Grand Teton by Gina Giglioli

I wanted to climb the Grand Teton from the first moment I saw it back in August 2020. The Teton Range is part of the Rocky Mountains and extends along the Wyoming/Idaho state line in the Western US. The dramatic elevation profile of the mountains rising up from the valley makes the range all the more striking.

Jump to December 2021 when that familiar itch of planning the next year’s trips came around and I knew I had to make the Grand happen in 2022. At the time I hadn’t come across WAAC yet and had no friends who would have been keen for this kind of an adventure, so I got in touch with Thomas, a guide from the local guiding company, Exum Guides, who helped me plan a week’s trip in July 2022 which included a 2-day summit of the Grand and a classic rock route, Irene’s Arete.

The most common routes up the Grand are the Owen Spalding roue and Upper Exum Ridge. Whilst neither could be described as technical climbs (both sit at around a 5.4/5.5 - think HVD in UK terms), for me it was the whole experience of the 2-day approach and climb that made the Grand so appealing (in addition to it just looking like it needed to be climbed!).

Day 1 involves a 6-mile approach from the Lupine Meadows trailhead with around 5,000 ft of elevation from the valley floor to the Lower Saddle at the base of the Grand. After schlepping up the steep switchbacks (albeit with lovely views of the lower lakes) in the midday sun, we made it to Garnet Canyon where the fun really begins.

With views of the Middle Teton at the end of the canyon, you suddenly forget your tired legs and continue up the giant boulder field hopping from boulder to boulder taking in the views of the mountains closing in around you and the remnants of the spring wildflowers. Unfortunately, the steepest climb is saved for last but when you finally top out on the Lower Saddle you’re rewarded with spectacular views over into Idaho!

Arriving at the Exum tent is a welcome relief after a sweaty day in the sun (although admittedly not half as nice as the alpine huts in Europe). I settled into my tent and took in the epic views of the Grand from my front door, excited about the summit the next day. Top tip: pizza boiled in a plastic bag is surprisingly good and gained a lot of envious looks from those eating dehydrated camp food. Don’t knock it till you try it! I also got to speak to one of the few female Exum guides, Jessica Baker (founder of Ski Divas, a women’s ski camp in the US), and got talking about women in the mountaineering world. It seems silly not to have realised this sooner, but the more people who ask for female guides encourages companies to actually hire more female guides!

After a couple of hours sleep, we’re up at 3am under a moonlit starry sky. The imposing summit of the Grand blotted out the sky in front of us creating an unforgettable silhouette (see poor attempt to capture this below).

The climbing (finally!) begins after an hour or so of working our way up the base. Thomas agreed we could go for the longer Upper Exum Ridge route (instead of the shorter and easier Owen Spalding) on account of me having some prior climbing experience and it being a more interesting (and less congested) climb.  

Upper Exum Ridge is a 5.5 (think HVD/S) 6 pitch alpine trad route. We started climbing in the dark and over the next couple hours watched the horizon glow brighter until we saw the spectacular alpenglow light up the Middle Teton behind us. It was one of those moments you want to grab tightly and bottle it up forever so you don’t forget it.

The climbing itself is easy and enjoyable with large scrambling sections and can be done in approach shoes. Depending on the time of year and weather, some of the upper pitches can have ice and snow on them although the route is best accessed in July and August.

The top of the Grand sits at 4,199 m/13,776 ft. The altitude is noticeable as you reach the summit but my excitement and prior acclimatisation made it quite manageable. Some jubilant high fives were shared at the summit and we had a snack break to take in the 360 views before heading back down to the Lower Saddle, and then all the way back down the canyon to the trailhead.

I can’t recommend the Grand more. You get incredible views and the feeling of exposure on an alpine route coupled with easy climbing that makes for a fantastic introduction to longer days out in the mountains whilst also dealing with some altitude and fatigue after a long approach. It’s the perfect introduction to the Tetons and once you’re up there you’ll have a tick list of routes that’s longer than the switchbacks!