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sketchy

Trad climber

Vagrant

Jul 8, 2006 - 04:51pm PT

I havent been there but I think it is roughly at the base of teewonot. It is popular enough that you could go to the near by trail heads and look for people with pads, or just stop by the climbers ranch or jenny lake ranger station and ask.

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 9, 2006 - 01:35am PT

Thanks, that makes sense,Jody. I've seen large boulders in that vicinity,north of Cathedral Turnout and across the border of the moraine, looking NE from the top of Symmetry Spire.

Thanks, Sketchy, I think the boulders you mention are those west of the road between Lupine Meadows parking area and where the old climbers campground was located, below the east face of Teewinot.

Mountain climber

wilson, wyo.

Jul 9, 2006 - 12:40pm PT

Did Boulder Town get upgraded to Boulder City? Seriously...was always Boulder Town...

ANyway, Jody's right. Go west from the Cath Grp turnout on a trail. It will take you over the moraine.

Boulder away!

sketchy

Trad climber

Vagrant

Jul 9, 2006 - 12:58pm PT

Jennie,

You made a reference to the old climebers camp, Is there a new one? I havent been there in about 5 years but may be going in a few weeks. I was assuming the Alpine club ranch is still in the same spot.

Nutcracker Sweet

Social climber

Jul 9, 2006 - 04:44pm PT

sketch,
the aac climbers' ranch is in the same place it's always been. have fun if you go.

nut

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 9, 2006 - 10:10pm PT

Sketchy,

I meant the OLD climbers camp that existed from late fifties to about 1966. It was near the turn where you go south to the Lupine Meadows parking area. It has grown over and there is little evidence of it, now, other than a couple of concrete pads.
It was well before my time so I don't know the details firsthand.
Apparently, it was closed down after the Superintendant drove through to look at it and some climbers flipped him the bird.

That may be an untrue legend---I've heard other versions. But the center of camping for climbers switched to Jenny Lake campground after the closure of the climbers camp. that is, until the AAC camp was built.

There are some smaller boulders in the trees nearby and to the north near Lupine Meadows P.A.

I wasn't aware that Boulder City was called Boulder Town. I've heard much about it, and been very close, but never actually bouldered there. The rangers and guides seem to call it Boulder City so I just repeated that name. Apparently, it's been developed in recent history cause many of the older climbers I've talked too are unaware of it.

Mountain climber

wilson, wyo.

Jul 10, 2006 - 12:02am PT

As far as Boulder Town being developed... JHMG uses the area for their beginner intro-to-climbing classes.

some of the boulders have bolted anchors on top of them.

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 10, 2006 - 05:38am PT

Thanks for the information. I wasn’t aware that JHMG used Boulder Town for their beginner classes. I know Exum mentions Boulder City on their website. Does JHMG still use the Rendevous Peak area for climbing instruction?

I have been to Blacktail Butte twice. That’s interesting that your dad discovered the cliffs, there, in the fifties, Jody. My dad and uncle climbed there during the seventies. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about the history, other than they mentioned that John Gill and his friends developed the early routes. Blacktail has some pretty challenging routes, some are real finger shredders and beyond my talents. Some are real fun to try with a top rope. But I’m 140 lbs at 5’5” so I have to concede the sport climbing routes, there, to wiry folk with super-prehensile fingers.

The most fun bouldering I’ve found in the Tetons was on a direct approach to Glacier Gulch from Lupine meadows and on the white granite below and west of Alaska Basin. But both of those areas require either bushwhacking or a fairly long hike.

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 10, 2006 - 05:38am PT

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 10, 2006 - 05:41am PT

Thanks for the information, E$. I wasn’t aware that JHMG used Boulder Town for their beginner classes. I know Exum mentions Boulder City on their website. Does JHMG still use the Rendevous Peak area for climbing instruction?

I have been to Blacktail Butte twice. That’s interesting that your dad discovered the cliffs, there, in the fifties, Jody. My dad and uncle climbed there during the seventies. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about the history, other than they mentioned that John Gill and his friends developed the early routes. Blacktail has some pretty challenging routes, some are real finger shredders and beyond my talents. Some are real fun to try with a top rope. But I’m 140 lbs at 5’5” so I have to concede the sport climbing routes, there, to wiry folk with super-prehensile fingers.

The most fun bouldering I’ve found in the Tetons was on a direct approach to Glacier Gulch from Lupine meadows and on the white granite below and west of Alaska Basin. But both of those areas require either bushwhacking or a fairly long hike.

mcreel

climber

Barcelona, Spain

Jul 10, 2006 - 06:06am PT

"I meant the OLD climbers camp that existed from late fifties to about 1966. It was near the turn where you go south to the Lupine Meadows parking area. It has grown over and there is little evidence of it, now, other than a couple of concrete pads."

Sh!t, those old timers were tough! Concrete pads! How did they fold them?

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 10, 2006 - 08:25am PT

They left them in place. Nobody wanted to take them home or up the mountain

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 10, 2006 - 08:27am PT

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 10, 2006 - 11:30am PT

Jody,

Your dad must have been familiar with the old climbers campground, too. It was my understanding that Choinard and Gill camped there, in the late fifties and early sixties.

My dad and uncle were active in the Tetons but it was after Chouinard set up shop in California and John Gill visited less often.

Falling Ant Rock without hands is quite a feat. It took me awhile to do it WITH hands. I heard it was only 5.7 with hands but it seemed little more difficult than that. There's a traverse there. too that is 5.10. I think the holds have become polished from thousands of "ascents". I wonder if it's a little more difficult,now.

My uncle spent a lot of time trying to get up Gill's center route on Red Cross Rock but never made it. I wonder what that is currently rated at.

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 11, 2006 - 11:36am PT

That's a good picture--thanks for posting it.

Last night, I read one entry on a website that said Gill's central overhang route on Red Cross was V9 or an equivalent to 5.13d. I had also heard that someone had "improved" one of the higher holds by chipping. I wonder who else has successfully climbed it. Did Holloway?

My uncle told me that the right (regular) overhang on Red Cross used to be about 5.7 but the good left hand hold had broken out in the 1970's and raised the rating somewhat.

My understanding was that the climbers camp near the corner of the Lupine Meadows road had the sanction of the Park Service but was officially removed in 1966. I had heard that Mr Chouinard slept in the incinerator like you mentioned. I presume it was near the climbers campground.

Those hand forged Chouinard pitons have to be a collectors item now. My dad and uncle have some old Chouinard pitons but I think they date from after he got his buisiness in high gear.

They also have quite a few rock shoes that are unused from the late sixties-early seventies era. Several red P.A.'s at least three pairs of R.R.s, a pair of E.B.'s etc. After the advent of the Fire' and sticky rubber they just stored them away in a footlocker and still have them. The rubber on the P.A.s seem slick by comparison to todays rubber but dad said they worked pretty good unless the rock was polished smooth.

I would be curious to know if Mr Gill used P.A.s or the lug sole klettershuh like the Kronhofer to do the harder boulder routes on the Jenny Lake boulders. Maybe it wouldn't matter that much cause his routes look all fingers and arms. The shoes he's wearing in the picture resemble EB's but I don't think EB's were avasilable in America until the early seventies. Mr Gill looks quite young in that picture---I'm assuming it was taken in the fifties or early sixties when he was active in the Tetons. I've heard that the handwritten guide he and Chouinard wrote of the boulders is posted online somewhere but I haven't found it.

Thanks for the information Jody. Did you grow up around the Tetons?

Jennie

Trad climber

Salt Lake

Jul 12, 2006 - 11:36am PT

Thanks for posting the pictures, Jody. The picture of your dad on the east ridge is a classic, both in composition and content.

I wasn't aware that James Langford was your father. I've read about him in the past. He certainly was in the thick of things in the Tetons back then.

His tribute from John Gill is awesome. I don't think Mr Gill would pay such great tribute to a fellow climber unless he had been overwhelmingly impressed by the character of the man. That is really something for you to be proud of.

Your dad had a great eye for photography. I'm going to save all those pictures. Your father was also quite a good looking man and his strength and lack of cockiness come through in the photos. I wish climbers today had the humility and humanity of the old timers. Seems like everybody is a cynic nowdays.

That picture of Chouinard, Gill and Weeks is also a classic. Did your dad ever consider writing a climbing history of the Tetons? The picture of Unsoeld on the Tyrolean traverse must be between Symmetry and Hangover Pinnacle. I've heard that Hangover Pinnacle was very popular with climbers in the fiftees and sixties.

I appreciate you taking the time to post those pictures and give me this information. I don't see a lot about the Tetons on this forum, especially the historical aspects.

scuffy b

climber

Chalet Neva-Care

Jul 12, 2006 - 01:12pm PT

"These are big boulders--big enough to make their own weather"
Gill/Chouinard guide to the Jenny Lake boulders
The Badille-like North Face of Falling Ant Slab is a real
attention-getter.
East Face of Mount Fonda is less serious now that the road has been closed.

Patrick Sawyer

climber

Originally California now Ireland

Jul 12, 2006 - 03:02pm PT

Jody, that cover pic of John on the Math mag, November 1997. Boy does he look young, what's he done, found the fountain of youth? heh heh.

And he's still climbing in EBs. ;-)