Top of the Grand Teton, 13,770
It has been 13 years since I stood on top of the Grand Teton. I have a list of excuses why, but so does everyone else. Earlier this summer, I was visiting with a childhood friend who had never climbed the Grand. As a Jackson Hole local, he felt that standing on top of the Grand was a right of passage. After a few glasses of wine, I decided we should do it for our birthdays because they are only a few days a part. As the set date, August 6th, grew closer, I started to get nervous about my commitment. It had been a long time since I was up there. Would I remember the route? Was I qualified to take my friends up? With doubt on my mind, Eric and I decided we better do a trial run.
Grand Teton with a Fresh Coat of Paint
The Owen-Spalding is the easiest route to climb to the summit when conditions are good, meaning dry. The route is named after William Owen and Frank Spalding who along with Frank Peterson and John Shive first climbed it August 11, 1898. After talking to many friends and Exum guides, I learned that OS route was finally dry and good to go. Eric, my husband, and I decided the OS route would be the best choice for us because we are not exactly mountaineers. Yes we are familiar with climbing gear and know how to use it, but we would never claim to be bad-ass mountaineers. We enjoy being in the mountains.
I asked a friend if he would take us up, but he thought Eric and I would have more fun if we figured it out ourselves. So I bought the book, A Climber’s Guide to the Teton Range, and photo copied the description and photos of the route. My buddy gave me a list of the gear we would need and Eric were off on our adventure.
Sunrise in the Meadows
We started hiking a 3:45 am. The sunrise in the Meadows was incredible; the rays bouncing off the Middle Teton were breath-taking. It was one of those moments when you feel lucky to be alive and witness such beauty. From the Meadows we hiked to Lower Saddle which sits at 11, 600+ feet. Exum has a base camp set up in the Lower Saddle. We met an Exum guide on the way up. He was really nice and invited us in to warm up giving us a lay of the land before we headed to the Upper Saddle. We reached the Upper Saddle by 10:00.
The “Belly Roll” and the “Belly Crawl” are the first obstacles to catch your attention. According to, A Climber’s Guide to the Grand Tetons, it is where most parties rope up. If you talk to some Jackson Hole locals there is no need to rope up and it is possible to free climb the entire route. When Eric and I saw 18 inch wide ledge and the 2000 foot verticle drop, we decided to rope up. There was a traffic jam at the “Belly Crawl.” This was not surprising being August first and the route was finally dry. We sat at the “Belly Crawl” station for almost an hour and half. I was freezing. The clouds were rolling in and out and the wind was chilly.
Once we were through the “Belly Crawl,” we climbed up the “Double Chimney” to the “Cat Walk.” The “Cat Walk” is a very exposed 150 foot series of ascending slabs. It was, in my opinion, the easiest part of the route. It was really easy to walk along, but it can be deadly when icy. From the “Cat Walk” we climbed “Sargent’s Chimney” and then scrabbled to the top.
Eric Seymour and I at the top of the Grand
We were so lucky. We were the only people at the summit for 20 minutes.
Top of the Grand!
Eric and I at the Top of the Grand Teton
It is easy to let your guard down once you have reached the summit, but it’s not truly over until you are drinking a beer at Dornan’s. The descent involves a 120 foot rappel. The rappel is much faster than down climbing because you are able to avoid down climbing the “Catwalk, Double Chimney, Belly Crawl, and Belly Roll.” Not too mention it is really fun. Eric and I had doubled checked with many people to make sure the rope we brought was long enough for the 120 foot rappel. We have a few friends who haven’t had a long enough rope and had to be very creative when they reached the end of their rope. At the belay station our fears of not having the right length of rope surfaced. There were two other climber’s from Montana at the belay station who also had the same reservations. So we decided to attach our ropes creating a 140 meter rope. We were confident this would plenty of rope for the rappel. Eric dropped off first.
Eric Seymour
Eric Seymour
Jess McMillan
Yah! Free Fall!
The two ropes together was more than enough, but better safe than sorry. After the rappel we headed back down to the lower saddle. From the lower saddle, it is a long walk out.
Eric taking a snack break near the Meadows
Eric and I had great day. I think my favorite quote of the day was, “Wow Jess! That was really intense! I didn’t think we were going to do so much rock climbing.” And this from the guy who likes to run 100 foot waterfalls!
Air Force Friends we met along the way
