Grand Teton - Upper Exum Ridge, August 2010
Having contracted a bad case of road-tripperitis this summer, I settled on an alternate course of therapy and decided to let it run its course rather than attempt to fight it. With that in mind, I loaded-up the Passat for the umpteenth time since early June and motored across four western states for a much anticipated and long-awaited for climb of the Grand Teton. I partnered-up with Kyle Walcott on Mountain Project for the Upper Exum Ridge climb-my first time linking up with someone sight unseen for a technical climb.
Returning from 3 months in Alaska supporting ice climbing guides on the Matanuska Glacier, Kyle was making his way back to Salt Lake City via a somewhat indirect Anchorage-Idaho Falls-Grand Teton-SLC itinerary. I on the other hand had a day-and-a-half's worth of driving to slog through before rendezvousing with Kyle at Climbers Ranch within Grand Teton National Park. Speeding across I-90 for most of WA, ID and a good portion of MT, I turned south just west of Butte and continued on I-15 for what seemed like an eternity before entering Idaho for the second time that day. I poached the only available camp spot could find that evening-the camp host's-and high tailed it out of there first thing in the morning. (more...)
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