Wharton Leadership Ventures
Grand Teton Mountaineering
Grand Teton National Park
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
August 2010
The Grand Teton from the Middle Teton
Rising abruptly from the Jackson Hole valley floor, the Tetons offer a testament to the power and complexity of nature, and dominate the skyline of Grand Teton National Park, attracting the attention of all who pass through. Devoid of foothills or terraces, the Tetons rise for more than a mile in a single sweep. The elevation of the park ranges from 6,400 ft on the valley floor to 13,770 ft on the windswept granite summit of the Grand Teton.
The Grand Teton Mountaineering venture provides an opportunity for Wharton undergraduates to enhance team leadership skills in a spectacular and challenging environment. The venture focuses on the development of key team leadership skills including working effectively as a member of a small group, demonstrating individual and mutual accountability, developing a vision, articulating it and inspiring others to achieve it, communicating complex information clearly, learning new and unfamiliar skills in a challenging environment, setting a significant team goal, making rapid decisions, giving and receiving feedback, and managing individual and team outcomes. The venture also emphasizes continuous learning through individual and group experiences, readings, evening discussions, guest speakers, a team-based service/consulting project for a local organization, and personal reflection. The core components of the leadership venture include a two-day course of mountaineering instruction conducted by world-class mountaineers and a two-day guided team summit attempt of the Grand Teton.
If you participate in this venture, you will gain valuable experience in functioning effectively outside of your comfort zone, learn to balance uncertainty with trust in your own competence and in others, and develop an appreciation for the benefits of good expedition behavior. In particular, you will seek to identify team leadership lessons that you can transfer from your experience on the Grand Teton to the business environment.
Click here for live Teton Range webcam
Venture Staff
Chris and Kathy Maxwell
Dr. Chris Maxwell: The Grand Teton Mountaineering venture is organized by Chris Maxwell, Associate Director, Wharton Undergraduate Leadership Program. Chris teaches MGMT 100 at Wharton and directs Wharton Leadership Ventures for the Undergraduate Division. Chris has trekked through the Everest region of Nepal, backpacked with the National Outdoor Leadership School in the Pacific Northwest, hiked and kayaked in Patagonia, and climbed in the Teton Range.
Dr. Kathy Maxwell: Kathy Maxwell is an academic adviser and health instructor at Penn State University. Kathy began her career as a surgical nurse, and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing and health education, and a doctorate in adult education. In addition to her nursing training she is certified as an EMT. Kathy has hiked in Nepal, Patagonia, and the Cascades, and has climbed in the Teton Range.
Christian Hoogerheyde: Christian, the student coordinator for Grand Teton Mountaineering '09, is a Wharton sophomore from northern New Jersey. He was a 2008 Grand Teton venture participant, and has coordinated multiple other ventures for WLV - Undergraduate Division. Christian is an avid hiker, and loves the great outdoors. He is extremely excited to be coordinating this venture and returning to the summit of the Grand.
Climbing Guides
Climbing guides and mountaineering instruction are provided by Exum Mountain Guide Service and School of Mountaineering, Inc. In operation since 1931, the Exum Mountain Guide Service is located within Grand Teton National Park. Exum is America's oldest and most experienced mountain guide service.
Conditioning and Health Care
No previous mountaineering experience is necessary. Participants should be well conditioned, able to carry a light daypack, and prepared to engage in hiking and climbing activities in challenging terrain. Participants must complete a pre-venture health form and be cleared to participate by a physician, and will be required to demonstrate compliance with a monitored pre-venture conditioning program.
Food and Lodging
After each day’s hike or climb, participants return to comfortable accommodations in the valley. 2009 venture lodging will be announced in the near future.
The night before the summit attempt is spent on the mountain at an elevation of 11,600 ft. Overnight shelter is provided in the Exum Hut on the Lower Saddle; Exum Mountain Guides provides the required sleeping bags and pads.
Gear
Basic required gear includes lightweight hiking apparel, sticky rubber approach shoes, lightweight rain jacket and pants, warm fleece, and a medium-sized daypack. Exum provides all protective climbing gear used during climbing school and on the summit attempt, including harnesses and helmets.
Participant Travel to Venture Site
Participants pay for their own transportation to and from Jackson, Wyoming (airport code JAC).
Venture Land Costs
Venture land costs include local ground transportation, eight nights lodging, basic and intermediate level mountaineering school with Exum Mountain Guides, a 2-day guided summit attempt of the Grand Teton, climbing guide fees, and all meals including a celebratory farewell dinner.
Venture Daily Plan
Day 1 - Arrivals
Participants arrive in Jackson, Wyoming. Ground transportation from the airport is provided to our lodging. In the afternoon, participants complete a reflective exercise. In the evening, we make leader of the day assignments and take time to discuss the service project for the venture. At the welcome dinner, each participant discusses expectations for the course.
Day 2 - Orientation During the hike, we exchange information about ourselves in small groups, experiment with positional leadership as we walk, and reflect on this, and our readings, during the evening meeting. |
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Day 3 - Basic mountaineering school Our evening discussion session focuses on mountaineering, teamwork, and leadership. |
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Day 4 - Intermediate mountaineering school Our evening discussion session focuses on mountaineering, communication, decision making, and implications for leadership practice. |
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Day 5 - To The Lower Saddle
We meet hike up Garnet Canyon, passing through The Meadows, arriving by late afternoon for an overnight camp at the Exum Hut at the Lower Saddle (11,650 feet). We prepare for an early (3 a.m.) start the next morning.
The Approach to the Lower Saddle
High Camp at the Lower Saddle, 11,650ft
3am morning wakeup at the Lower Saddle (photo Stephen Koch)
Day 6 - Summit Attempt
We leave the Exum Hut before dawn and reach the Exum Ridge via Wall Street. We climb a pinnacled crest up the Golden Staircase, Wind Tunnel, Friction Pitch, Unsoeld's Lieback, and onto the summit ridge.
Summit Climb
The Owen-Spalding route is the line of first ascent. We climb the Belly Roll and the Crawl, then head up the Owen Chimney, reaching the summit of the Grand Teton by mid-morning.
On the Summit - August 20, 2004
On the Summit - August 18, 2006
Lower Saddle, August 16, 2007
Lower Saddle, August 14, 2008
After photographs and refreshments, we rappel and down climb to the Exum Hut on the Lower Saddle for lunch, arriving back in the valley by early evening. During our evening discussion at the Ranch, we work through the challenges and lessons of the two-day summit climb.
Stephanie Buswell prepares for the 120 foot rappel during the descent of the Grand Teton
Returning to the Lower Saddle after summiting the Grand Teton
Day 7
We explore the historic frontier town of Jackson, or mountain bike the Teton trails (advance reservation required). We enjoy a celebratory farewell dinner in Jackson in the evening. After dinner, participants take the opportunity to recognize team members and reflect on highlights, challenges, and lessons of the venture.
Closing Dinner in Jackson, WY
Day 8
Departure from Jackson Airport.
Sample Readings
Turner, Jack. 2000. Teewinot: Climbing and Contemplating the Teton Range. Thomas Dunne Books. New York. Herzog, Maurice. 1952. Annapurna. Dutton. New York. Junger, S. 2002. Fire. Perennial Books. NY, NY. Scott, G.P. 2003. Summit Strategies: Secrets to Mastering the Everest in Your Life. Beyond Words Publishing, Inc. Hillsboro, OR. Turiano, T. 2003. Selected Peaks of Greater Yellowstone: A Mountaineering History and Guide. Indomitus Books. Jackson, WY. Useem, Michael. 1998. The Leadership Moment. Times Books. New York. Useem, Michael. 2001. Leading Up: How To Lead Your Boss So You Both Win. Crown Business. New York. |
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Useem, Michael, Jerry Useem, and Paul Asel. 2003. Upward Bound: Nine Original Accounts of How Business Leaders Reached Their Summits. Crown Publishing Group. New York.
(Click to read the following brief articles below)
Maxwell, C. 2002. "Expedition Behavior: Working Well Together in the Wilderness." Leadership Digest. Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management.
Maxwell, C. 2004. "Uncertainty and Trust: Leadership Lessons at High Altitude." Leadership Digest. Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management.
Maxwell, C. 2005. "How Explorers Build Great Teams: From Lewis and Clark to Peter Hillary." Leadership Digest. Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management.
Maxwell, C. 2006. "Believing is Seeing: A Mountaineer Talks to Business About Overcoming Adversity." Leadership Digest. Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management.
Maxwell, C., and A. Read. 2006. “Leadership at the Sharp End of the Rope: Guiding Guides". Leadership Digest. Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management.
Contact
For more information, please contact Dr. Chris Maxwell, 410 Steinberg Hall - Dietrich Hall, at maxwellc@wharton.upenn.edu or telephone 215.898.0284.
Venture Participants
Grand Teton Mountaineering 2004
Michael Hersh, Dan Forman, Stephanie Buswell, Will Arbuckle, Lyndsey Bunting,
Robert Allen, Sapna Chauhan, Bryan Chao
Grand Teton Mountaineering 2006
Bill Wells, Jeremy Semble, Greg Maughan, Jacqueline Stein, Mark Pasha, Carlos Buitelaar, Jihyun Yi, John Sims (Merrill Lynch), Lyndsey Bunting (2006 venture coordinator), Riya Abraham, Seychelle Hicks, Dan Francis, Andy McGinnis (Merrill Lynch).
Not in photo - Yang Sun
Grand Teton Mountaineering 2007
Chris Yi, Byron Clift (Merrill Lynch), Lisa Cuesta, Richard Hillen, Skye Gilbert, Nate Sokol, Joanne Tong, Deborah Garber, Matt Ziegler, Jay Tan, Gavin Lazarus, Dan Dvor,
Seychelle Hicks (2007 venture coordinator), Matt Pisanelli W’03 (Merrill Lynch)
Grand Teton Mountaineering 2008
(L-R) Rami Reyes, Hartej Khangura, James Calderwood, Edmund Reese (Merrill Lynch), Yidan Li, Junhao Tan (2008 venture coordinator), Doug Stahl (Merrill Lynch), Lucy Obukowicz, Joshua Eisenberg, Sue Strzelczyk, Girish Rajagopalan, Rob DeGoria (Merrill Lynch), Jon Christman, Christian Hoogerheyde
Now away we go towards the top.
Many still, small voices are calling 'Come Higher'.
John Muir, 1911
photos © Chris Maxwell
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