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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Jul 17, 2013 - 04:51pm PT
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...perhaps it would be beneficial to reiterate that "approach shoes" are a broad classification of footwear. Guide Tennies and Gandas were fashioned with serious rock climbing in mind. Some "approach" footwear are not.
I love "Camp 4" shoes for rugged approaches but they aren't really good for precise rock climbing.
Rgold is correct about the Gandas...they're superb on rock... as are the veritable five-tennies and a few other shoes designed with edging, smearing and precise foot placement in mind.
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jopay
climber
so.il
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Jul 17, 2013 - 07:40pm PT
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I'll try again Evolv Cruzer?
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 17, 2013 - 09:02pm PT
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Exum Ridge will go in approach shoes. I did it in light mountain boots many years ago with climbing slippers in my pack. And they stayed there. It's very much like moderate Tuolumne/Sierra climbing. Think "high altitude SE Cathedral peak" with 4th class approach.; including possibly crowded even in early Sept.
The boots were very handy for the snow. Which will be minimal by September.
From personal experience, I strongly recommend you don't downclimb the Owen-Spalding. Take a light 60 meter rope. You can rapp down the regular chimney if you go to the left side (facing down). There's a rap station 1/2 way down. The two rope rapp is from the right (north) side of the chimney.
Exum Ridge is a terrific route to solo. Be ready for awesome exposure in a couple of places.
Go early, go quickly, be wary of the weather. It can change VERY suddenly and violently as I'm sure you know. I summited in a T-shirt with just a few clouds in sight and by the time I got back to the Lower Saddle it was starting to thunder and lightning. Full on lightning/rain/hail storm before I got down to the Caves area. Take your weather cues from the guided parties. It gets cold up there Real Fast in bad weather. And very icy.
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MtnMoma
Trad climber
Liechtenstein now Vermont
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 18, 2013 - 08:51am PT
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Great advise all around folks!
Listening to you all, I feel pretty good in attempting the complete Exum ridge in approach shoes. Thanks!
Keep the info regarding the Grand coming, not being familiar with the range, I appreciate all your advise about rappels, detours, alternate routes, camping, bivi, good food, ogers etc.
I'll be continuing to jog in humid thick air that you can cut with a knife in the hopes it will simulate 'lower oxygen', and climb in the company of black flies and mosquitoes chasing me up sweaty rocks (they do actualy sweat in the East in July ha ha)..
Isa
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 18, 2013 - 08:57am PT
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Another vote for Gandas. I do stuff like this in them exclusively! Even soloing routes at Devils tower in them.
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Alpamayo
Trad climber
Chapel Hill, NC
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Jul 18, 2013 - 11:27am PT
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If you don't do it in a day, and you camp in the saddle, don't bring a tent. If you go past all the tent sites and over the saddle over to the Idaho-ward side of the saddle, there are several nice bivy caves. Much better than a tent.
I still think that lower Exum would be "spicy" in approach shoes! Hell, if you're climbing hard enough to do the lower Exum in approach shoes, another option would be to do the Gold Face (10a) instead. It's just as awesome (and right next to) as Exum, but a little harder.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 18, 2013 - 12:42pm PT
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I know your plan is to do the climb car to car. Certainly doable.
However consider acclimatization and the beauty of the mountains.
Consider a lightweight camp or bivvy at the Moraines or Caves or even Lower Saddle. Spend a fine night in the open at altitude. You'll be at the base of either route long before you could make it from the car. Note that the Exum guides leave their Lower Saddle camp for the summit about 4 AM.
That area really is a spectacular place to spend the evening and early morning.
Of course you should get a free overnight permit from the Jenny Lake Ranger station and there could be an evening or overnight thunderstorm.
MtnMoma
A clarification. I did the original Exum Ridge solo, not the complete.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jul 18, 2013 - 02:36pm PT
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A second vote for not doing the route from Lupine Meadows in a day. Bivvy on the Lower Saddle and get on the rock at first light. This distributes the slogging over two days, is safer (the thunderstorms typically show up in the afternoon) and you get various esthetic mountain experiences, sunset on the Lower Saddle with the peak shadows extending over Jackson Hole, a night under the stars, and sunrise on the route. You can chill a bit on the summit and on the Lower Saddle on the way down because you're not racing darkness. Everything about it is better, unless you want to prove your fitness (and carry a bit less gear).
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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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Jul 18, 2013 - 02:59pm PT
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We really enjoyed our climb of the Petzoldt/Upper Exum with a base at the Moraines camp; this helped with the altitude issue and made a very early start no big deal on climb day. It's true, too, that electrical storms roll in a lot of days so starting very early from a high base is a good insurance plan.
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md307
climber
jackson, wy
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Jul 18, 2013 - 04:23pm PT
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Fivetennies or equivalents are fine for most Teton routes 5.6 and easier, imho, at 5.7 you start to move into more technical and exposed terrain.
Evolv cruzers are awesome shoes but like everything else, they have pros and cons. Using the Tetons as a reference, I WOULD carry the cruzers up The Snaz for either the walk down decent or the rappels, I WOULD NOT approach/climb the Grand in them. They are surprisingly light, compact, comfortable and they climb well. However, they offer very little lateral support, they are cut low so tend to fill up with sand and such and they are not super durable. My first pair lasted through 4 days of adventure climbing in redrocks. I wore them for all of my approaches and descents and the stitching blew out. To be fair, Evolve replaced them for free and my current ones seem to be holding up better, but I immediately sealed all of the seams with shoe goo and I won’t use them for long approaches.
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MtnMoma
Trad climber
Liechtenstein now Vermont
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 19, 2013 - 12:23pm PT
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I am definitely into the full mountain experience with an overnight - not shooting for a car to car effort. So I learned I have three options: either camp at the Meadows, the lower saddle (windy?) or bivi around the corner of the saddle.
Are there other good classics one can reach from any of these bases?
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MtnMoma
Trad climber
Liechtenstein now Vermont
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 19, 2013 - 12:26pm PT
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For the sake of enjoying nature and getting acclimatized, is there camping at the Amphitheater Lake? I think rgold mentioned that it was on the way to Lupine Meadows?
Would it make sense to hike to the lake and stay overnight and continue to Lupine the next day?
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Alpamayo
Trad climber
Chapel Hill, NC
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Jul 19, 2013 - 12:35pm PT
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Irene's arete is near the Caves bivy which is on the trail up to the saddle. I had an awesome weekend hiking up to the saddle, bivy in a nice cave on the saddle. Climb the grand, and then go back down to the caves site. Went up the next day and climbed Irene's arete.
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Jul 19, 2013 - 12:40pm PT
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Hi MtnMoma,
The parking area is on SW corner of Lupine Meadows. Perhaps you mean Garnet Canyon Meadows which has campsites for Grand ascents.
There are three campsites on the east side of Suprise Lake which is near Ampitheater Lake. (This is a different venue than most take thru Garnet Canyon and on to the Lower Saddle and Grand)
However, these camps (at Suprise-Ampitheater Lakes) are actually higher than the camps in Garnet Canyon and would require backtracking to the trails junction to proceed into Garnet Canyon.
(The Grand may be accessed from Suprise Lake by way of the "Dike Route" to the Lower Saddle, though)
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Jul 19, 2013 - 01:26pm PT
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Do it in Cowboy Boots - just like Glen Exum did on the first ascent of Exum Ridge.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Jul 19, 2013 - 01:50pm PT
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For the sake of enjoying nature and getting acclimatized, is there camping at the Amphitheater Lake? I think rgold mentioned that it was on the way to Lupine Meadows?
No, no, Lupine Meadows is where you park. I mentioned hiking to Ampitheater Lake as a conditioning hike. The beginning of that hike shares the the Garnet Canyon trail, but the two trails diverge after three miles, see http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/upload/Lupine_Meadows_topo.pdf
You could camp in Garnet Canyon Meadows and do the Grand from there, although I think a higher bivvy would be better for the Grand. The advantage of the Garnet Canyon meadows would be the availability of other climbs, e.g. the South Ridge of Nez Perce, the North Face of Cloudveil Dome, The Buckingham Ridge on Middle Teton, and the various crag climbs on Disappointment Peak, most notably Irene's Arete.
You could also use a Garnet Canyon Meadows camp as the base for a conditioning hike, namely South Teton, which is a third-class scramble.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 19, 2013 - 02:04pm PT
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It sounds as if you're unfamiliar with the terrain. Even though the range is small it is very complicated. My first time up there I hiked right past the Caves campsite without even knowing it.
I highly recommend this book:
http://shop.grandtetonpark.org/A_Climber_s_Guide_To_The_Teton_Range_p/10067.htm
It would be in any good mountain shop and many REIs.
AND a topo map. The terrain is complex. Cross country travel off trail can be difficult.
The USGS topos you want are Grand Teton and Mt Moran. Possibly Mount Bannon and Granite Basin if you want to do extended hiking.
You can download them for free from here:
http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(ctype=areaDetails&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=%24ROOT&layout=6_1_61_48&uiarea=2)/.do
As was said, Amphitheatre/Sunrise lakes are nowhere near the main Teton routes.
However, the climb of Disappointment Peak from Lupine Mdws trailhead and Amphitheatre Lake is 3d class, a great acclimatizing day trip and gives you SPECTACULAR views all around.
I'm leaving for the Tetons on Monday. Can't wait to get there.
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nutjob
Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
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Jul 22, 2013 - 04:53am PT
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Grand Teton in Five Tens or Rock Shoes?
That all depends on you.
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SuperTopo on the Web
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