Lessons Learned Climbing the South and Middle Tetons in One Day

By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach

We started at 5 a.m. with headlamps, and the parking lot at Lupine Meadows was already packed, busier than I’ve ever seen it in past years. The first stretch up to the boulder field went quickly and smoothly. I used trekking poles during this section, and they worked extremely well to keep my pace up. I moved fast and didn’t feel fatigued at all. Once we reached the boulders, though, the poles became useless. The terrain required scrambling and constant use of our hands to climb and navigate over the large rocks, so they had to be stowed away. I think the extra weight was worth it.

The summits of the Middle and South Tetons are non-technical, but strenuous climbs. Non-technical scrambling through boulder fields and steep scree is necessary, but unlike the Grand Teton, ropes and belaying for exposed sections isn’t required.

The route rises quickly from the trailhead at Lupine meadows on the valley floor to “The Meadows” at the base of Middle and Grand Tetons, through boulderfields and up to the saddle between the Middle and the South. The proximity to each other makes climbing both peaks in one push easy and common.

The climb through the boulder fields up to the saddle was tricky. The trail disappears into the rocks, and it’s easy to lose the correct line. We had an offline map, which was necessary for a first attempt, but even with it we went off course a number of times and had to traverse back to the mapped route. It wasn’t dangerous, but it did waste time. We passed about 10 people while working our way up. When we finally reached the saddle at 8:26 a.m., 3 hours 26 minutes into the day, the views were excellent, but we still had 1,354 feet of vertical gain to the summit of Middle, then down to the saddle, and up another 1,069 feet to the summit of South.

The scramble to the top of Middle Teton was steep, loose, and demanding. The footing never felt secure, and rocks were constantly tumbling under our shoes and from the climbers around us. The traffic on the route only made it worse. By the time we reached the summit at 9:41 a.m., 4 hours 41 minutes in, we were only the third group to the top, but 20–30 people were moving up behind us. Looking back, we should have brought helmets. The rock bed was so unstable that it was dangerous not to have head protection with so many people above and below kicking rocks. Descending from the summit was no easier—loose footing again sent rocks sliding, and every step required focus.

Back at the saddle, 6 hours 56 minutes into the day, we stopped to eat lunch before heading up South Teton. I had about three servings of Stinger waffles (390 calories, 54 grams of carbs, and 27 grams of sugar) along with half a stick of salami and some cheddar cheese. Connor had one pulled pork sandwich. It was more than enough fuel, and I realized I had overpacked. GUs would have been smarter to bring since they’re lighter. For water, we each carried two 32 oz Nalgene bottles filled with electrolyte mix. That was enough to get us to both summits, and on the way down we refilled one bottle with a water filter. In hindsight, carrying just one bottle and refilling on both the ascent and descent would have been a better approach to reduce unnecessary weight. We were a little dehydrated, but that was more from not stopping to drink than from running out of water.

The climb up South Teton was more mellow than the Middle. The trail wasn’t always clear in the boulder field, but it was possible to pick out the line through the couloir, and the footing was far more stable. We saw around 14 people during the climb and two groups already on top. We summited South Teton at 11:56 a.m., 6 hours 56 minutes into the day, and then sat briefly before beginning the long descent.

The descent through the boulder fields felt endless, and by that point my legs and ankles were sore from hours of uneven terrain. Some afternoon showers moved in while we were still working our way down, which was a little concerning at first, but it only sprinkled on us. We had brought rain jackets, which we didn’t need to use, but they would have been useful if the storm had come in harder. Later that evening it rained heavily, and we were glad to already be off the mountain. The final descent through the Meadows and back to the trailhead dragged on, but eventually we reached the truck.

According to my Garmin Fenix 7X Pro, the full day measured 16.3 miles with 7,081 feet of total ascent. The total trip time was 10 hours and 21 minutes, with an average pace of 38:06 per mile. My watch also recorded 36,162 steps, 3,907 calories burned, and an estimated sweat loss of 7,699 milliliters.

I went into this climb without much focused endurance preparation. My training consisted of a weekly six-mile ruck and MTI Daily Operator  training. The rucking transferred well to the event, I was able to handle a long, demanding 10+ hour effort with over 7,000 feet of vertical gain. The multi-modal training of MTI also carried over well to the demands of the hike. My quads and calves were fatigued, but I never felt unprepared or overwhelmed. I was sore the next day, but still went out for a two-mile moderate hike and didn’t feel taxed. Connor, who had been training for a 40-mile mountain bike race, came in with better endurance, which also transferred well. Looking back, helmets would have been smart, trekking poles were great for the approach but worthless in the boulders, and carrying less water and lighter fuel would have been the smarter move.