand in spring conditions is not trivial.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:23 am
by b.
I agree with the above statement. We had boots and it was great, especially descending the black dike traverse in the dark. It does depend a bit on conditions, though. You may get a dry enough year that you could pull that off. I'd come prepared for boots, re-evaluate after talking to the Jenny Lake rangers. That upper snowfield is pretty long, could get cold and wet in approach shoes if it's soft. All of the rock could be climbed in a good pair of boots, too, it just went a lot faster simul-climbing with rock shoes.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 7:16 am
by Misha
Great beta! Out of curiously, just how big is that upper snowfield? We bivy'd near the top of it last summer but it was hard to judge its total height.

PostPosted: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:12 pm
by b.
I want to say it took us about an hour to posthole up it, so maybe 500 feet? I'm not real sure, it's been a while but that's the feel I have for it. If it's bulletproof, it would be exciting, but otherwise no big deal. If you don't bring rock shoes, you'll probably be aiding the (5.7?) step just above the last tower. It was tricky in rock shoes, and a little wet. Good luck, man, two days car to car would be pretty sweet.