Traverse in the Tetons between Teewinot and Mount Owen
August 26 2008 William writes:
Cody with Teton Glacier behind him.
Cody Lockhart and I climbed Teewinot, traversed the ridge between Teewinot and Owen, climbed Owen and then hiked out via Amphitheater Lake. I’m writing this as a picture guide for similar trips because after searching the internet and guide books we still did a lot of route finding and still didn’t know what a “col” was (all routes in A Climbers Guide to the Tetons are based on cols). As one section of the Grand Traverse (teewinot, owen, grand, middle, south, nez peirce) I thought a route explanation should be available. The best sites I found were here and here and here.
I’ve drawn the route we did (see the pictures labeled “Route”). All the pictures from our trip are in the gallery below.
Times: Total 20 hours
- Car -> Teewinot Summit: 3.5 hours
A typical sling on the route. Lots of webbing and one ring. Bring extra beeners!
- Teewinot -> Base of Owen: 4.5 hours (a lot of learning)
- Base of Owen -> Owen Summit: 3.5 hours
- Owen Summit -> Teton Glacier: 4 hours
- Teton Glacier -> Car: 4 hours (with 3 twisted ankles)
Gear Needed
- ice axe
- 70 meter rope
- harness
- belay device
- a small trad rack (nothing over 1″)
- slings & carabeeners (to leave on the mountain)
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- Cody with the 5am game face.
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- Looking up Teewinot from just above treeline.
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- Looking out over jenny lake.
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- Climbing up Teewinot (2/3 up the mountain)
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- The right peak is the summit of Teewinot
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- Cody on the top of Teewinot with the Grand and Owen to his right.
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- Looking down at the ridge tobe traversed toget to Owen.
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- Ridge Again
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- West side of Teewinot
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- Looking up Owen's East face
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- Me on the ridge
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- Looking back at the first prong. (two repels)
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- looking back at the middle prong (no repels but a slow down climb)
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- East face of Owen.
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- Lower east face of Owen.
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- Looking back on the East Prong
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- Morain & Ampatheater lake from ridge.
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- Cody Climbing
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- Cold Butterfly
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- First Pitch of the East Ridge of Owen
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- Second/Last Pitch of East Face of Owen
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- Second pitch off route (5-10 move on 2 small pieces). Nice work Cody.
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- Cody on Summit of Mt. Owen
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- First Repel off Mt. Owen with Teewinot in background.
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- One of many repels off Owen
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- Repeling the Waterfall on Lower east face of Owen
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- Waterfall Repel2
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- Cody with Teton Glacier behind him.
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- On snow field below the East Prong
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- A typical sling on the route. Lots of webbing and one ring. Bring extra beeners!
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- Botom of Koven couloir looking up at the East Prong
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- The morain = 1.5 hours of hell.
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- The ridge between Teewinot and Owen. (Owen on left)
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- Route: Decent of Teewinot's west face.
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- Route: Traverse ridge between Teewinot and Owen
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- Route: 2 repels down first prong. (looking east)
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- Route: 2 repels down east prong. (looking east)
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- Route: East ridge of Mt. Owen.
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- Route: Across the morain and up to Ampatheater Lake (looking south from Teewinot's west ridge)
We left town at 315am, got to the Lupin Meadows trailhead at 350 and started up the trail for Teewinot (the tail is located on the mountain side of the parking lot in the middle). It took 2 hours to get above tree line and another 2 to scramble up the face to the summit. There is trail up most of the way until it dumps into Teewinot’s central gully. Go straight up this gully and if there is any questions in the route… go right. 500 ft from the top you’ll look up and see this.
The right peak is the summit
Go to the right of the right peak. The east ridge will take you too the summit.
Teewinot summit is the most picture-esc in the tetons. Descend the west slope of Teewinot down the first south facing couloir you come to as leaving the summit. There is one 5-9 down climb move or a twenty foot repel 100 ft from the summit. The rest of the way down to the ridge between Teewinot and Owen is a walk/scramble.
Route: Decent of Teewinot
Continue to head west on the top of the ridge until the first prong. Repel to the north side of the 3/4 column. There are slings on both sides. The second repel requires a 70 meter rope.
Route: 2 repels down first prong.
Go up and over the second prong. There are no slings and the down climb is slow. Head up to the top of the East Prong and just to the right there is a sling. This could be down climbed if necessary.
Route: 2 repels down east prong.
Now at the base of owen, head up the deep dark chute in the center of the east face. There was enough water cooming down the chute to get us wet when we climbed it.
Route: East ridge of Mt. Owen.
Continue up the snow field to the base of the east face. There are sever hundred of 5-4 to 5-6 climbing without at rope to the bottom of the east face. Start climbing up. On a 70m rope it was 2 pitches. The last 20 meters has a 5-10 move with very little protection. We didn’t check but left may be easier.
The decent is a series of 5-6 repels down the south face, back on the snow field, and down the chute.
Route: Across the morain and up to Ampatheater Lake
There is a trail down the right side of the Koven Couloir to two repels. Then down a small snow field to 2 repels to place you at the bottom of the Koven Couloir on the Teton Glacier.
Head across the galcier to the lower saddel of the morain. Make your way across the boulder field to the goat path that leads to Ampitheater Lake and down to Garenet Canyon trail. The last 1.5 miles are the worst. Think dusty, dark and sprained ankles.
GALLERY
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