Looking for a Great Climb 13 or 14 that is North of Santa Fe

[BryanROfromTX]

Im an experienced climber, Difficulty isn't an issue.

I'm from Austin, TX and I have driven to Santa Fe for snowboarding trip but haven't driven any further north. I want to take a trip to Colorado, drive either up threw Santa Fe and then north from there. Or go up to Kansas and hit Colorado Springs, and then go from there.

What I'm looking for in my climb:

1. The Best Scenery and Views and Wildlife - Animals, Lakes, Rivers, Peaks, Landscape, caves, those kind of things

2. Not to easy. Not to hard. I normally bring a friend or someone un-experienced that I have to guide and help threw it. So like 2-4 Dif/exposure

3. Accessibility - Something that doesn't cost 500 dollars to stay near the trailhead. Maybe something with a Campsite nearby or Something that is off of a actual road not a 5 mile 4x4 road.


So thats really it. Just looking for some MOUNTAIN CLIMBING IN SOUTH COLORADO.

I thought about as far northwest as TELLURIDE as far north as Maroon BELLS and I thought about PIKE PEAKS but its too POPULATED and NORMAL for me I THINK.

I LIKE ADVENTURE. I LIKE WILDERNESS. I LIKE SOLITUDE.

[MtHurd]

The eastern Granadiers have everything you want (The Guardian, Silex, Storm King, Peak 9, and others). For a shorter approach you will need a 4x4, but if you don't mind a long approach any car can make it. By long approach I mean about 15 miles, for the shorter approach you're looking at 6 miles but needing a 4x4. There will be a wide variety of climbing from scrambling to multi-pitch technical climbs and you will most likely be alone. It will require some but not too much bushwhacking. There is camping at the 4x4 approach and I am pretty sure there is at the non-4x4 approach. PM me if you want more info.

[JayMiller]

The drive thru Santa Fe will be much more scenic than coming across Kansas and eastern Colorado. It also a shorter drive to the mountains from Austin.

I'm not sure what you mean by 2-4 Diff/exposure, but if you mean a class 2 climb with level 4 exposure, a class 2 climb pretty much precludes level 4 exposure. You will need to get to Class 3 climbing to reach level 4 exposure.

As far a mountains go, There's Mount Wheeler (New Mexico high point) which starts at Taos Ski Valley, You can't go wrong with any of the San Juans. San Luis Peak, Sunshine & Redcloud, Handies, Wetterhorn, and Mt. Sneffels all have trail heads you can reach with 2 wheel drive. All of the climbs except Wetterhorn and Sneffles are class 2 and Wetterhorn and Sneffels are class 3. There are some class four routes if you want them. The only problem with Sneffles and San Luis are they are kinda off by themselves. The five around Lake City are all great. Be aware that Eolus, Sunlight, Windom group require either a long approach or a train ride.

Any way just check out the map http://www.14ers.com/flash/rangemaps/sanjuanmap.php.