Pictured at the summit of Wyoming's Grand Teton are (left to right) climbers Harry Wallfisch, Brent Masel, Jim Galbraith (kneeling), Dolph Tillotson and Richard Henderson.

By Dolph Tillotson
Published August 7, 2005

There is a cold wind at nearly 12,000 feet. I stand in it in silence, feeling my heart's steady rhythm, the push and suck of blood moving through my body.

It is dusk, and snowfields dapple the mountains and valleys to the west. The Grand Teton, a jagged spire 13,770 feet high, looms to the north. On its jagged, rocky shoulders, I can see ice and snow in the dimming sunlight, rocks piled high eight million years ago.

In the morning, we will attempt to summit.

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By Dolph Tillotson
August 7, 2005

Introduction

Climbing Teton
Chapters

1 - Just Have Fun
The Kilimanjaro climbers decide to take on Teton.

2 - The Climbers
Six friends who work well as a team. They don't ask why.

3 - Tuesday
Go slow to go far: Learning to walk and climb in the snow.

4 - Wednesday
Hidden Falls, rappelling and the Bat's Wing.

5 - Thursday
Pitching to the top of Baxter's Pinnacle.

6 - Friday
Hiking up The Grand: Sunny hillsides, wildflowers and boulders.

7 - Summit Day
Altitude sickness, the Belly Roll and the Crawl.

8 - Time is Short The relationships are more important than the climb.

Resources

Grand Teton
in Wikipedia

Grand Teton National Park

Exum Mountain Guides

See also

Climbing
Kilimanjaro


© 2005 The Galveston County Daily News. All rights reserved. A Galveston Newspapers Inc. Publication.