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This report is a little late but I guess 2 weeks is better than one year or several months. I always get so excited in winter when I see a report pop up from some crazy peak or route just to find out that someone is just now posting from their sunny trip in July two years ago. After Halloween weekend, I can assuredly say that winter conditions are in full swing up there. With a large storm hitting just 2 days before, I was itching to get some alpine action but I was skeptical of a summit. Lucky for me, I don't consider myself a peak bagger. I am an adventurist at heart. Matt, my usual partner wasn't available and I wasn't about to solo something in the given conditions. I thought about the winter Quandary welcomer hike but I have never been big on large groups in the mountains. I'm sure it was a great group of folks but my since of adventure gets kind of lost in the mix. My brother in law, Ben said he was ready for an adventure. We planned for Holy cross if Indy Pass was closed and Pyramid if it was open. As we prepared the week prior, my Asian friend (yes he is actually from Asia), Arslan, who lived in Norway the past several years, said he was missing the arctic circle conditions and wanted to tag along. What a guy. I have had him out rock climbing several times and trust my life to the guy but I also knew he had never done a Colorado 14er before. He has done a couple over 18K around the world but never a Colorado 14er. Ben and I agreed he could come even if it meant no summit due to having a new partner we weren't used to. I am very selective with my partners in the mountains and even more selective as the conditions worsen. I am by far no mountain expert but I think the right partners are key. You have to not only trust them with your life, I think a personality fit is also key up there.
Looks like a near epic. Good decision making on turning around. Leave as a group, stay as a group. Unless you're 100 yards away from the summit... It's just like climbing in calendar winter, but without being able to claim the winter ascent! I'd almost even say, the snow conditions may have been more favorable during a calendar winter ascent.
Those fall mountain climbs can sure catch your attention. Mountains make us keep things in perspective. That's what I love about them.
Thanks for the comment Jameseroni. I must reply with one fact about ”calendar winter.” That was not anywhere near any reason why we turned around because we wouldn't get credit for doing the mountain in a certain month. I don't climb mountains to get ”credit” under a certain constraint. I certainly enjoy the winter like conditions which up the ante a bit but I am really up there for the adventure, the challenge, the butt puckering, the exploration, God's beauty, the comraderie, the partnership of my closest friends, and to be away from the rest of the rest of the world in my happy place for a while. I am there to experience the Freedom of the Hills.... quite literally.
I'm not of the peak bagging mindset either, Like I said before though - I'm sure you all faced conditions that were more treacherous in many ways than in winter. Even though I'm not a peak bagger, the entire ”Calendar Winter” thing is still alluring to me.
+1 to the freedom of the hills. Glad you all had an excellent, memorable trip.
To turn around at that point based on the conditions your photographs portray. I can say, having done that route in the summer, that you would have run into much more challenging obstacles (with that amount of snow coverage) than you overcame just getting to the ridge. Great write-up. Thanks for posting. Happy trails! :D
I got nervous just reading about your retreat down the couloir. This is a great explanation of two things- why I don't do these mountain climbs and respect my wife's wishes to stay home until the snow melts, and also how I can really see how much I'm missing out on only climbing in summer. Glad I can live it through trip reports like this one. Thanks!
That route, in that much snow... is just crazy. That type of climb offers a proverbial cornucopia of danger.
I did like that guys orange jacket. What kind of gear is that?
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