Teton Climbs. Art & Brent Pinnacle. In September 1984, Renny Jackson and Tom Kimbrough climbed a newly discovered and difficult pinnacle on the south side of Cascade Canyon, on the east side of the main Teewinot-Owen cirque. The route required A1 aid to start on the north side, then ascended a 5.9 jam-crack to and over a ceiling. It was surprising to find such an unclimbed tower so close to Jenny Lake at this late date. Death Canyon Routes. Aerial Boundaries, one of the finest rock routes of the many in Death Canyon, was climbed in September 1985 by Greg Miles, Mike Fisher, Jeff Bjornsen, and Tom Vajda. This five-pitch, 5.10b route on the southwest corner of P 10,552 consists of liebacking and underclinging, with an overhanging jam-crack as the crux. The first three pitches take one to the lower Sanz descent ledge, with the final two excellent leads exiting onto the normal Sanz descent ledge. Lay Back in Death (III, 5.8), first climbed in July 1983 by Dan Burgette, Paul McLaughlin, and Jim Woodmency, also is a west-facing climb above the Sanz descenttrail. It ascends a prominent dihedral involving considerable liebacking, while the first pitch contains a squeeze chimney. Cascade Canyon. Four new and difficult rock climbs were completed in the vicinity of Guide’s Wall and the lower south walls of Storm Point. In August 1984 Renny Jackson and Larry Dietrich climbed Blobular Oscillations (5.9), directly to the right of a prominent dihedral on the right side of Guide’s Wall. After a few attempts, Bat Attack Crack (5.11a) was climbed by Paul Gagner on July 4, 1985. This severe route follows the left-facing arch immediately to the right of the Chouinard start to Guide’s Wall. Hotdogs (5.8) was climbed by Paul Gagner and Jim Woodmency in July 1986. The route begins at the start of Bat Attack Crack, making a hand traverse to the right, and then follows a delicate flake above. Morning Thunder (5.10) consists of two pitches which surmount an improbable roof below the rock scar formed by the July 1985 landslide in Cascade Canyon. It was first climbed on July 9, 1985, by Paul Gagner and Dan Burgette. Mount Owen, Northwest Face variation. A second variation on this large face was made on August 9, 1985, by Renny Jackson and Paul Gagnon. After an approach to the face by a traverse from the vicinity of Gunsight Couloir, the upper portion of the face was taken somewhat more directly than either the first ascent (1965) or the first variation (1982). As a result, greater difficulty was encountered and exit onto Serendipity Arête was made higher, only one pitch from its top. In all some five pitches between 5.7 and 5.9 were climbed. Teewinot, Direct East Ridge. The steeper sections of the direct east ridge of Teewinot remained unclimbed until August 9, 1986, when Renny Jackson and I approached the base of the ridge by traversing north from the top of the tree-covered apex of the regular route. Two steep sections were climbed. While the lower half is the more difficult pitch, 5.8, the upper is more prominent and contains beautiful solid cracks in the finest of Teton rock. Staying on the crest of this ridge required traversing over three towers before arriving at the summit. P 10,080 + . This unnamed minor peak, rising directly above and west of Grizzly Bear Lake, was climbed for the first time on July 29, 1986 by Tom Kimbrough and me. Protected by substantial cliffs on the east, the route selected was on the west face to the summit ridge which was followed north to the summit block, climbed by its northeast comer. Three pitches, one of F7 difficulty, were involved. It appears that this was the last unclimbed peak in the Teton range. Grand Teton, Enclosure, Emotional Rescue. A new, more difficult, and more improbable route on the north face of the Enclosure was climbed on July 26, 1985 by Renny Jackson and Steve Rickert. This outstanding climb of ten pitches on excellent rock (IV, 5.10a, A2) is currently the most difficult route yet completed on the Grand Teton. The climb starts at the upper of the two ledges used for entry into the bottom of the Black Ice Couloir from the west; this is below and well to the left (north) of the beginning of the Lowe route (1969). The first lead on the massive rock wall above ascends a 5.8 crack and chimney, followed by a 5.10 crack ending in a hanging belay. Two pitches zigzag upwards toward the gap in the large ceiling which runs all across the west face of this north buttress of the Enclosure. Passing through the gap involved some 5.9 with 15 feet of A2 in one blank section to a second hanging belay. Two more leads exited onto a 4th-class section which was followed for 200 feet to the right to the final difficult 5.9 section on the extreme north comer. Once above this scary pitch, easy mixed climbing on ice and rock led again back to the right, ultimately around to the uppermost west face, from which the summit was attained. Grand Teton, West Face of Exum Ridge, variation. In July 1986 Renny Jackson and Steve Rickert made an important new variation to the original Pownall-Merriam route (1954). The variation involved six pitches, starting in the prominent crack just above the beginning of the 1954 chimney system. Three pitches of 5.7, 5.8, and off-width 5.9 with little or no protection were the key to this variation which ended at the beginning of the “V” pitch of the normal Exum ridge. Grand Teton, Otterbody Chimneys. Rising from the upper right comer of Teepe’s Glacier is a long very steep chimney system formed between the southwest walls of the Second Tower and the main southeast face of the Grand below the East Ridge Snowfield. Because of the obvious very steep and rotten rock in this part of the mountain, no ascent had been attempted in the normal summer climbing season. Renny Jackson and Dan Burgette took advantage of winter snow and ice to make the first ascent of this chimney system on December 28, 1986 in a single day from the valley. Six pitches of mixed ice and rock were found, including vertical ice sections as well as snow over rotten rock. The rock itself was of 5.7 difficulty. Cloudveil Dome, South Face, variation. Paul Duval and Beverly Boynton climbed on July 23, 1986 a new 5.9 variation to the left of the Armed Robbery route. Two pitches were climbed by continuing up the ramp at the start of the hard climbing of Armed Robbery.

Leigh N. Ortenburger