Scramblegs: September 2012

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Middle Teton (South-West Couloir)

Grade III, Class 2-3
Grand Teton National Park

Hopefully this will be our first of many trips to Grand Teton National Park. On this visit we just had the morning to get up something before continuing on with our families north to Yellowstone. Pip conspired to kill the whole adventure at birth by neglecting to set his alarm, but Aaron (with some reluctance it is reported) saved the day and got himself out of bed. By 5am we were on our bikes for the 20km ride from our campground at Signal Mtn, to the trailhead at Jenny Lake. From there it was up and down 6,000' in five hours, including a little bit of 3rd class (unexposed, non-technical) scrambling near the top. Great views, but no time to properly enjoy them. We'll be back! [note: take the GPS tracks provided here with a grain of salt: we were a little off-route at times as we went through the boulders and up towards the base of the couloir).

Participants: Aaron and Pip

Photos GPX KML

Subjective rating systems used in blog

Reference: The Mountaineers (2010), Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. 8th Edition (pp. 566-567).

NATIONAL CLIMBING CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
(overall difficulty; technical / scrambling portion only; see posts for length of our outings).

Grade I: Normally requires several hours; can be of any technical difficulty.

Grade II: Requires half a day; any technical difficulty.

Grade III: Requires a day to do the technical portion; any technical difficulty.

Grade IV: Requires a full day for the technical portion; the hardest pitch is usually no less than 5.7 (YDS; see below).

Grade V: Requires a day and a half; the hardest pitch is at least 5.8.

Grade VI: A multiday excursion with difficult free climbing and/or aid climbing.

YOSEMITE DECIMAL SYSTEM (YDS)
(climbing difficulty)

Class 1. Hiking

Class 2. Simple scrambling, with possible occasional use of the hands.

Class 3. Scrambling; hands are used for balance; a rope might be carried.

Class 4. Simple climbing, often with exposure. A rope is often used. A fall could be fatal. Typically, natural protection can be easily found.

Class 5. Where rock climbing begins in earnest. Climbing involves the use of a rope, belaying, and protection (natural or artificial) to protect the leader from a long fall.

5.0-5.7. Easy for experienced climbers; where most novices begin.

5.8-5.9. Where most weekend climbers become comfortable; employs the specific skills of rock climbing.

5.10-5.11. A committed recreational climber can reach this level.

5.12-5.15. The realm of true experts!

ALPINE GRADES
(Reference: David Jones, Rogers Pass Alpine Guide, p. 28)

F (easy).

PD (little difficulty). 4th and easy 5th class; some exposure.

AD (fairly difficult). Low to mid-5th class and/or steep snow and ice. Mixed terrain. Route finding challenges.

D (Difficult). Mid 5th class and/or very steep snow and ice. Sustained climbing; possibly loose rock; route finding challenges; typically descended via an easier route.

TD (very difficult) and ED (extremely difficult). Not likely to encounter these grades in this blog!