North America, United States, Wyoming, South Face of Symmetry Spire, Tetons

Publication Year: 1957.

South Face of Symmetry Spire, Tetons. The Teton Range, in general, and Symmetry Spire, in particular, have been so thoroughly climbed in recent years that one might think that nothing important remains to be done; prior to 1956, there were nine different routes and four variations on Symmetry Spire alone. Yet in early August, Richard Pownall, Willi Unsoeld, and Norman Lee succeeded in climbing the entire direct South Face, a new route. The importance of this new climb is that it touches neither the Southwest Ridge nor the Durrance Ridge, the boundaries of the face. The older "direct" route, established in 1950 by Pownall and Ortenburger, joined the Durrance Ridge after ascending about two-thirds of the face. The new route started well to the west of the 1950 route, the difficulty having been only moderate until a four-foot ceiling overhang was reached. In the interest of directness, this was attacked over the center through the use of direct aid and stirrups. Above this obstacle, the principal problem was to avoid being forced out to the Durrance Ridge after crossing the ledge connecting this ridge with the Southwest Ridge. The crux of the climb came in the last pitch, the prominent overhang to the left (west) of the last pitch of the Durrance Ridge. Pownall required two hours to make the demanding lead up over this overhang.

Leigh Ortenburger