Mt Owen via Koven, NSR

**zion zig zag** · 07-20-2010, 12:18 PM

First I have to thank rideit for showing criscam and myself some awesome singletrack in Jackson. Some of the best trails I've ridden, taking my bike with me on climbing trips to the Tetons may become standard now.

So we heard mixed reports on the Koven, large patches of blue ice a week ago to slushy now, we decided to hope for the best and get an early start and try to get firm snow.

When you have to start climbing in less than 12 hours and you just rode 20 miles of singletrack a cold water soak and recovery drink are mandatory:

Early morning sun lighting the N face of the Grand:

After scrambling up the melted out portion of the lower Koven we got to the snow around 6:30am. criscam:

Just after the saddle below the E Prong you scramble up a chimney and around a chockstone. criscam:

Then around the southeast snowfields, the snowfields are around 45 degrees with massive exposure beneath but the early morning snow was confidence inspiring. criscam:

Then two scrambly 5.4 pitches put you on the summit:

Then a couple of raps put you back on the snowfields:

This is where things got intersting. The snow was complete unsupportable slush, if you plunge stepped with your heel the slush would fall away underneath you and start sliding. We had to climb all the way back to the Koven couloir face in with two axes. In some spots we used running belays with a few snow pickets we brought. We had to push the pickets in 6 inches below the surface of the snow to have any confidence. The bottom of the couloir was a complete waterfall mudfest, no dry rock to scramble down and water raining down from the cliffs above us. The descent took us almost 2 hours longer than the climb.

You don't get to see the shadows of the Tetons covering the valley if everything goes right though:

**Tye 1on** · 07-20-2010, 12:49 PM

three thumbs up!!!

**Grape_Ape** · 07-20-2010, 02:44 PM

Chubby in effect...

**brice618** · 07-20-2010, 06:56 PM

well done!

**akokskis** · 07-20-2010, 07:04 PM

Wow, that's awesome. Very nicely done!

**Trackhead** · 07-20-2010, 07:28 PM

Nice dooods. Hope you scoped Teewinot and then this bugger (Italian Cracks on North Face). Go do the link up. Teewinot, Owen, Grand via Italian Cracks. Pretty easy to bust it out in a day car to car once you get a hankering for the route finding.

**Meadow Skipper** · 07-20-2010, 07:47 PM

Nicely! ..

**zion zig zag** · 07-21-2010, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Nice dooods. Hope you scoped Teewinot and then this bugger (Italian Cracks on North Face). Go do the link up. Teewinot, Owen, Grand via Italian Cracks. Pretty easy to bust it out in a day car to car once you get a hankering for the route finding.

Yep, the Cathedral traverse is the goal, I just don't know when. Maybe give it a shot this Sept. The part from Owen to the Grandstand looks super complicated and may require another trip for beta. I also got some good beta shots of the nw couloir of the Enclosure, looks fun.

Just think, Rolo can bust out the entire Grand traverse in less time than it takes me to get up the Koven.