NuclearNed 1, Mountain 0

[NuclearNed]

I got back Saturday from climbing Grand Teton with 5 friends (6 total, but 1 didn't climb due to injury). We reached the summit with Exum Mountain Guides on the Owens-Spalding route last Thursday. Here's a few pics to enjoy:

All the pics for the bored:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HWuCeLPttyprSfbK6

Grand Teton (the peak on the left)

A nice little 120' rappel (this is where a guide got killed a couple of years ago)

NuclearNed hangin' loose

What's below my feet, you ask? Well that's nothing but a vertical slab with 2000' of air

 

[Thebobo]

Awesome. Was there backpacking years ago no climbing though. Also is that a toilet at the camp with the hut? Guess that's permanent for the climbers?

 

[NuclearNed]

Awesome. Was there backpacking years ago no climbing though. Also is that a toilet at the camp with the hut? Guess that's permanent for the climbers?

yes/no on the toilet: it is a privy that has 2 toilet seats, but no pit... You have to put a wag bag down in the seat, do your business, then pull the bag out & package it up. It's a permanent part of the base camp.

 

[Darwin333]

Awesome trip bud and some beautiful pictures. Been waiting for one of your epic stories.

BTW, you can win against the mountain a thousand times but it only has to win once. Stay safe my friend.

 

[NuclearNed]

Awesome trip bud and some beautiful pictures. Been waiting for one of your epic stories.

BTW, you can win against the mountain a thousand times but it only has to win once. Stay safe my friend.

Thanks! I hope I can get back to writing stuff again in the near future. I've been so busy for a long time - hard to find time to think.

 

[Darwin333]

Thanks! I hope I can get back to writing stuff again in the near future. I've been so busy for a long time - hard to find time to think.

Getting much use out of your wall?

 

[NuclearNed]

Getting much use out of your wall?

All the time, although I spent part of yesterday taking the holds off of it. I need to caulk & paint its backside to help preserve the wood, so that's my late Summer project. It should be out of commission for hopefully just 2-3 weeks.

 

[zinfamous]

I mean...did you actually destroy the mountain, or what?

 

[IronWing]

I mean...did you actually destroy the mountain, or what?

Nuclear Ned’s Mountain Mastectomy Service.

 

[ultimatebob]

Awesome pictures, Ned! This post is totally Coolcoin worthy. Send me a PM if you want one!

 

[brianmanahan]

that looks easy

FOR A BIRD

 

[Mayne]

Awesome man. That doesn't look easy no matter how many guides you have.

 

[NuclearNed]

that looks easy

FOR A BIRD

I think the Owen-Spalding route is generally considered to be a 5.4 (some people online say it's as high as 5.7, but my gut feeling says that those people are trying to inflate their egos/climbing resumes). I'm pretty sure 5.4 is accurate. What that means (for those not familiar with the Yosemite Decimal System) is this: the 5 indicates that this is a highly technical climb; most people don't have the ability to climb this route without the use of technical climbing gear. The 4 means that it is a relatively easy, highly technical climb (on a scale of 1-15). What makes this particular route noteworthy is the extreme level of exposure to great heights. Most of the route above the base camp has significant exposure, in places reaching up to 2000'. If you have a fear of heights, this isn't the route for you.

 

[NuclearNed]

Awesome man. That doesn't look easy no matter how many guides you have.

So we had 3 guides for the 6 of us. One of the guides was training, which means that he had a lot of guide experience with another company, but was tagging along to learn the route & how Exum guides their clients.

As for the 6 of us, our youngest is 25; the oldest is 66, all from various backgrounds. We all have known each other at some level for several years.

 

[NuclearNed]

I mean...did you actually destroy the mountain, or what?

Sure, in a manner of speaking... all that dehydrated food wrecks me.

 

[glenn1]

Good job man, do all that stuff while you can. I waited too long to do Angel's Landing hike now it's closed (perhaps permanently) due to mudslides. It's not a technical mountain climb like you did but still something I wanted to do.

 

[sonoma1993]

Amazing photos.

 

[PowerEngineer]

I take this as confirmation that you have successfully dealt with your heart rate issues. Congratulations on that!

 

[brianmanahan]

If you have a fear of heights, this isn't the route for you.

the other day i started getting dizzy and freaking out after going up 5 feet on a ladder

so this isn't the route for me

 

[NuclearNed]

I take this as confirmation that you have successfully dealt with your heart rate issues. Congratulations on that!

The heart issue still exists, but my Dr. says it is benign and that I should do whatever I feel like doing without any worry. I quit ~90% of my caffeine intake, which seems to fix most of it.

 

[Regs]

Looks like a lot of fun - thanks for sharing. I did Angels landing too - not technical but very scenic without the need for climbing gear. Sad to hear about the mud slides. I do remember the shitter being on top of the mountain and the smell from the gravity drop carried most way down the path on the way back.

 

[Mai72]

Bah... I climbed Skyrim's Mountains just the other day.

 

[Mai72]

J/K... Awesome job. Looks like fun.