It’s funny how past events weigh on your future climbing adeventures. Two years a go I hit an Elk and totaled my favorite car, while coming back from The sawtooths to my home in Eastern Idaho. It has made me a bit weary of driving at night.

I was super paranoid driving from eastern Idaho to the Lupine meadows trail head in the middle of the night, we saw two dear but it was over all uneventful, thankfully. We left the trail head at 5:30 am, roughly.

Scott was feeling a bit week, as he hadn’t climbed much this summer, but no worries I felt up to the task.

My good friend Scott and I teamed up last weekend to climb Irene’s Arete up Garnett canyon in the Tetons. The route was first climbed by Irene Ortenberger / Beardsley and John Dietschy in 1957. I have to give them mad props for making it up this route with what probably was a dozen or so Piton’s. It felt very stout for 5.8, and I’m sure it was in 1957 too, on hobnailed or lugged sole boots and an old rope!!!!


The approach was uneventful, thanks to scott scouting the route 3 years ago. We arrived at the base to an empty route and had it to our selves the whole day!!!



Irene's the Jagged knife edge arete!!!
Scott at the 5th class step across

Looking up Pitch 1

Down Pitch 1 (from half way up the pitch)

So at the top of the first pitch I lost my topo when I took my camera out for a picture. Luckily scott also had a topo, so we continued on with out incident!

UP P 2
Down P3

down P4

After topping out

We saw a Deer, Two moose (mother and baby), and a bear on the hike/drive out. And had some great ice cream and beef Jerky in Wilson.

I guess my fears of hitting wild life were overblown, we did how ever have a bear run 50 feet in front of our car on the way out of the park on the moose-wilson road!


Rack: Doubles to #2 camalot, single number 3 camalot.
It took us about 12 hours car to car.

GO GET IT!!!


Ps. I forgot to add the topo I lost on the first pitch, I found 400 feet higher on the route at the top of pitch 4, No joking...:)