Ellingwood Point

Because both peaks wrap around the same upper basin, most climbers bag them as a single "doubleheader" day trip from a base camp at Lake Como. That means first packing in to Lake Como and setting up a camp. On peak day, the standard method is to ascend Blanca Peak first via its Northwest Ridge, drop back down the trail to the high ridge saddle at 13,800 feet, and then navigate the rugged traverse across the connecting ridge to Ellingwood Point. This saves you from having to descend all the way back to 13,400 feet to start the second peak.

Yes, hikers frequently climb Ellingwood Point as a standalone objective, especially if they have already summited Blanca Peak. Tackling Ellingwood on its own allows you to focus entirely on its enjoyable Class 2+ ridge scrambling without the extra 1,100 vertical feet of physical exhaustion required to complete the combination.

No, there is no continuous, well-defined dirt path leading to the absolute top. While the lower approach along the Lake Como trail is easy to follow, the Ellingwood trail is faint and can be a bit confusing above 13,500 feet. Beyond this point, the terrain transitions into an open, rugged landscape of loose rock, shifting scree, and large boulder fields where you must transition from standard hiking to active route-finding. Do your homework before you travel to this area and bring the 14ers.com mobile app or a copy of the route description. Relying solely on a GPX track is not enough.

Hiking Ellingwood Point with a dog is highly discouraged due to the rugged terrain above 13,500 feet. While dogs can easily navigate the lower Como Lake Road, the final approach and the South Ridge consist entirely of sharp rock and loose scree. These rough rock blocks can easily slice a dog's paw pads, cause severe joint injuries, or slide out from under their feet.