Durrance Ridge, Symmetry Spire
- Mike Morelli
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Date: July 19, 2026
Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Team: Evan Flach
Field Notes: This is surely a classic and you'll follow in the footsteps of legendary Jack Durrance. We did the climb in 6 pitches with a 60m rope, a standard rack of cams with doubles of .5 -> 1, nuts, and about 11 slings. It would be helpful to have a few double length runners. Route-finding is simple by staying on the ridge, but we found it hard to stay truly within the 5.6 grade and at times found ourselves climbing harder sections. This is a long route.
This was the second time I’d been on the Jenny Lake boat this season, and I can now say that I am indeed a fan. Still traumatized by the long and punishing walk-ins while living in New Zealand, if I can cut out some walking, I will.
As we cruised across the lake, my eyes darted up toward the long and striking southeast feature of Symmetry Spire—the Durrance Ridge. This is considered a classic. The line features quality granite and sustained, steep climbing for close to 1,000 vertical feet.
We made quick work of the approach to the base of the climb, reaching it in an hour and forty minutes with a quick stop for water. It was already stinking hot, and I couldn’t believe how much I was sweating.
I started off on the first pitch, finding positive holds and trying to settle into a groove. I ran out most of the rope and did the same on the second pitch.
Optimistic that we might finish the climb in four or five hours, I glanced at my watch and checked our elevation. We still had a long way to go, and this was not going to be an FKT by any means.
The sun was incredibly strong, and I found myself drinking more water than usual. I was grateful for every slight breeze or passing cloud that gave us a moment of relief.
This was my first mission with Evan where it was just the two of us. He’s solid, strong, extremely fit, has good mountain sense, and, most importantly, is in control of his emotions. He doesn’t do a ton of leading, so that was all on me for this climb, but he has done quite a few big alpine routes in the park and is extremely capable.
At every belay, we settled into a rhythm. Evan organized the gear while I checked the route and talked through our next options. Then I would lead out.
The third pitch provided a nice crux, which I felt was definitely a step above the route’s listed 5.6 grade. The granite was superb, the route was easy to protect, and the climbing was thoroughly enjoyable.
As a team of two, we continued to wander our way up the climb.
There was so much good climbing on this route. One of my favorite sections came on the fourth pitch. It started with a slight traverse where I found a stuck Friend in a crack. From there, I climbed left around an arête and followed a double-crack system on perfect granite.
Amazing!
The sun continued to slowly drain my battery, and by the fifth pitch, I was looking up toward the crux, wanting to reach the airy ridgeline where I could coil the rope and be done with roped climbing.
We had now been climbing for six hours. The sandwich I had brought had surely gone bad, I had one sip of water left, and my mouth was dry and sticky.
Evan joined me at the belay, and we looked up at the final pitch. The main crux followed a crack and chimney system before popping out onto a ledge. I started off, keeping my head game strong and taking it one move at a time.
I found the climbing straightforward and easy to protect. The occasional old fixed piton, hammered in by legends long ago, made moving through the crux a little easier.
At the ledge, I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that would be the final pitch. Evan followed, genuinely enjoying what was potentially the best pitch of the entire route.
From the top of the technical climbing, we scrambled through several highly exposed sections until we were just below the summit. There was one section where I could easily imagine people pulling the rope back out: three or four body lengths of low fifth-class climbing with more than 1,000 feet of exposure beneath you.
We walked along a grassy ledge, climbed one final section of fourth-class or low fifth-class terrain, and then we were on top.
The summit views from Symmetry Spire are next level. The north-facing views of Teewinot, the Grand Teton, and Mount Owen are enough to inspire any climber to pursue new heights.
When we checked our watches, we realized we had two hours to reach the final boat across Jenny Lake. We snapped a quick photo and immediately began the rapid descent.
More than anything, I needed water. I had run out long ago, and when we finally reached the creek, it may have been the best moment of the day—the end of suffering.
Fortunately, by following Evan’s rapid pace, we made the second-to-last boat and cruised across the glassy waters of Jenny Lake back toward the truck.
Happy days...
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