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“The allure is experiencing a mountain and rock adventure

Anyone who has been without having to be a rock climber or mountaineer.
in the Jackson Hole area The appeal for me is that everyone can participate—even
for long knows that the val- those fearful of heights can do ferratas.”
ley culture there is synony-
mous with the big and the —Connie Kemmerer, Jackson Hole

bold. If something is worth

doing, it’s worth really doing. The original resort owners, Paul So, who builds this sort of thing? Kemmerer’s first

McCollister and Alex Morley, wanted Jackson Hole Ski Area choice was obviously Jeff Lowe, who had originally traveled

to emulate the European mountain experience—endless pan- back to Jackson to meet with her and help lay out a multi-

oramas, sweeping canyons, and big vertical. Since their pur- level series of ferratas in five locations. “Last year I saw Jeff,

chase of the resort in 1996, the Kemmerers (siblings Connie, and he was excited to hear we were proceeding,” she said.

Jay, and Betty Gray) have done their best to continue that leg- “Sadly, Jeff’s degenerative neuromuscular disease has esca-

acy, putting a high priority on visceral mountain adventures. lated so he could no longer assist.”

Beyond the reputation of Jackson’s prodigious ski scene, Now what? Enter Mike Friedman and Utah-based

the Teton Mountains are one of the most storied mountain- Adventure Partners, a company that designs and creates

eering ranges in the US, with a history that rivals any in transformative outdoor recreation experiences through par-

North America. And Connie Kemmerer knows this. While ticipatory and discovery attractions. Friedman is a life-

the barrier of entry in climbing can be a non-starter for long mountaineer who also happens to have more than two

many travelers, ferratas offer a friendlier approach to discov- decades of experience working as a professional mountain

ering the vertical wilderness of the Teton landscape. guide in the Teton Range. With Adventure Partners he has

“The allure is experiencing a mountain and rock adven- built six ferratas on private land already, including a 230-foot

ture without having to be a rock climber or mountaineer. suspension bridge for the Amangiri resort in Utah. Drawing

The appeal for me is that everyone can participate—even off his extensive Teton guiding, Friedman brings an earnest

those fearful of heights can do ferratas,” she said. relevance to the Jackson Hole via ferrata project.

His first meetings with Kemmerer were serendipitous.

“Because she understood the history of Teton climbing and

MEMORIES. the nature of the rock here, she had a clear vision of what
was possible,” said Friedman. Jackson Hole is the perfect
ELEVATED. mountain to kick start this kind of venue because it values
wild and untamed experiences, which make up the heart of
Jackson Hole’s adventure ethos, he added. “There are a lot

SPRUCE PEAK VILLAGE CENTER of ski areas that think this would be kind of cool, but they

wouldn’t understand the cultural component.”

GOOD photo: worthington images P hase one of the Jackson Hole project is being devel-
DESIGN IS oped on the Ranger Ridge and Casper Bowl area
adjacent to the top terminal of the Bridger Gondola.
GOOD A concentric cirque, rife with granite slabs, steep walls,
BUSINESS and precipitous fall lines, is just a moment’s hike from the
Bridger Gondola top terminal.

With an estimated price tag for the project tallying
between $300,000 and $400,000, Adventure Partners began
work this July. Friedman and his crew—a savvy squad of
seasoned mountain guides and structural engineers—expect
to have the Casper pod’s two practice areas, four routes, and
suspension bridge done by mid-September.

“It won’t be open to the public this fall, but we will be
training, and I know I will be playing on it,” said Kemmerer.

The vision is simple: create an empowering experience
with the best possible backdrop…the Tetons.

30 | NSAA JOURNAL | FALL 2016