Getting Prepared For The Next Mountain - Grand Teton

During all the mountains I've seen in the past several years, one common thread is woven through the climbing experience. I'm unprepared. I can't find everything I need. I should have started looking for all the tools and supplies days in advance. Instead, the night before my flight to Idaho Falls, I was scrambling to find all my camping gear around 1:00am. Its amazing how many things you find that you don't need when you're looking for a few things you do need. My flight was scheduled to take off in about 12 hours. I searched the house. I couldn't find my headlamp.

This year's mountain is Grand Teton. at 13,775 feet, it would be the highest mountain I have climbed so far, and also my most audacious adventure. In the past, the mountains I had climbed essentially just consisted of a trail to the top- these mountains were a series of non-technical journeys from Kennesaw Mountain (1,808 feet) to Mount Saint Helens (8,363 feet). These mountains did not require a harness, ice ax, repel gloves, helmet, or any other technical gear because they were more simple. This time the Grand Teton would be different. I signed up with Exum Mountain Guides to assist in my assent to the summit, and they sent me a list of gear I needed to have organized before I arrived. Here is what they wanted me to bring.

1. Approach Shoes

2. Rain Jacket

3. Synthetic Wool Pants

4. Long Johns

5. Fleece Sweater

6. Insulated Jacket

7. Logn Sleeve Wool Shirt

8. Wool Ski Hat

9. Ski Gloves

10. Repel Gloves

11. Wool Socks

12. Comfortable Shorts

13. Two Large Water Bottles

14. Dark Sun Glasses

15. Headlamp

16. Water Purification Tablets

17. Backpack (minimum 45 liters)

18. Sleeping Bag (rated 15° or l0wer)

19. Mountaineering Boots

20. Crampons

Some of these things were also available to rent through EXUM. But then there were tons of other things that weren’t' on the list, but that I knew I would need. I had no intention of over-packing I had read horror stories of climbers carrying unnecessary tools up the mountain for days on end only to realize after the hike that they didn't use some of the supplies. But in addition to these things, I knew I would also need deodorant, aspirin, food, and at least one day of regular clothes, among other things. What made me most frustrated about the headlamp was that I got it as a gift, my brother in law gave me a gift card for Christmas a few years back and I go the headlamp with that gift card. I had just used the headlamp a few weeks earlier on a camping trip with my son. So it wasn't lost, only misplaced. This was frustrating.

Eventually I gave up and stopped looking for the headlamp, packed up there rest of my gear and got some sleep. It drove me insane that I couldn't find my last piece of equipment, but eventually I let that feeling go and embraced the reality that I was about to embark on a 7 day journey to learn to rock-climb and attempt to summit Grand Teton. I let go of the missing head-lamp and started to look forward to the journey that was about to begin. Check back in the next few days to read more about my trip to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.