North America, United States, Wyoming, Tetons, Prospectors Mountain, Apocalypse, Arête

Publication Year: 1965.

Almost all of the new route activity in the Tetons was concentrated in the Death Canyon area. Both the south walls leading to Prospectors Mountain, and the north walls leading to Peak 10552, as well as Buck Mountain itself, were attacked with spectacular results.

Prospectors Mountain, Apocalypse Arête. In the left (east) portion of the north face of Prospectors Mountain is a deep couloir running in a southwest direction; this couloir separates a long and sharp ridge which was climbed on July 14 by Ted Vaill and William Buckingham. This ridge forms the top edge of much of the main north face of the mountain, and it ends at a 10,000-foot tower before turning abruptly southwest to the summit of the mountain. After leaving the Death Canyon trail at about the 7500-foot level, this party found no particular difficulties in the first third of the arête. The 200-foot step in the ridge yielded after a slight traverse to the left and an upward zig-zag. The next section of the ridge went easily until a 70-foot wall was met. Slightly to the right of the crest an F6 pitch past a loose flake put this obstacle behind them. After another easy section of ridge the third step was reached and passed via an F5 jamcrack on small holds. Two towers later the apex of the ridge was reached. The four pinnacles named the "Four Horsemen,” of which this apex is the first, extend southwest from this point toward the summit of the mountain. The fourth of these appropriately enough possesses a narrow summit flake which was climbed à cheval. The first ascent party then descended to Death Canyon via a couloir to the northwest.