The Teton Boulder Project

While we’re on the topic of news from Jackson, here’s another notable happening in that town: the Teton Boulder Project. Nope, it isn’t some new climbing video showing a bunch of shirtless teenagers wearing beanies while sending desparate boulder problems in the Tetons. It’s a really cool effort to build a community bouldering park in Jackson, Wyoming. From their website:

“The Teton Boulder Project is a grass-roots partnership between the Town of Jackson, the Teton County Parks and Recreation Department and the Teton climbing community that seeks to celebrate the past, present and future of Teton climbing by constructing a bouldering garden at the base of Snow King Mountain. The project will honor the history of Teton climbing, commemorate the contributions of the pioneers, and provide unique climbing opportunities for locals and guests of all ages.”

An important aspect of the park’s mission is to honor the historical role of the Tetons in North American climbing. As such, climbing historian and guidebook author Renny Jackson has compiled a list of the most significant achievements in Teton climbing history, which will serve as the foundation for the historical component of the park. Among these accomplishments are the first ascent of the Grand in the late 1800’s, the first ascent of the Black Ice Couloir in 1961, and the first ski descent of the Grand Teton in 1971. The full list can be viewed here.

The project recently was awarded to Entreprise to build and the design specifications are listed on their site. I’ve seen outdoor boulders in places like Aspen and Telluride, but nothing that was really designed with climbing in mind. Most seem to appeal to kids and families more than true climbers, so it’ll be interesting to see this one shapes up.