Jean
Active member
At 8:10am on August 1st, I summitted Crestone Needle along with my friend Dave Alex for my 58th fourteener in 58 days. It was quite an adventure.
40 of the 58 were solo ascents.
I know, I know, officially there are 54 recognized 14ers but I decided to proceed with the 58 described by 14ers.com in case someone changes the rules at some point.
Anyways, it took a while to sort out pictures and the end product is still a huge 500 pics albums. Be patient, the best ones are towards the end.
Sorry for the french caption but I'm sure you'll be able to figure out most of them.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jeanroy666/AventuresAuColorado?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzzr6yZvv6lpwE#
My trip journal is over 100 pages long so I will spare you the details of each individual climbs.
Here's my top 10 most memorable ascents:
1) Crestone Needle (class 3+)
From South Colony Lakes, this peak appears unclimbable yet it is an absolute delight for those who love scrambling. After Broken Hand Pass, the options are countless including a long class 4 dihedral. The final push is pleasant but challenging on firm and stable rock. Views from the top are also second to none.
2) Pyramid Peak (class 4)
A solid route finding challenge above 13,100'. The numerous ledges and exposed scrambles will test the nerves of the most experienced hikers.
Not recommanded for those suffering from vertigo.
3) Capitol Peak (class 4)
I absolutely loved crossing the infamous the Knife Edge. Makes the one from Katahdin look like a highway. The detour around K2 and the very exposed last 800' of ascent were quite the treat.
4) El Diente to Mount Wilson traverse (class 4)
From El Diente's summit to the Organs Pipes, the Gendarmes, the Narrows et finally Mount Wilson... arguably the most fun my body can handle in one day.
5) Maroon Peak (class 4)
Very caracteristic of the Elk Range the loose and unstable rock makes this climb extremely dangerous. The 2 gulleys on the normal route are steep and covered in scree but... the class 4 chimney, the Precipice, the small rugged summit along with the spectacular views of Pyramid and Maroon Lake made it an unforgettable experience.
6) Crestone Peak (class 4)
Two words: Red Gulley
7) Wetterhorn (class 3)
A short yet interesting approach that reminded me of the Landmannalaugar in Iceland (for some reason) combined with some extremely fun scrambling make this climb a must. Views of Uncompaghre and Matterhorn alone are worth the detour.
8) Snowmass (class 3)
We did not use the normal route but rather used the shorter and much steeper approach from Lead King Basin. The 2,800' scramble from Little Gem Lake is very demanding yet manageable. We made it a little more difficult by going off route and had to cross a class 4 section on the summit ridge...it made the tiny rugged summit even more rewarding.
9) Eolus (class 3)
For the "Catwalk" and the amazing views of Chicago Basin, Sunlight and Windom.
10) Maroon Peak (class 3)
A 3,000' climb in the scree just to get to the ridge. From there, you have 90 minutes of difficult route finding to attain your objective. We had to backtrack at least 3 times. Quite the marathon yet the awesome views make all the efforts worth while.
The close runner ups were: Longs, Sunlight, Blanca, Ellingwood Point, Lindsey, Sneffels and Wilson Peak.
Little Bear Peak (class 4) did not make the list...
It was the only, truly, scary ascent of my entire trip. In the best of conditions the Hourglass on LB is the most dangerous stretch of any 14er. On this particular day, poor snow conditions, and quickly melting ice made it plain treacherous.
Going up the rotten snow leading up to the Hourglass I could see the thin layer of ice that was awaiting us right at the bottleneck. In the summer time, there is a rappel anchor there with 5 ropes to assist climbers. These were all buried today and right next to it was the 12 feet long section of ice...I could hear the water flowing underneat... Somehow, very slowly, my partner that day, Jim (who I met the day before) and I managed to negociate that section.
The other side of the Hourglass wasn't much better. We had to deal with a 50 degrees slope with falling rocks and ice that was feeding directly towards us. The helmet is mandatory in this shooting gallery. We climbed as quickly as possible the last 500' to the summit to finally take a breather. We looked it each other, a hint of terror in the eyes. We were not looking forward to the descent.
We came down the only way we felt remotely safe by down climbing the whole thing. Back in the Hourglass, I just decided to trust my crampons and head right down the middle...it worked but it was not an experience I wish to repeat.
There was a lot more memorable moments, including 2 self-arrests, but I'll save them for the Eustis Gathering.
40 of the 58 were solo ascents.
I know, I know, officially there are 54 recognized 14ers but I decided to proceed with the 58 described by 14ers.com in case someone changes the rules at some point.
Anyways, it took a while to sort out pictures and the end product is still a huge 500 pics albums. Be patient, the best ones are towards the end.
Sorry for the french caption but I'm sure you'll be able to figure out most of them.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jeanroy666/AventuresAuColorado?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzzr6yZvv6lpwE#
My trip journal is over 100 pages long so I will spare you the details of each individual climbs.
Here's my top 10 most memorable ascents:
1) Crestone Needle (class 3+)
From South Colony Lakes, this peak appears unclimbable yet it is an absolute delight for those who love scrambling. After Broken Hand Pass, the options are countless including a long class 4 dihedral. The final push is pleasant but challenging on firm and stable rock. Views from the top are also second to none.
2) Pyramid Peak (class 4)
A solid route finding challenge above 13,100'. The numerous ledges and exposed scrambles will test the nerves of the most experienced hikers.
Not recommanded for those suffering from vertigo.
3) Capitol Peak (class 4)
I absolutely loved crossing the infamous the Knife Edge. Makes the one from Katahdin look like a highway. The detour around K2 and the very exposed last 800' of ascent were quite the treat.
4) El Diente to Mount Wilson traverse (class 4)
From El Diente's summit to the Organs Pipes, the Gendarmes, the Narrows et finally Mount Wilson... arguably the most fun my body can handle in one day.
5) Maroon Peak (class 4)
Very caracteristic of the Elk Range the loose and unstable rock makes this climb extremely dangerous. The 2 gulleys on the normal route are steep and covered in scree but... the class 4 chimney, the Precipice, the small rugged summit along with the spectacular views of Pyramid and Maroon Lake made it an unforgettable experience.
6) Crestone Peak (class 4)
Two words: Red Gulley
7) Wetterhorn (class 3)
A short yet interesting approach that reminded me of the Landmannalaugar in Iceland (for some reason) combined with some extremely fun scrambling make this climb a must. Views of Uncompaghre and Matterhorn alone are worth the detour.
8) Snowmass (class 3)
We did not use the normal route but rather used the shorter and much steeper approach from Lead King Basin. The 2,800' scramble from Little Gem Lake is very demanding yet manageable. We made it a little more difficult by going off route and had to cross a class 4 section on the summit ridge...it made the tiny rugged summit even more rewarding.
9) Eolus (class 3)
For the "Catwalk" and the amazing views of Chicago Basin, Sunlight and Windom.
10) Maroon Peak (class 3)
A 3,000' climb in the scree just to get to the ridge. From there, you have 90 minutes of difficult route finding to attain your objective. We had to backtrack at least 3 times. Quite the marathon yet the awesome views make all the efforts worth while.
The close runner ups were: Longs, Sunlight, Blanca, Ellingwood Point, Lindsey, Sneffels and Wilson Peak.
Little Bear Peak (class 4) did not make the list...
It was the only, truly, scary ascent of my entire trip. In the best of conditions the Hourglass on LB is the most dangerous stretch of any 14er. On this particular day, poor snow conditions, and quickly melting ice made it plain treacherous.
Going up the rotten snow leading up to the Hourglass I could see the thin layer of ice that was awaiting us right at the bottleneck. In the summer time, there is a rappel anchor there with 5 ropes to assist climbers. These were all buried today and right next to it was the 12 feet long section of ice...I could hear the water flowing underneat...
Somehow, very slowly, my partner that day, Jim (who I met the day before) and I managed to negociate that section. The other side of the Hourglass wasn't much better. We had to deal with a 50 degrees slope with falling rocks and ice that was feeding directly towards us. The helmet is mandatory in this shooting gallery. We climbed as quickly as possible the last 500' to the summit to finally take a breather. We looked it each other, a hint of terror in the eyes. We were not looking forward to the descent.
We came down the only way we felt remotely safe by down climbing the whole thing. Back in the Hourglass, I just decided to trust my crampons and head right down the middle...it worked but it was not an experience I wish to repeat.
There was a lot more memorable moments, including 2 self-arrests, but I'll save them for the Eustis Gathering.
