North Buttress Direct

This is a long and committing route on the north face of the Grand Teton. It took us 13 hours from our bivy on Teton Glacier to the summit.

Approach the climb from the funnel of snow just east of the ice fall, crossing the bergshrund at the top. Gain the small, right trending ledge, following it for about 5 pitches of 4th and easy 5th class. About three-quarters of the way, there is a mandatory rappel. We rapped our rope around a bulge as there was minimal gear to build an anchor. The first pitch starts at the very end of the ledge.

P1 - 5.9PG face climbing, gear in cracks

P2 - 5.10 right-leaning finger crack followed by a left-leaning finger crack

P3 - 5.10+R scary, dirty crack with unprotected face moves left over bulge

P4 - 5.7 ramps up and right into an ice-filled gully

P5 - 5.6 wet choss to top of gulley

P6 - 5.7  left out of gully to good hand crack

P7,8,9 - simul-climb up 4th and 5th class to base of second tower

P10 - 5.7 crack

P11 - 5.9 crack to top of tower

P12 - 5.7 up chossy dihedral

P13  - 5.9 through crack overhang, followed by several pitches of scrambling

P14 - 5.7 crack above north face.

Join East Ridge at snow, crampon up to rock, then summit.

North Face

Singles from BD 0.3 to 4. Doubles from BD 0.5 to 2. Nuts. Plenty of alpine draws.