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Teewinot, the East Prong and the Koven Col as seen from the lower E Ridge on of Mt Owen. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Hiking up the lower slopes of Teewinot. From L to R: Kevin, John, Martin and Stewart Middlemiss. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Sunset over Idaho from our bivvy site on the Grand Teton. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Stewart, Kevin and Martin at our second night bivvy site, on the Second Ledge of the Grand Teton. By now we had hoped to have summitted the Grand Teton and climbed up and over the Middle Teton, but we made some route-finding errors and we weren’t moving fast enough. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Sunrise over Jackson Lake on the way up Teewinot. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Google Earth image of the Wapta and Waputik icefields. The traverse starts at Peyto Lake on the Icefields Parkway and ends at Wapta Lodge on the Trans-Canada Highway . There are four huts en route – Peyto (Whyte), Bow, Balfour and Scott Duncan. Also marked are a couple of peaks that we climbed.
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Martin, Rick and his girlfriend Tate Reed left for South Africa a week after Fran and Alex. We had a few hours between flights in London and were able to fit in some sightseeing. This is Martin on the London Underground.
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Tate and Rick at Kololo Game Reserve, north of Johannesburg
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At The Cradle restaurant, near Johannesburg: Frieda Hough, Robie Welch, David Kinghorn and Anna Ludlow
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Tate, Nicole, Rick, Katy and Carole at The Cradle
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At Johannesburg airport: Bram, Olive, Hannah, Tate, Joachim and Rick
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Traversing around the upper snowfield on Mt Owen. On the L is part of the N Face of the Grand Teton.
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Looking down at the N Face of the Grand Teton from the bivvy site on Mt. Owen
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We didn’t bring crampons and ice axes all this way in vain. Gordon climbing up to Gunsight Notch between Mt Owen and the Grand Teton.
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Martin approaching the Grandstand at the base of the N Ridge of the Grand Teton, with the W Ledges of Mt Owen in the background.
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Gordon on the N Ridge of the Grand Teton, with the Teton Glacier far below.
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Stewart and Gordon at the col just below the summit of Teewinot, with the Grand Teton and Mt. Owen in the background.
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Descending from the East Prong to the Koven Col below Mt Owen.
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Kevin, John and Stewart at our first night bivvy site, just below the summit of Mt Owen.
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Martin at the summit of Mt Owen, with the N Face and N Ridge of the Grand Teton in the background.
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Starting the descent of the W Ledges of Mt Owen the following morning
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The Second Ledge on the N Ridge of the Grand Teton. From here the climbing is mostly scrambling.
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Stewart, Kevin, John and Gordon at the summit of the Grand Teton. We continued along the Second Ledge to join the Owen-Spalding route, from where it’s a short section of easy 5th class and a few hundred feet of 4th and 3rd class scrambling to the top (with lots of company from guided groups).
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Mt Owen and Jackson Lake from the summit of the Grand Teton.
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Looking back at the SW side of the Grand Teton from the Lower Saddle. From here there’s a good trail down Garnet Canyon to the valley floor. There was some loose talk of spending a third night out and completing the Grand Traverse, but without any food left no-one was keen on the idea. Just as well we didn’t, as the weather turned nasty a short while later.
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Hiking down Garnet Canyon, with the Middle Teton in the background.
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The Great Court of the British Museum, London
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Rick and Tate at the British Museum
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Watching the sun set over the lagoon at De Hoop Nature Reserve
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Ostriches at De Hoop Nature Reserve
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At De Hoop Nature Reserve: Bram Schonveldt, Fran, Lindsay, Guy, Alex, and Hannah le Roux
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Humans and seagulls on the beach at De Hoop Nature Reserve
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At De Hoop Nature Reserve: Rick, Guy, Fran, Lindsay, Alex and Martin
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At De Hoop Nature Reserve. Back row: Guy, Fran, Lindsay, Simon, Ismo, Martin and Bram (recovering from bronchitis). Front row: Tate, Alex, Rick, Olive, Joachim and Hannah
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On Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town: Bram, Olive, Tate and Rick
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Rick on Table Mountain
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Martin in front of the S African National Gallery, Cape Town
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At Kirstenbosch Gardens after David le Roux’s memorial service. Back row: Ismo, Simon, Hannah, Bram, Jan, Robie Welch, James Welch, William Frater, David Kinghorn, Martin, Rick, Berna and Guy. Front row: Jack Lotter, Tate, Joachim, Olive and Kim.
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The Middle Teton from the Upper Saddle on the Grand Teton. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Mt Moran, Jackson Lake and Teewinot fom the summit of Mt Owen. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Getting ready to ski across a frozen Peyto Lake.
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Hiking up moraines near the foot of the Peyto Glacier. This was the only part of the traverse that was too steep for skins.
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Skiing up the Peyto Glacier in the warm afternoon sun.
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Dave and Cyril arriving at the Peyto Hut. Cyril had promised us that this would be the longest day on the traverse, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
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Inside the Peyto Hut.
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Making turns on the glacier above the Peyto Hut.
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After two nights at the Peyto Hut we headed over to the Bow Hut, stopping for lunch on the slopes of Mt. Rhondda.
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On the way to the Bow Hut most of us made a detour to skin up the gentle summit ridge of Mt. Rhondda.
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Our only logistical error was to assume that the huts would be stocked with toilet paper. This wasn’t a good assumption. Cyril came to our rescue by paying a handsome fee to our porters to part with their modest supply ($20 for two rolls!). Here’s Karen Woo carefully dividing this precious commodity between the ten of us.
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The view from the dormitory window at Bow Hut.
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Skinning up the slopes above the Bow Hut, on our way to Mt. Gordon. The summit in the background is St. Nicholas Peak.
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Leo, Stefan Kloppenborg, Ian Myles and Karen Woo at the summit of Mt. Gordon. Alas not much in the way of views that day.
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On the way back from Mt. Gordon a few of us made a detour to scramble up St. Nicholas Peak. It’s really more of a knife-edge ridge than a peak.
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Down-climbing from the summit of St. Nicholas Peak.
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Leo Markle, Karen Woo and Karen McGilvray inside the Bow Hut. The hut can be accessed directly from the highway and we had arranged with porters to carry some food – and wine! – up here in advance of our arrival (no helicopter landings allowed in Banff National Park). The wine was supposed to last a couple of nights, but it all disappeared in a few hours.
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The Bow Hut at evening.
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Preparing to leave the Bow Hut for the Balfour Hut (or so we thought). From L to R: Stefan, Cyril, Dave, Ian, Karen Woo, Alex Perel, Leo, me, Karen McGilvray and Boris Kaschenko.
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Roping up above the Bow Hut en route to the Balfour Hut.
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At the col between St. Nicholas Peak and Mt. Olive. At this point a stiff wind was blowing and a storm was fast approaching. Cyril announced that it would be best to carry on past the Balfour Hut and try get to the Scott Duncan Hut ahead of the storm, since there’s a high pass on the way to Scott Duncan (the Balfour Col) that’s exposed to avalanches if it’s been snowing heavily.
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Stefan and Boris approaching the col between St. Nicholas Peak and Mt. Olive, on the way to the Balfour Hut.
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Shortly after passing the Balfour Hut the weather closed in, and we traveled in a whiteout up and over the Balfour Col and down to the Scott Duncan Hut. Fortunately Cyril knew the route well, and with GPS assistance he kept us away from the avalanche slopes and crevasses that lie in wait for the unwary. Here we are arriving at Scott Duncan Hut. Cozy accommodation for a group of ten.
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Dinner at Scott Duncan Hut after a long day. From L to R: Boris, a pair of green booties belonging to Dave, Leo, Alex, Karen McGilvray, a white cap belonging to Cyril, Karen Woo, and Ian.
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We thought we might have to spend a second night at Scott Duncan Hut waiting out the storm, but by mid-morning visibility improved slightly and Cyril decided we’d be able to continue the traverse out to the highway. Here we are skiing past Mt. Niles.
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Ian and Cyril at tree-line on our way down from Scott Duncan Hut. This section was the steepest skiing on the trip.
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Skiing across Sherbrooke Lake, with Mt. Victoria and Mt. Huber in the background. Not far to go now.
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At the Trans-Canada Highway, and the end of our trip. At back (L to R): Alex, Cyril, Stefan, me, Dave, Boris. In front: Karen Woo, Ian, Leo, Karen McGilvray.
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Alex, Fran’s sister Lindsay Godfrey, Lindsay’s daughter Nicole, and Fran picnicking on the grounds of the Union Buildings, Pretoria
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Pretoria at dusk from the grounds of the Union Buildings
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Fran’s nieces Nicole and Katy, their father Robin, and Fran and Alex near Hartebeespoort dam
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Katy, Nicole and Alex near Hartebeespoort dam.
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Alex at Groot Constantia, near Cape Town
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Alex and Fran at Kirstenbosch Gardens, near Cape Town
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Fran’s brother Guy and Alex on Chapman’s Peak drive, overlooking Hout Bay, near Cape Town
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Guy and Alex at De Hoop Nature Reserve
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Ismo and Simon bringing some Finnish style to the beach at De Hoop Nature Reserve
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Fran and Alex on the beach at De Hoop Nature Reserve, in the Western Cape
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At De Hoop Nature Reserve. Back row: Guy Meredith’s daughter Laura, Guy’s mother-in-law Laura van Riet, Sandra’s son Steyn, Guy’s sister-in-law Sandra, Guy’s wife Berna, Martin, Fran, Guy’s father-in-law Steyn van Riet. Front row: Martin’s cousin Jan Hough, Jan’s wife Kim, Rick, Alex, Lindsay, Martin’s niece Olive le Roux, and Guy.
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Rounding the N Ridge of the Grand Teton on the Second Ledge. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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A parting view of the South, Middle and Grand Tetons, Mt Owen, and Teewinot under stormy skies. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Stewart starting the climb of the N Ridge of the Grand Teton, about five or six pitches of 5.7. It felt hard for the grade up at 13,000’ with approach shoes and big packs. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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N Face of the Grand Teton from Teewinot. In the background are the peaks we didn’t get around to climbing. From L to R: Nez Perce (and behind it Buck Mountain), Cloudveil Dome, Spalding Peak, Gilkey Tower, the Ice Cream Cone, and the South and Middle Teton. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Summit of Teewinot, with the Grand Teton and Mt. Owen in the background. L to R: John, Martin, Kevin and Stewart. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.
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Panorama of the Teton Range from Togwotee Pass. The Cathedral Traverse doesn’t look like much of a traverse from this angle, since Teewinot and Mt. Owen are right in front of the Grand Teton (high point left of centre). From L to R: John Christie, Kevin Smith and Martin. Photo courtesy of Gordon Laurens.