Looming 13,775 feet above the Jackson Hole Valley, the Grand Teton is one of America's most spectacular peaks and a must-do adventure for any serious mountaineer or peak bagger. Plan on taking several days to summit the Grand, and most importantly don't go it alone. Instead, book a trip with Jackson-based Exum Guides—one of North America's most-renowned guide services. You'll need to complete several prerequisite classes that cover mountaineering safety and rappelling and climbing techniques, but once you're done, the hike is fairly straightforward.
As massive as the Grand Teton looks from Moose Visitor Center, Exum Guides makes it attainable. Photo by Glen Molsen/Flickr.
The first day includes a seven-mile, 5,000-foot approach to Exum's hut, where you'll watch the sunset across Idaho, before going to bed early. The next day starts at 3 a.m. with a quick breakfast and then an aggressive summit push up routes to be determined by the group’s speed as well as weather conditions. At the top, you'll soak in views of three states and then rappel down and downclimb back to the cabin. From there you'll hike back down the approach trail and head into Jackson for one of the best dinners of your life.
Check out this video of hiking the Grand with Exum Guides:
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