Gannett Peak - Car to Car in under 9 hours

[Dan]

From the Green River Lakes Trailhead, no less. You might ask, how in the hell is this possible? Check out the trip report from Anton Krupicka, super impressive route up tourist creek near 3 forks park. Absolutely mind-blowing.

http://blog.ultimatedirection.com/gannet-the-grand-a-wyoming-whirlwind-tour/

 

[Mike K]

What an animal! I tried the Wells Creek route several years ago with some friends and we didn't make it (fatigue, slightly off route, and the wrong glacier that was ice hard and steep, etc). It took us as long to fail from a base camp at the mouth of Wells Creek as it took this guy to succeed from the GRTH. Crazy! That still leaves a bad taste in our mouths and we often consider making another run at it sometime. Thinking about all that boulder hopping makes me cringe though! =)

 

[Dan]

Sounds like I need to check out wells creek. Did you go up the cleft? Any trouble with the climb?

 

[Mike K]

Sounds like I need to check out wells creek. Did you go up the cleft? Any trouble with the climb?

I think Wells or Tourist Creeks would be equally awesome to check out. We went in early September of 2010 and Wells Creek wasn't raging so we were able to jump across the creek at the cleft and avoid the climb. We had taken a rope and harnesses though. We dropped them there. Here's my flickr set for that trip.

 

[Dan]

Nice. I used to follow lane's site a lot more closely, cool to see how it all fits together now. Looks awesome up in there.

 

[Dan]

Also super curious how the final climb is, Anton calls it 4th class. Certainly looks like it would be spicy.

 

[Mike K]

Lane and I have been friends for years and have done a ton of trips and hikes together. As far as the final climb...we never got a great look at it (I'm assuming you're talking about the couloir to the ridge). At least I don't remember getting a good look at it. Too tired! =) Just past the "skinny lake" we headed a little too far left (northish) instead of right (southish) and ended up below another glacier that stymied us. Had we gotten to the top of that we would have be on Minor Glacier (I think) and had a better look at the route. If there was snow we were planning on attacking it with crampons and ice axes. Else, if my memory is correct, I had read that the loose rock/shale wasn't too bad. I was so knackered that even if had I made it, I felt a descent would have been unsafe for me. You can check out Lane's gps track here. I'll have to look at the pics again to see if there was a tongue of snow all the way up to the ridge.

 

[HomerJ]

Holy Crap!!! That is insanely fast! I might be able to make Titcomb Basin (popular base camp for climbing Gannett) in 9 hours! And that's one way! Then most climbers leave around 2am to be able to summit Gannett and get back late that day! I just can't imagine doing it in less than 9 round trip from the TH! And the Grand in 3:23! Amazing!

 

[Nick]

And to make it even more amazing, this guy started from Green River Lakes!