Climbing the Grand Teton

Pinnacle of the Teton Range, the Grand Teton is one of the most recognizable mountains in the world, captivating millions of people with its rugged natural beauty. It’s also a source of inspiration to many, including me. The innumerable amount of steps it takes to ascend to the summit are a potent metaphor for the process of achieving a monumental goal in life. Compounding small wins and achievements will propel you towards heights unknown, and I encourage you to set yourself up for success by including these stepping stones into your life; you never know how high you’ll climb.

Our journey began in misty darkness, beneath a galaxy of stars, full of uncertainty. I was acutely aware of how long I’d dreamt of this day and how long it had taken me to get here. As we–led by Lead Exum Mountain Guide Brenton Reagan and my best friend, Charlie–set off through the damp woods, I reminisced back to the inception of this journey. Following arthroscopic hip surgery, I was determined to overcome the most arduous time in my life with an achievement that required a symphony of my heart, mind, body, and soul. During the months of physical therapy, I learned the value of goal-setting and as I grew stronger, I felt that placing a dream-like goal far in the future would give me something to accelerate towards. Voila, the inception of this adventure.

I’m not a climber and most of my rock climbing experience has been on the Via Ferrata at Jackson Hole; needless to say, I was greener than Jackson in June. However, thanks to Brenton and Exum, I felt confident and prepared to climb after our day learning rope skills and building teamwork. My excitement for this adventure grew throughout our training day and before we knew it, we were cruising up Garnet Canyon trail as a gorgeous sunrise lit our path towards our objective.

As we made our way up through the moraine and towards the Lower Saddle between the Middle Teton and the Grand, I allowed my mind to wander, fueled by the incredible mountainous scenery towering above us. I ruminated on the importance of perspective and how it changes throughout the same journey: before you embark, you see the mountain from far away as one object, yet when you’re amidst these giants, you notice the finer details of your surrounding environment and realize it’s a sum of innumerable pieces. With an open mind and goal to strive for, your journey can be so much more than what you initially thought was possible. 

A short rest at Exum’s camp on the Lower Saddle and then we began climbing. After roping up at Wall Street ledge, Brenton flawlessly guided us up the iconic pitches of the Exum Ridge route. I encourage you to scroll below to the photo gallery; words simply wouldn’t do this experience justice. The views were absolutely stunning, my perspective of Jackson Hole forever altered. So too was my perspective of myself, which was the desired effect. Over a year of healing, reshaping my body and mind had gotten me to this day and I soaked up every ounce of emotion, from elation to full-on puckered-up fear. After 1,700’ of climbing, we reached the summit! This was truly one of the happiest moments of my life. Brenton’s expertise–as a mountain guide and a supportive motivator throughout the most arduous all-encompassing challenge of my life–was imperative to our success. It was absolutely a dream come true and an experience I highly recommend to anyone seeking the adventure of a lifetime. If you’re not an expert climber, go with an Exum Mountain Guide. You can learn more about their Grand Teton trip offerings here.

My inspiration for climbing the Grand was to overcome adversity and excel beyond what I’d ever thought was possible. Life is unpredictable and the path you’re on today can change in an instant. One of the biggest takeaways from this experience is to embrace the unknown and trust yourself; you’re resilient! If you hope for a better version of yourself, take a metaphorical leap of faith. Don’t let fear of the unknown drown your hope. Amidst the hurricane you’re sailing through, you can either let go and succumb to the visceral storm, or you can man the helm and navigate your way out of nature’s wrath. You got this!