W Roscoe

Archive for August, 2008

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)

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.