At 12,928 feet in height, Mount Owen is the second highest peak in the Teton Range and the last of the major Teton peaks to be climbed. It is also notable for having no easy route up it and for offering a variety of different kinds of climbing.

The East Ridge requires climbing on snow (sometimes ice, sometimes scree) in the Koven Couloir, bands of easy rock climbing, spectacular snow fields falling thousands of feet into Cascade Canyon, and a arete of clean rock with challenging pitches that lead to the tiny summit. Directly to the south is the magnificent 3,000 foot North Face of the Grand Teton.

But that is just the first half of the climb. There is no easy way off Mount Owen, so you must descend the same way you came up. That means multiple rappels, tricky down climbing, and plunge stepping down steep snow. Upon reaching the camp on the Teton Glacier where you spent the night, you pack up and hike all the way back to the valley. It's a hard and memorable two-day trip for those with solid rock-climbing and mountaineering skills. The climb can also be done in two and a half days allowing a second night in camp before the hike to the valley.