DAY 2:
From camp at Lower Saddle, climb the Complete Exum Ridge (III, 5.7) of Grand Teton.
Route overlays, Complete and Lower Exum (III, 5.7), by Mark Thomas:   Route description, Complete Exum (III, 5.7): Text from "Teton Rock Climbs" digital guide: Lower Exum (III, 5.7): "From the Lower Saddle, walk north toward the obvious Black Dike and follow a trail that contours off to the right to meet the Dike under the first south ridge (Exum Ridge). Follow the Dike past the Exum Ridge, toward the last couloir (Stettner Couloir) before the highest point on the Black Dike (Glencoe Col). A short distance above the low point in the Black Dike, immediately before the Stettner Couloir, a ramp will be found that traverses back left (west) and up to gain the Exum Ridge. Scramble up this gradually widening ramp to where it crosses the ridge crest. The first pitch chimney noted from the Lower Saddle heads up the west side of the ridge from this ramp. One may also climb to this chimney directly from the Black Dike, adding a couple easy 5th class pitches to the route. PITCH 1: Climb the chimney on the west side of the ridge. Tunnel behind the appropriate chockstone. Continue above to where the chimney widens. The easiest path steps out to the exposed right face (5.6), then back to the top of the chimney. One may choose to stay in the chimney the entire way (5.7), or climb the face right of the chimney from the start (5.6). Belay on a good ledge above the chimney. PITCH 2: Scramble up and left toward the ridge crest over easy 5th class ledges, flakes and cracks. Stay on the right (east) side of the crest as the path of least resistance leads straight up, then steps right over steep rock before exiting onto a large, slanting ledge. PITCH 3: Move the belay to the back of the slanting ledge. An escape ramp heads left (west) around the ridge crest and traverses into the Wall Street Couloir. Climb a left-slanting hand crack (5.7) in light rock, then head right into black rock. The Gold Face variation (5.10-) starts from this ledge and ascends flakes and cracks right (east) of the regular route. Head up and right above the crack and face climb the black rock. Continue straight up, then slightly left to reach a short wide crack (5.6) to a small ledge at the base of a wide, left-slanting chimney, and belay. PITCH 4: Climb into the chimney. Stem the wide chimney as it steepens. Pull around the chockstone (5.7) capping the top of the chimney. Scramble to the base of the Black Face, just above, and belay. PITCH 5: Start climbing near the middle of the Black Face. Within 20’ of starting up, diagonal right (east) on face holds and cracks (5.7). Several pitons will be found on this pitch. Near the right side of the Black Face, a crack and flake system (5.6) leads up and slightly left. Follow this to a small but good belay stance. PITCH 6: A hand crack in light rock leads up and left from the belay to the edge of the ridge crest. From above this crack, the original route continues up the easy corner just left (west) of the crest and gains the boulder ledge at the end of Wall St. A more aesthetic variation steps right (east) over a delicate face move (5.7) to reach a hand crack. Climb this crack (5.7) to its end at the boulder ledge on the end of Wall Street. Many parties choose to summit via the upper Exum Ridge, in which case the standard descent follows the upper half of the Owen-Spalding route." Upper Exum (II, 5.5): "ROUTE: The Golden Stair of knobby yellow granite (5.4) rises on the ridge crest directly above the boulder ledge past the end of Wall St. An alternative lies right (east) of the ridge crest and ascends hand/fist cracks (5.5). A rappel anchor may be found just above the Golden Stair leading back to Wall St. Scramble about 150’ over 4th class terrain to reach the next major wall. Turn right (east) at this obstacle to find the Wind Tunnel; a steep gully hidden behind a huge flake. Climb this easy 5th class gully for about 100’ to the first exit to the left. Pull through this break in the left wall and belay on a scree ledge. Scramble up the wide gully to where the rock steepens. From this open gully, the Friction Pitch is visible as the high point on the ridge crest. A variety of ways are available to gain the broad crest above this point. Most consist of easy 5th class climbing. Belay when necessary. Belay at the small ledge at the base of the Friction Pitch, a textured yellow ridge with minimal protection cracks. Start up on smooth dishes and small knobs, then step left to find larger features. This crux (5.5) is unprotectable. The difficulty eases back and protection may be found higher on the pitch. Belay where the crest meets a ledge on the right (east). Scramble along this black rock ledge to regain the ridge crest, now to the right (east). Snow is often present here. A small steep notch leads to the ridge crest. Continue scrambling for a few hundred feet along the left (west) margin of a slab (often snow-covered). 4th class climbing leads to the left (west) edge of this slab. A left-facing dihedral will be found on the left side of the ridge. Climb this dihedral, called the “V-pitch,” to the top of the ridge. Above the V-pitch, walk to a tower with some black rock, just left (west) of the crest. Climb the awkward, left-leaning crack/ramp from the black rock. Angle back right (east) on a ramp to regain the ridge crest. Another shorter tower on the crest is passed via cracks near its prow. Walk to the right (south) side of the summit block. Follow the 4th class trail through boulders to the summit." Descent: "DESCENT FROM THE SUMMIT follows the upper half of the Owen-Spalding route. One should be familiar with this route to facilitate descent. From the summit, scramble west for a short way before angling left (southwest) across the fall line of the slabs. The Enclosure summit is a good point of reference to head toward. A short traverse left on a ledge leads to a one-rope rappel anchor at the top of the often-icy Sargent’s Chimney. Rappel here, or downclimb 5th class just north of the rap anchor: climb down a short “box” dihedral and step north to ease down to a platform, then walk 10’ south back toward the chimney and downclimb another short section to enter the chimney, where the scrambling gets easier. Continue down and left toward the Enclosure summit. Another rappel anchor will be found by looking left (south) at the edge of an outcrop directly above the Upper Saddle. A recently installed, bolted, two-rope rap anchor is 6’ north of the original slung horn rappel station. IMPORTANT: The slung horn rappel is 30m only when the rope is draped over the SOUTH edge of the platform (south is to your right when facing the summit). If any doubt exists, use two ropes, or use the alternate rappels a short distance to the south and descend a gully via two one-rope raps. From the lowest notch on the Upper Saddle, take a trail south down the broad gully, staying right of the major central rib. Do not descend the gully bordering the Grand (Wall St. Couloir). Lower down, another gully (Idaho Express) starts heading farther right along the base of the Enclosure; avoid this as well. Stay right of the main central rib to find the easiest path." | ||
 | With afternoon thundershowers a threat, we wanted to get an early start on our climb of the Complete Exum Ridge. Here's a photo taken in the early morning darkness as we got ready. Exposure: 30 sec, f/7.1, ISO 250. | |
 | The standard start to the Exum Ridge is via a ramp from the right. We ended up traversing past the ramp and scoped out a number of dead-end ramps before we realized we had gone too far and backtracked to the correct ramp shown in this photo. I suppose we should have paid more attention to the nice cairn at the base of the ramp. | |
 | Looking up the Pitch 1 chimney of the Lower Exum Ridge of Grand Teton. (Photo by Mark Thomas.) | |
 | Middle Teton in morning sun as seen from the base of the first pitch of the Lower Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton. | |
 | By the time we had racked up and started climbing the first pitch, lighting on the Middle Teton had changed dramatically. | |
 | Looking up the Lower Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton from the belay between Pitches 2 and 3. | |
 | L: Mark leading the famous "Black Face" (Pitch 5) of the Lower Exum Ridge. The climbing is steep and sustained, and from below it looks more difficult than its 5.7 rating, but the rock is solid and the holds are good. A very fun pitch! R: My mom climbing the Black Face in 1982. I took the photo of Mark at this same location. |  |
 | L: Another photo of Mark on the Black Face, climbing where my dad is in the photo on the right. They even clipped the same piton. R: My dad climbing the Black Face in 1982. |  |
 | A nice view of the Lower Exum Ridge from the top of the Black Face. (Photo by Mark Thomas.) | |
 | Old pin on the Black Face pitch. | |
 | Old piton on the Black Face pitch. | |
 | Yellow-poncho-cloaked Mark at the belay between the Lower and Upper Exum routes on the Grand Teton. The final pitch was quite slippery when I climbed it, so it was fortunate that the rain held off until the moment Mark topped out at the belay ledge. Despite the rain, we decided to keep on climbing towards the summit, since the Upper Exum is easier climbing and was also familiar terrain (we had both climbed the Upper Exum on previous trips). | |
 | Mark: "I think it goes up." On the Upper Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton. | |
 | Mark climbing the crux (5.5) Friction Pitch on the Upper Exum Ridge. | |
 | Continuing up. Except for the Friction Pitch, we simulclimbed the Upper Exum. (Photo by Mark Thomas.) | |
 | L: Teton Bill's summit photo. R: My parents (my dad Marty on left, my mom Sue on right) and friend Ralph (middle) on the summit of the Grand Teton thirty years previous to our trip. |  |
 | The standard descent of the Grand Teton is via the Owen-Spalding route. Here Mark is making the first rappel (single rope) down Sargent's Chimney. | |
 | L: The second rappel of the standard descent is on a bolted anchor. It is a free-hanging rappel that requires two ropes. There are 1-rope alternatives, but I am not sure where these anchors are. R: In 1982, the long rappel was not bolted and a bit off to the side. |  |
 | Fresh snow on the Enclosure. | |
 | After a climb, just use your topos as toilet paper. Courtesy and park regulations would suggest packaging it all in a WAG bag. | |
