Climbing Elephant Tusk - Big Bend National Park, TX

[@juancuatrolados8527]

My hat's off to you! I've walked circles around the base several times but never felt compelled to climb.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Juan, thank you and thanks for watching! It's an awesome mountain, and maybe you'll be up there someday. Aside from getting to the trailhead, I may not have made it without my partner. It's definitely good to have some help on this one.

[@OneMansOdyssey]

Watched this when it came out but forgot to comment. This was such an incredible climb. You and Mark are braver than I am for sure. While you didn't have to do much technical climbing way up there, I think the vertigo would have grounded me. That notch must have been sketchy if you were so nervous about it. Excellent climb, maybe your best video to date!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Nate, yeah, this was a pretty awesome climb and peak. We could either be brave or foolish, but we made it. And in terms of climbing, Mark is definitely a lot better and braver than I am. I didn't even have time to film him coming up, and he seemed to have no fear on the descent. I had a rope through the webbing, and was going to do what I did on N. Florida and put it through the harness, but it was taking forever to get the rope untangled up there. So I just put as much as I could through the webbing and held onto it with one hand while I climbed down. That maybe wasn't the safest but it worked. I wish I would have tried to free climb down, but I'm also glad I didn't. Thank you very much, I appreciate it!

[@piecetrain9767]

That is quite a climb and well done. Seems like three significant hurdles: just getting there by vehicle, the long hike to start the climb, and the crux. Glad to see the video.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Piece Train, thank you. Those do seem to be the big obstacles. And you definitely need the right vehicle to make it to the trailhead, otherwise the hike is a lot longer starting somewhere else. Hopefully the video helps anyone who wants to do it.

[@SergeantFunkDan]

Man-o-man, that is a great peak-bag, and high-quality vid. You again inspire.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Sergeant Dan, thank you, and it was an awesome peak. I'm glad the videos are inspirational, and maybe you will get a chance to do it sometime. Thanks for watching!

[@TheNotLostNomad]

Nicely done! that would scare the heck out of me. That climb up looked slippery. I respect what you do man!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi NotLostNomad, thank you, I appreciate it! In some ways I've gotten better at climbing, and in other ways I am more scared of it, so I can relate to how you feel. Mark deserves all the respect and credit on this one. He seems like he has no fear at all, and it was neat watching him shoot up there (which I didn't film), and come down so confidently later. Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@davepickett2232]

Great Video!! Thank You!!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Dave, thank you, I appreciate it. You're welcome, and thanks for watching!

[@nathancarroll5075]

Thanks for sharing. Very cool.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Nathan, it was definitely a cool peak. You're welcome, and thanks for watching!

[@gogerwi]

Always inspiring.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi gogerwi, I'm glad the videos are inspiring, and hopefully they have helped people to have some more info on the peaks if they attempt them. Thanks for watching!

[@hhhAmbientElectronic]

How you climb in that heat is beyond me. Glad you made it back safely. Always fun to see you bag a Big Bend summit. Have you done Thule (pronounced Toolie) Peak? Not sure I'm spelling it right. The big prominent mountain SSE of the Maveric Junction. It's a spectacularly beautiful mountain from the North at sunset. Anyway, great video. Thanks for the hard work!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Hollan, I'm used to the heat, especially being here in AZ. Thank you, and I had a lot of fun going back to Big Bend. That's crazy that you asked that because I attempted it the next morning. I made it a mile after crossing one large depression, and had two canyons in front of me. Two of my toes were pretty bad, from my bad boots that I had on the Day before ET, (and on the Tule attempt) and I was concerned about the heat, so I made the decision to turn around and just do a few smaller hikes. Maybe I would've made it, but it was better to turn around. Getting out of those boots felt so much better. I've seen it spelled 'Tule' but never heard it pronounced. Thank you and thank you very much for watching!

[@hhhAmbientElectronic]

@@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer Tule, yes, that's it. That mountain is on my bucket list to be painted (I'm a landscape artist). It's quite striking. I hope you climb it someday. That's a video I'd love to see. I've painted The Sphinx before. I've seen your video of that, which was awesome. Be safe, take care of your feet! Bad boots are the worst. I did Sheppard Pass in the Sierras and ruined my feet on that trip. I was a bloody mess when I got back from that trip. A $200 pair of leather Scarpas went straight to GoodWill. Never could break those things in.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

@@hhhAmbientElectronic too bad I couldn't make the video then. It really is a nice looking mountain, but if I get back to the park I will try to do it. Yeah, it's hard to figure boots out. I'd rather not even wear them, but I do if I feel there is more of a snake risk, since at least the boots are usually thicker. That's too bad about that pair you had.

[@rictinney9009]

Very nice! I was there at the same time and finally checked Marufo Vega off my list. ET is still on it.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Ric, thanks and it was an awesome peak. It was a nice time to be there, other than the heat, since it wasn't crowded at all. I've heard a lot about Mario Vega, but haven't been on it yet. ET is definitely a great mountain to summit. Hopefully you can get up there sometime in the near future.

[@timcooper4699]

I love your BBNP videos!!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Tim, thank you. I'm glad they help, and thanks for watching!

[@hikingwithjackieboy]

That was an amazing climb

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Jackie Boy, yes it was amazing. I'm glad to have finally done it. The ridge looked really cool, both in person and on video.

[@hikingwithjackieboy]

@@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer that it did

[@marshallcahill4958]

Welcome back! Long time no see

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Marshall, thank you, and yes, it's been awhile. I had a great time, especially on Elephant Tusk.

[@texasuavpilot]

Excellent, I’ve been waiting for someone to climb Elephant Tusk for over 3 years now, since a guy Lance climbed it 9 years ago. Definitely need a partner for this.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Texas Pilot, I've seen Lance's video, but it's been awhile. Mark, the guy I hiked with, did it about 6 years ago, and here is his video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJW5oaSKit2Kotk, if you want to see another perspective on it. It was definitely nice to have a partner, especially someone that has done it before. I may not have made it without him.

[@texasuavpilot]

@@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer Yes Lance perspective looked very scary, maybe because of the angle and placement of the camera, but looking at yours much better. Thanks!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

@@texasuavpilot I'll have to go back and watch it again. Certain cameras will give different angles and perspectives, and you never know until you get there in person. Mark made the chute look like a class 2 trail, but he's a few levels higher than me. It wasn't as straight up as I though it was going to be though.

[@Henry-y9d]

We've had a lot of haze here in South Texas due to agricultural burns in Mexico and Central America. The haze you saw may have been the beginning of that.

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Henry, thanks for the information. Another commenter mentioned that too. Thanks for watching!

[@DepressedBirder]

Nice intro music choice 😁 Did the loose slopes before the ridge climb feel treacherous at all? That kinda stuff spooks me way more than the nice rock of the ridge! ~4:15-4:25

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

SSJ, thanks, I think it fit well. No, the scree slopes felt fine to me. I guess there's a chance that you could collapse a bunch of rock and set off a slide, but things felt pretty solid to me, other than a few little slips and slides in places. I never felt like a lot of rock was going to slide.

[@DepressedBirder]

@@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer Thanks for the information!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

@@DepressedBirder you're welcome, and thanks for watching!

[@carlgusler1554]

Wow! Congratulations! Backbone Ridge next time? What month did you do this? May? A touch scorchy time of year.

[@novicehiker6897]

Do you have plans to do backbone? I'd definitely like to team up if doing it this winter

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Carl, thank you and thanks for watching. We did it on April 30th, so just a few weeks ago, and it was forecast to be 101. I'm not sure how hot it was when we finished up. I don't know when next time will be, and it might be another five years. Since I don't have 4WD myself, I may not be able to go for Backbone Ridge if or when I return.

[@davecat1458]

Ag fires in MX

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Davecat, thanks for the information. They must be burning a lot down there.

[@gonzalobanuelos642]

This is not climbing dude. Really was hopping to see some trad. #Hiking

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Gonzalo, thank you for letting me know this is not climbing. I had no idea. I will change the title to "Walking" up Elephant Tusk. I hope you didn't have to hop too far, "dude."

[@ghpatriot]

Awesome!!

[@ZacharyTeich-HikingTrainer]

Hi Kevin, yes, it was definitely an awesome peak, and one of the best I've done. Hopefully you've been making it to the park. I have a lot of similar type stuff close to home now, but Big Bend will always be one of my favorite places. Thanks for watching!