North America, United States, Wyoming—Tetons, Grand Teton, North Face of the Enclosure, High Route

Publication Year: 1981.

Grand Teton, North Face of the Enclosure, High Route. This major new route was first climbed on August 8, 1977 by Charlie Fowler and Steve Glenn. This climb begins near the bottom of the northwest ice couloir of the Enclosure, the same location as the start of the Lowe route of 1969. After two pitches to the point where the Lowe route angles left, this new route ascended up and right in chimneys and corners to a good flat ledge. The route continued up and right in the ledge system, heading toward a large inside corner where a crack was climbed to a smaller corner and a belay stance. The seventh and eighth leads went up and then right in wide cracks past horns, leading to the right edge of a giant roof, where a belay was found on a ledge. The next pitch led up the wet, main corner system on the right edge of the roof to a belay on a down-sloping ledge. A long icy traverse straight to the left was made to a right-facing corner system, which was climbed to an area of broken rock. The climbers then walked to the right for 150 feet to a 150-foot apron of ice heading up to the right onto a shoulder of the mountain. This ice was climbed and was followed by more ice in gullies leading up and left. The 16th pitch of mixed climbing finally brought the party onto the northwest ridge near the top of the Enclosure. Scrambling sufficed to reach the summit. This long, mixed climb is rated IV, F9, and it contains 50° ice climbing as well.

Leigh N. Ortenburger