Mount Moran

About Mount Moran

Mount Moran stands in splendid isolation, separate from the other peaks in the northern section of the Teton Range, at the north entrance of the Grand Teton National Park in western Wyoming. Its elevation is 3,842 m (12,605 ft).  Unlike other mountains in the area it has a blunt top and black stripe running down from its summit, a distinctive basalt intrusion 46 m (~150 ft) wide known as the Black Dike.

Accessibility

It’s difficult to approach as there are no maintained hiking trails, so it’s much less of a magnet to climbers than Grand Teton and other peaks to the south. The best access is by water, canoeing first from String Lake, with a two-hour paddle across Leigh Lake before the climb even starts. This makes it much more of an outward bound adventure than just a climb.

There are several active glaciers on the mountain’s faces, including Skillet Glacier, in the east face. This is the route by which the mountain was first climbed in 1922 and is still considered the easiest and most direct route despite the snow and ice. Of the numerous other routes, the most popular is the CMC route, named after the Chicago Mountaineering Club whose members first climbed this route in 1941.

The climb can take up to three days in total and is one of the Tetons’ most challenging mountains, so come prepared both with experience and the right equipment.