Grand Teton North Face/Black Ice beta. . .

If anybody out there has some good beta on the North Face and or the Black Ice could you please send it my way. A friend and I are considering doing both routes in July. I have looked at the select guide and www.naclassics.com but the information is pretty general. I have read reports that talked about the guano pitch but I have gotten little or no information on the pendulum pitch which is reportedly the crux pitch. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Eric Angel

We did the N. Ridge approach instead of the lower N. Face. Ortenberger calls this THE classic in the range and friends that have done both versions agree. Here's what I remember about the pendulum pitch: The traverse of the Third Ledge takes you up to the base of the Pendulum Pitch. You start up a steep, shallow dihedral - beautiful, solid rock. There are fixed pins and plenty of available natural pro. 50 or so feet above the belay, you can traverse left to a ledge/ramp. The farther you go up it, the more it narrows. The wall above the ledge forces you to move down and use it for the hands. It's your typical awkward 5.8 mountaineering-type section. There were numerous fixed pins out the ledge and you can get gear. The ledge ends and you move up into a sort of alcove - this was the crux. Many people get their rope stuck in the horizontal as they turn the corner - you can stuff your gloves in there or place a cam. As long as the route is dry, I can't see a solid 5.8 trad climber having anything other than a good time on the pitch.

Good luck!

Done both ... the Guano Chimney is not any big deal. A slanted chimney that gets flushed out so it is not too bad. Bigger problem will probably getting to it from the glacier. Many people get off route from the start. The P-pitch is a hoot ... up a shallow dihedral walk across the ledge until it spits you off and swing around the corner into an alcove.

As for the Black Ice Gully. There is a good chance that this year it will melt out. It melted out last year around mid august and this year snow has been pretty poor. We did the main part of the gully in a couple of pitches. The real crux is getting into the gully once you are in it, it is just a cruise. Get it early before the guides bring their bumblies down the OS and they start kicking stuff down on you.

As for approaches I have done both via their original starts via either the Teton Glacier or Vahalla Canyon. Skip the saddle approaches.

Allen Sanderson