A fun jaunt to the second tallest summit in the Tetons.

Named for the curious structure mentioned by Langford during the first documented ascent, the Enclosure is a worthy outing either as a primary objective or as a combo with a climb of the Grand Teton.

Good poor weather option if the Grand has spicy conditions or the forecast doesn't support a longer roped climb.

Most folks summit the Enclosure by leaving the Lower Saddle and doing essentially most of the approach to the Upper Saddle via the Owen-Spalding route on the Grand.  Prior to cresting the Upper Saddle, take a left (go west) and scoot over to the summit of the Enclosure by scrambling over fairly easy ground.  Possible that a well worn trail will be visible.

In early season, the south coulior can be followed all the way up from Dartmouth Basin or from the lower saddle staying left of the rib which separates the south coulior from the Exum gully.  Take care as the snow can get steep and any exposed rock steep and somewhat loose depending on the chosen line of ascent.  An ice axe, campons and the knowledge of their use would be prudent.  But, really, most climbers just use the O-S approach.

To descend, reverse the route.

South Coulior

Northwest Ridge

Lookin for Trouble

Enclosure Ice Couloir

Alberich's Alley

Black Ice Couloir

Emotional Rescue (Direct)

High Route

Jim's Big Day

Southwest Ridge

The Black Ice Couloir is the Teton's most renowned alpine ice route, a compelling mountaineering  challenge that  in recent years has melted out and reformed, depending upon weather and seasonal precipitation, more than once.  It's first ascent represented a significant step up in American climbing, and in the ensuing years it has attained classic status. Though  Swedlund and Jaquot chopped steps through some of the upper part of the route, nevertheless, this was a bold effort and opened the door for further development on the wild side of this iconic peak. There are rock pitches in addition to approximately 1,200' of alpine ice, with a short crux of 70 degrees. (At this time MP provides only the option of rating ice on a "Water Ice" scale, i.e. "WI3". Water ice can and does occur on the BI, but it would be more accurately rated on an "Alpine Ice" scale.) Rock pro to the side of the ice is available, along with ice gear if one chooses to carry the latter. Many parties find comfortable pro with rock gear.  The very real rockfall danger is most serious in the lower portions of the route.

Considerable thought should be given to conditions on the upper mountain as well as temperatures at various elevations. Generally, the best conditions occur in the latter part of the summer, after the snow has consolidated or sloughed off  and freezing temperatures are observed above 11,000 feet. Both natural and manmade rockfall is possible, with parties on the Owen Spalding  directly above the route. Winter, spring, and late autumn can alternatively offer favorable conditions. In essence, any time, with the possible exception of early to mid-summer, could offer reasonable conditions,  and good alpine judgement will determine the correct course of action.

Even in recent years, when reports  have indicated that the route no longer existed, it has received spring and winter ascents, underscoring the elusive nature of "good conditions" and the vagaries of alpine ice in the 21st century. Ask for an update from the Jenny Lake Rangers as well as local climbers, examine recent weather patterns, and then make your own call.  It's not a bad idea to have an alternative route in mind so that, once around the corner of the Northwest Ridge, you can complete a successful climb if prudence dictates bailing on the Black Ice idea. The Northwest Couloir is an excellent alternative, among several.

This description is for the upper third of the climb from the Valhalla Traverse Ledge, as it is usually climbed.

Adapted from Ortenburger's guide

Ortenburger, L. N., & Jackson, R. G. (1996). A climber's guide to the Teton Range (p. 214). Seattle, WA: Mountaineers.

P1 - 5.7 to the base of a flake

P2 - 5.6 up the right side of the flake into black rock

P3 - 5.6 through break

P4 - 5.6 OW flake

P5 - 5.6 OW chimney

scramble along crest 350'

P6 - 5.8 OW to Enclosure Col

P7 - 5.7 crack

P8 - 5.6 right around overhang

P9 - easy 5th along ridge

P10 - 5.7 crack

scramble up black rock

P11 - 5.8 awkward step past fixed pin

Short of Mount Hooker, this is one of the most remote alpine bigwalls in the lower 48.  Originally put up solo by Jim Beyer over 2 days, and the belays are evidence of his solo effort.

Starts about 30 feet up the first pitch of the black ice couloir (the rock pitch).

Pitch 1:  Aid climb up a corner with awkward sections to a left facing flake.  Mostly aid with the occasional free move to speed things up.  At the top of the flake, clip a pin.  Then clip a head, and pendulum, tension, or lasso right to a horn.    Try to build the belay as far right as possible.  Pretty uncomfortable belay.  A2 80'

Pitch 2:  Lower off the right side of the belay, then tension right to a left facing flake system that turns into a left facing corner.   Aid climb up to the roof.  Really topsteping skips most of the sketch placements, but we still had to nail one beak.  The occasional free move helps to.  Traverse left under the roof on hand to large sized cams.  Turn the corner at the left end of the roof and continue up the crack to the best spot to belay.  It’s pretty easy free climbing now, so that’s a solid option.  It’s not a comfortable belay, but you’ll be running out of gear at this point so take what you get.  Hope your second knows how to re-aid a pitch while jugging.  Interesting pitch cause you climb well over 100’ but end up 50’ above your belayer, we’ll call it the circular. A2

Pitch 3:  Easier juggy aid and free climbing off the belay lead to a blank section.  But first, pass a spot were some poor souls got really off route on emotional rescue.   Nail up the blank section on less than inspiring beaks.  We accidentally fixed one here.  Place a nut, and tension left to an uncomfortable belay at a large horn.  Note: you can fix from here to the ground with a single 70, barely.  A2+  80'

Pitch 4:  Mandatory free climb up and left on the face, aiming for the left end of a roof about 60’ off the belay.  Full on 5.10R.  This was labeled on the original topo “Shake Fest”.  At the roof, switch to aid mode.  Aid climb up heads and less than great beaks.  Just follow the heads.  Eventually, place a good cam, and tension left.  Your partner will just have to figure out how to clean in.  Clip another head (the better one, not the guitar string) and kinda free climb/tension left with a head as a top rope anchor.  Free climb a right facing 5.9 corner with the worst rope drag in the world to a ledge.  Finally enjoy sitting.  You did it.  5.10R A3 160’

Pitch 5:  Free climb up the crank and chimney above.  At a foot ledge, traverse right to another crack.   Although the topo told us it wouldn’t be, it was dry enough.  Easy face climbing leads to another potential uncomfortable hanging belay.  Use your brain, go 20 more feet to a ledge.  5.9 160’

Pitch 6:  Free climb another crack like feature to another ledge with a large boulder.  5.9+.   60’

Pitch 7:  From the left side of the ledge, climb another crack thing to a talus field.  5.9+ 60’

You’ve now joined emotional rescue at pitch 8.  Walk up and right through the talus with possible snow to a right facing corner.   Its kinda the high point of the ledge.   Then climb the chimney in the corner and escape left at the end to build a belay.  5.8-5.9.  Then simul climb 400-600 feet of easy 5th and 4th class terrain to the top.   Scramble to the top of the enclosure on the opposite side that you climbed on for bonus points.

Descent:

A popular ice route up the Enclosure with less rockfall danger than the Black Ice, the Enclosure Couloir meets up with the Northwest Ridge, from where one can continue to the summit of the Enclosure.

Routefinding is easy: follow the 50-degree couloir to the notch in the Northwest Ridge. Then continue up the ridge or rappel the other side to return to the Valhalla Traverse and Lower Saddle.

Alberich's Alley is a fairly elusive line and may be difficult to catch in prime condition during any given year. With that being said, it is well worth the effort. This exceptional ice and mixed line is a steeper, more difficult variation to the infamous Black Ice Couloir. It branches off near the base of the West Face (approximately 600' to the Upper Saddle) for an arguably better finish to the standard route.

Like many other Teton's ice routes, the difficulty of this line is highly dependent on a number of factors, including the time of year, recent precipitation, nighttime temps, etc. The original rating given in the Ortenburger-Jackson guide is IV, AI4, 5.9 and may be more accurate for a "normal" season when the ice is leaner. However, on the 4th of July, 2018, this route was in incredible shape! We found the overall rating to be more like WI4- M4 with the crux being a chockstone-bulge on a thin WI4- slab on the second pitch.

Overall, Alberich's Alley is highly recommended! Those who are interested in this variation could examine the amount of ice on the lower pitch while ascending the lower Black Ice Couloir and decide whether or not to proceed.

Complete the Valhalla Traverse. Move below the Enclosure Ice Couloir, past the Emotional Rescue Buttress, then ascend the first pitch of rock (or mixed rock and ice) leading into the Black Ice Couloir. Blast up the first 600-800' of the Black Ice. At the prominent "bowl" feature below the West Face, trend left to a pin anchor on the wall below the prominent left "fork" in the steeper terrain above; the lefthand fork is Alberich's Alley. The righthand fork is the BI proper.

P1- A narrow ice runnel/chute leads past a few fixed pitons to a steeper bulge of ice (WI3+). Continue up the snowy and icy weakness to an obvious chockstone. Tunnel under the chockstone then stand on top of it and set up a belay.

P2 - Continue up the slab of ice covered rock above. The Ortenburger-Jackson guide states, "Continue up and slightly left on very steep ice and rock (5.9) toward the giant jammed chockstone. Climb from under this huge boulder on thin ice..." In 2018, this section was bomber WI3 terrain leading to a thin, cruxy section below the chockstone that protected okay with a stubby screw in stellar ice (WI4- PG-13 for about 20 feet).  Above this crux continue up ice and snow toward another obvious chockstone-tunnel. Belay at the chockstone, or if you are wondering whether you'll be able to squeeze under that thing (as we were) then trend right to a belay stance up and right of the chockstone-tunnel. This belay seemed better anyway since you don't shell your belayer with ice and snow while leading the final pitch.

P3 - Traverse back left to regain the icy weakness above the chockstone. This involved a few rock climbing moves, M4ish kind of shenanigans. A mixture of ice, snow covered rock, and mixed terrain leads directly up to the flat ground of the Upper Saddle (approximately 100-200' up and left of the top out for the Black Ice Couloir). Belay at the exposed "boulder problem/downclimb" leading up the base of the OS rappels.

From the Upper Saddle, continue to the summit via any number of options, or if you've had your fill, descend back to the Lower Saddle.

Emotional Rescue is an outstanding line, tucked away on the backside of the Enclosure between the Black Ice and Enclosure Ice Couloirs. It offers a complicated approach, incredible position and exposure, a serous alpine feel, and pitch after pitch of stellar climbing on beautiful rock. It is certainly one of the best routes in the Tetons, and is significantly more committing than its relatively moderate grade might suggest.

The original Emotional Rescue route (Jackson, Rickert - 7/26/85) was rated IV 5.10- A2 and moved right after the second pitch to avoid sections of wet rock. Here, the first ascent party encountered a short section of aid through a prominent roof/bulge. This was later freed at 5.11 by Alex Lowe and Jim Olsen in August of 1988. Later that month, Jackson, Woodmencey and Rickert returned to the route to push the line straight up from the second pitch. This direct version of Emotional Rescue has become more popular over the years, and requires dry conditions.

Complete the Valhalla Traverse to the Enclosure Ice Couloir. From here, the Emotional Rescue crack system is clearly visible. Follow the lower ramp system to the reach the upper ramp below the climb (this may require crossing snow and ice at the base of the formation).

P1 (5.8) Obvious double cracks lead up the steep wall to a short squeeze chimney. It's easier for the follower to hang the pack and climb the outside of the squeeze to the right. 35m.

P2 (5.10-) Stellar crux pitch! A few moves of 5.10- steep fingers off the belay leads to a long stretch of 5.9 hands (#2-#3). Pull through a final section of 5.10- fingers/hands and set up an awkward hanging belay below a small roof. 35-40m?

P3 (5.9) Move right under the roof/undercling, then straight up to a belay in a small alcove with a small, left-facing corner. This zone tends to get a little fuzzy... P3 and P4 are quite short (20m?). Essentially, you're following the path of least resistance toward the large roof/overlap above. Seems like it would be ideal to link P2&P3 or P3&P4, depending on rope drag.

P4 (5.9) Pull through some 5.9 moves near the corner, up onto the weakness in the face above.

Head straight up toward the next overhang/"double roof." This section can be a bit wet. Build another awkward hanging belay below the "double roof" overlap. Another short pitch (30m?)

P5 (5.10-) Traverse right below the overhang for a few body lengths, then pull through the lip on good holds. Move back hard left (directly above the belay) and continue up a fun 5.9 weakness of flakes and corners. Belay on a comfortable ledge.

P6 (5.8+) Move right on a wildly exposed, yet fairly moderate, hand traverse for 30-40'(don't pull through the first bulge that is approximately 10' up and right from the belay ledge). Solid hand jams and good feet lead to an awkward 5.8 move around a flake/knob. Continue up the large 5.7 right-facing corner (which cannot be seen from the belay). Belay on a large ledge system above. Awesome pitch! 45-50m?

P7 (5.6) Continue up the prominent chimney/weakness that is on the left side of the belay ledge. Belay on a large terrace above.

P8 (4th class or possibly snow/ice) Coil the rope and bump up 4th class terrain (or snow) to a high point below a prominent left-facing corner.

P9 (5.9) Either climb the wide, left-facing corner (5.8 OW) or continue up and left along a ramp and pull through some 5.9 moves in a stack of solid chockstones leading to a notch.

P10+ Move up and right for approx 400-600' of easy 5th class (primarily 4th class) along the ridge toward the top of the Visionquest Couloir. This may involve sections of snow and ice, but likely wont in dry conditions.

A good route on the right side of the big rock feature of the Enclosure.

Jim's Big Day traverses beneath the enormous roof/hanging corner on the south face of the Enclosure. Although the lower part of the climb is somewhat forgettable, the crux pitch is a four star classic with wild exposure and good protection. It feels pretty solidly 5.10 b/c. Finish on a fun ridge scramble to the top of the Enclosure. This would be a great option for a half day climb for those teams with a two night stay at the Lower Saddle. Expect some seepage in the crack system below the roof if climbing this route earlier in the summer.

Hike for about 20-30 minutes up the standard approach to the Upper Saddle. At a tall rock pillar up and left of the Eye of the Needle, cut across the Idaho Express Couloir and locate an obvious ledge system near the start of the route. Traverse across the couloir and set up a belay on the far side out of the rock fall zone.

P1- Pull a few mid-5th class moves to gain the broad ledge and run the rope to the end on 3rd/4th class terrain, belaying beneath some broken black rock and a large corner system higher on the wall.

P2-P4- This section of the climb can be broken up in different ways, but it's mostly 5.6-5.7 climbing up the obvious weakness and can be easily simul-climbed or combined into two pitches. Start with a couple 5.8 moves in the black rock as you pull over a little roof-bulge then continue up the large corner until you reach a ledge below the massive roof overhead. Belay on one of the higher ledges before entering the crux.

P5- Stem, jam, layback and fight your way up the hanging corner of beautiful, golden rock (5.10-). End the pitch on a sizeable belay ledge near the end of the rope.

P6- Climb an awesome knife edge directly above the belay ledge (run-out 5.5) that eventually turns into an exposed 4th class ridge scramble to the top of the Enclosure.

Descend the standard climbers trail back to the Lower Saddle.

The Southwest Ridge of the Enclosure is a great route with awesome views to the west. There's some excellent sections of rock, some forgettable pitches, a bit of meandering, and, generally speaking, a lot of old school charm to this 1940's alpine classic. For a fast and efficient party these 11 pitches go pretty quick, simul-climbing where rope drag isn’t an issue. After the technical terrain is complete, a lengthy (and exposed) 4th class ridge scramble leads to the summit of the Enclosure. It is a good objective for ambitious parties seeking an additional route during a two day stay at the Lower Saddle. The profile of the upper portion of this climb can be seen from the bivy sites at the Lower Saddle.

*This route has a 5.9 variation to the start that appears to be quite good. For those who are interested, locate the crack system to the left of the "orange wall" at the base of the Southwest Ridge. This variation will intersect the original line somewhere along the large terrace on the P4 belay.

From the initial portion of the Valhalla Traverse, scramble up 4th class slabs and 3rd class scree fields for 15 minutes or so to reach the base of the route.

P1-P2. Generally speaking, following the large ramp/weakness in the prominent system on the southern side of the arete/ridge. Easier 4th class scrambling leads to a steep section of jamming on the right side of a prominent flake (5.7ish). Continue up the crack system/corner, eventually passing an old ring piton, and pull through another steep bulge on hand jams/jugs on the face (5.7ish). This section can be broken up into two pitches or combined into one lead with a little bit of simul-climbing.

P3-P4. From the comfortable belay stance above the steep 5.7 bulge, avoid continuing up the easier, low angle ramp directly ahead, and quickly move left into the first prominent weakness/chimney system that accesses the ridgeline proper. This is another rope stretcher or two pitches, ending in some loose, low 5th class terrain that deposits you on a large ledge/terrace (described as P4 belay in the Ortenburger-Jackson/Gams guidebooks).

There is definitely some fuzziness in regards to the details of this lower portion of the climb; many belay options exist. Basically, pick the line of least resistance and eventually move into the first left-angling weakness that doesn't appear to be overly difficult.

P5. This is a fairly short pitch. Bump the belay to the far side of the terrace, then climb the cleft/chimney in the next prominent high point in the ridge. Start up the chimney, then move left onto the face (fun 5.7ish). Belay in a notch in the disintegrating black rock cleft/gully above.

P6. This is another short pitch that is hindered by rope drag, described as a "5.4 traverse on a red rock face" in the Gams guide. Pick your way along the path of least resistance, moving up and right along a hand traverse below a massive overhang. This pitch culminates in an awkward (and surprisingly difficult) down climb to the other side of the major break/notch in the black rock gully/notch. Be sure to protect your follower for the down climb and belay on a large ledge shortly afterwards.

P7-P9. Many belay options exist for this sizable stretch of the route, but basically cruise up easy, loose 4th and low 5th class terrain, trending left toward the ridge line proper. (5.6ish). Once you encounter a large ledge on climbers left, move along the terrace and belay below a wide crack.

P10-P11. Climb the 5.7 wide crack straight up the face, eventually making some awkward moves right around a small bulge/chockstone, then continue into easier terrain above (5.6ish). Belay or simul until the terrain eases at the top of the ridge line leading toward the summit of the Enclosure.

P12+ Most parties will probably jettison the rope at this point, but be advised that there are many exposed sections of 4th class to reach the summit proper. It's about a 10-15 minute scramble to the top.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Enclosure