Kai Jones’ progression in big mountain skiing isn’t slowing down, with the young gun spending the better part of the winter stacking clips in Jackson and Montana for the upcoming TGR film. To cap off the season, he just pulled off a descent that he’s been dreaming of for his entire life: skiing off the summit of the Grand Teton. Inspired by generations of legendary skiers in Jackson Hole, Kai teamed up with his close friend and mentor Tim Durtschi, as well as Jackson Hole Mountain Guides' Doug Workman and photographer Greg Von Doersten to climb and ski the 13,776-foot peak. Of course, mountains like this are no walk in the park, and turning back is as much a part of the game as a successful summit. Despite their best efforts, unusually fickle spring snow conditions prevented the team from completing their mission on their first attempt, but weather and perfect corn conditions lined up for a successful climb and descent on Tuesday morning.
The ascent requires multiple pitches of technical rock and ice climbing, as well skiing no-fall-terrain and multiple rappels on the descent. While the peak may not be as remote as other big-mountain objectives Kai has skied, it is the most technical objective he has added to his list, and he is among the youngest to have ever skied it. Keep an eye out for more from the trip in a short film TGR will release later this year.
Living the dream high up in the Tetons. | Tim Durtschi photos.
The Ford-Stettner route requires a few pitches of steep snow and ice climbing before topping out onto a massive hanging snowfield below the summit. | Greg Von Doersten photos.
I first set eyes on the grand during a ski trip to Jackson when I was 15 years old. I never even knew people skied it until I started filming with TGR. I made it a goal to ski the Grand when I started filming with TGR. I have been on many ski mountaineering missions over the years which helped me feel prepared to ski down the tallest peak in the Tetons! It was great to share the experience with Kai who has also been putting in the work to gain the experience needed to ski the Grand!
- Tim Durtschi
Skiing the Grand Teton is a very, very ambitious endeavor - what a great opportunity for Kai! It’s his home mountain, the crucible of the Tetons, and one of the great ski descents in the world. To top it off, Kai is one of the youngest ever to ski it. Having a local kid being among the youngest is always something special. Being a part of the next generation, Kai has a huge amount of respect for the mountains, and I think he’s a great spokesperson for sharing the message of respect and finding joy in the mountains.
– Jason Dittmer, General Manager of Jackson Hole Mountain Guides
VIDEO: Tof Henry and Seth Morrison Shred the Aiguille Du Midi To Pieces
VIDEO: Tof Henry and Seth Morrison Shred the Aiguille Du Midi To Pieces
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Max Ritter
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Well, it’s a magical time of year again. Sticky spring snow is being plastered to the sides of the mountains high above Chamonix, France just in time for the Aiguille Du Midi tram to re-open after a lengthy COVID hiatus. Of course, that means the locals are absolutely frothing to get after it, and that’s just what Tof Henry and Seth Morrison did on one of the biggest lines of them all: the Aiguille Du Midi’s Mallory Route. More of a climbing route than a ski line, it comes into rare condition
Snowbird Forced to End Season Early Due to Lack of Snow
Snowbird Forced to End Season Early Due to Lack of Snow
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Truth be told, we’ve gotta give ski resorts in North America A TON of credit for the season they managed to pull off this year, despite all kinds of challenges like COVID outbreaks, travel restrictions, crowding, and inconsistent snowfall. Despite the whole world not feeling very normal, skiing at least felt like an escape from it all. Well, even though they had a great run, Snowbird (one of the last resorts open in the country) was forced to cut their season short a few weeks early because
Meet The Judges of The 2021 TGR Grom Comp Presented By TGR Optics
Meet The Judges of The 2021 TGR Grom Comp Presented By TGR Optics
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Teton Gravity…
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For the past decade, the annual TGR Grom Comp has been about one thing: finding the next generation of talent in the ski and snowboard world. Year after year, it’s incredibly exciting to get to witness the progression of our sports firsthand, with each new crop of riders showing that the sport is in good hands. This year, with over 30 entries (and counting), we are ready to announce our official 2021 TGR Grom Comp judging panel. Made up of a team of TGR Optics Team Athletes and some
tiny
June 3rd, 2021
SKIING THE GRAND TETON IS A VERY, VERY AMBITIOUS ENDEAVOR - WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR KAI! IT’S HIS HOME MOUNTAIN, THE CRUCIBLE OF THE TETONS, AND ONE OF THE GREAT SKI DESCENTS IN THE WORLD. TO TOP IT OFF, KAI IS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST EVER TO SKI IT. HAVING A LOCAL KID BEING AMONG THE YOUNGEST IS ALWAYS SOMETHING SPECIAL. BEING A PART OF THE NEXT GENERATION, KAI HAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS, AND I THINK HE’S A GREAT SPOKESPERSON FOR SHARING THE MESSAGE OF RESPECT AND FINDING JOY IN THE MOUNTAINS.The Fluke 15b+ is an auto-ranging multimeter that is equipped with all the necessary test ranges that may be required for general-purpose measurements. The Fluke 15b+ multimeter is a high-precision instrument. The device can measure things such as continuity, resistance, AC and DC voltage, diode inspection, etc.
tiny
June 3rd, 2021
The Fluke 15b+ is an auto-ranging multimeter that is equipped with all the necessary test ranges that may be required for general-purpose measurements. The Fluke 15b+ multimeter is a high-precision instrument. The device can measure things such as continuity, resistance, AC and DC voltage, diode inspection, etc.
https://zeusbtc.com/ASIC-Miner-Repair/Parts-Tools-Details.asp?ID=99
Ralph2021
June 8th, 2021
Woah the path seems extremely difficult and unforgiving. I’m always in awe of these climbers who dare to conquer the toughest mountains out there. Kudos to you guys! Residential Roofing
Scott Sawyer
June 9th, 2021
Great adventure! I really love the outdoors, but I’m still kinda new to mountain climbing. But someday though! Thanks for sharing! Septic Replacement
TreePro
June 10th, 2021
The Grand Teton may be a dream for most skiers due to the hard terrain and one of the hardest descent in the world. These guys are good! Thanks for sharing your accomplishments. Tree Cutting Services