Little Bear Peak Trip Report 07/26/2007

Peak(s):	Little Bear Peak - 14,041 feet Blanca Peak - 14,350 feet Ellingwood Point - 14,057 feet
Date Posted:	07/26/2007
Date Climbed:	07/24/2007
Author:	climbing76

3 in a day w/ traverse
(First, I do not know how to label the pics. I could give much better descriptions if someone could let me in on it. First TR....) So my climbing partner ditched me to head up to Denali for a few weeks so I had to do something on the long side to kill the envy. My original goal was to climb Little Bear, do the traverse to Blanca & continue the traverse to Lindsey, and hit Ellingwood on the way back. All these in one continuous push. Unfortunately weather would not permit this, low pressure cloud cover moving in at a little past 8:30am was not in the plan. I was able to climb Little bear and the traverse to Blanca, as well as Ellingwood. I took some pictures of the traverse to give anyone who is interested in doing it a good idea as to what they are getting in to. First of all, i didn't feel it was That sketchy. There is a great deal of exposure, but it can be negotiated. On that note, I feel I should state that I have been climbing for many years and have been into high alpine routes for the last couple of years. If I did not have this under my belt, I would be giving a whole different report!!! I left Denver at about 3:00pm and arrived at the trail-head about 4 hours later. I went up the grueling road for about 1 mile before I gave up(I could walk faster than I was driving!!) I started the hike up to lake como at 8:00 pm and arrived at a little after 10pm. There were only 2 cars past mine, a jeep and a jacked up truck. There was only one nasty part that stopped the truck. If you can make it over this, you could goes up a great deal further. I set up a hammock and crashed for the evening. I unfortunately overslept and woke up to a train of headlamps going past me. As the thought of following a group this size up the hourglass did not trill me, I geared up and took of by 5:30am. The gully that accesses the west ridge was steep and loose in some places, but in general not too bad. The team of men that passed me in camp let me pass at this point and I continued across the relaxed easy ridge to the base of the hourglass. This is where I lost a great deal of hope for my plan. The first step on to the small ice field and I twist my knee in a direction that it was never meant to go! I still felt that I could at least get to the top so I went on. There was a great deal of water still running down the hourglass, so I decided to stay away from the ropes,(I would not trust these rope. If I did, I would tie a prussic and attach it to a harness and use it just as a precaution!!) and stick to the drier sides. It is a little bit harder but keeping the soles of my shoes was priority. There were probably about one or two areas after the hourglass that required some focus, but nothing serious. I reached the summit at around 7:30 am and dug through the pack for a couple of aleave. To be honest, I saw the traverse while munching a snickers and was in awe, it looks soooo mean!! The deciding factor was my knee, I had no intention of down climbing that hourglass!!( I had accepted that I would not make it over to Lindsey this day) I remembered Marmot-man's description of the decent of blanca and it sounded so much better that going down, so off I went. It was fairly strait forward for the first hundred meters or so. During this whole time, I was downclimbing off the peak of Little Bear. Finding good handholds was the objective and then just lower the feet. To me climbing down is always worse that climbing up!! I arrived at a small tower with serious (400+ ft) exposure on each side!! I remember thinking that I can't be expected to go up and over this, but it was the safest (if not the only) way to do it. As I went on, I found that one side or the other always had far less exposure. I tried to always stay on that side just in case I took a fall. I was alone with no one in site, and the group I passed earlier let me know that they had no intentions of stepping on that ridge. There were spots that were only a foot or so wide with 1000 ft drop on each side !! As I came to Bivwacko tower I stopped and took a pic to show the hold that you must commit to. I did not feel this was the crux, not even close. If you keep your body low, under the hold, you can just slip by it with no problem. Soon after the tower, I came to a vertical face of about 18ft. The exposure was crazy and I definitely felt it was a class five move or two to gain the top of the ridge again Class five move, vere ot left and up)I felt that most of the rock that I committed to was solid, but I was constantly testing everything. There is a lot of loose stuff!!! By now I was focused and the exposure was not a big deal any more. My knee didn't hurt anymore and it was at this time I decided to keep going to Lindsey. The last of the traverse is a great deal easier. I reached the summit of Blanca about two hours after starting the traverse. It was only 9:30 and nasty clouds had already started forming 30 minutes ago. I couldn't even see Lindsey, but I could see the first part of the traverse. It was a down climb for about a mile on ugly terrain, nope not happening. I dropped down the ridge toward Ellingwood point while the clouds became stronger. The trail was solid and really well marked. I made it to the Summit within one hour. I kept trying to snap a pic of the traverse between Little Bear and Blanca, but the clouds wouldn't let up The hike down was relaxing and extremely scenic, lots of lakes and mosquito's!! I reached Como six hours after I started my climb, packed up camp and hiked down the 5 miles to the truck where I enjoyed a BBQ Sandwich and a well deserved beer.....Off to Lindsey's trail head!! Overall the Traverse was very exciting and I hope that the traverse between Capitol and Snowmass is just as fun. Please use your own judgment on this climb. Most belays on my alpine routes have the same exposure, therefor I am fairly used to it. Climb within your own capabilities, and have fun!!!> Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

3 in a day w/ traverse

(First, I do not know how to label the pics. I could give much better descriptions if someone could let me in on it. First TR....)
So my climbing partner ditched me to head up to Denali for a few weeks so I had to do something on the long side to kill the envy. My original goal was to climb Little Bear, do the traverse to Blanca & continue the traverse to Lindsey, and hit Ellingwood on the way back. All these in one continuous push. Unfortunately weather would not permit this, low pressure cloud cover moving in at a little past 8:30am was not in the plan. I was able to climb Little bear and the traverse to Blanca, as well as Ellingwood. I took some pictures of the traverse to give anyone who is interested in doing it a good idea as to what they are getting in to. First of all, i didn't feel it was That sketchy. There is a great deal of exposure, but it can be negotiated. On that note, I feel I should state that I have been climbing for many years and have been into high alpine routes for the last couple of years. If I did not have this under my belt, I would be giving a whole different report!!!

I left Denver at about 3:00pm and arrived at the trail-head about 4 hours later. I went up the grueling road for about 1 mile before I gave up(I could walk faster than I was driving!!)

I started the hike up to lake como at 8:00 pm and arrived at a little after 10pm. There were only 2 cars past mine, a jeep and a jacked up truck. There was only one nasty part

that stopped the truck. If you can make it over this, you could goes up a great deal further. I set up a hammock and crashed for the evening. I unfortunately overslept and woke up to a train of headlamps going past me. As the thought of following a group this size up the hourglass did not trill me, I geared up and took of by 5:30am. The gully that accesses the west ridge was steep and loose in some places, but in general not too bad. The team of men that passed me in camp let me pass at this point and I continued across the relaxed easy ridge to the base of the hourglass. This is where I lost a great deal of hope for my plan. The first step on to the small ice field and I twist my knee in a direction that it was never meant to go! I still felt that I could at least get to the top so I went on.

There was a great deal of water still running down the hourglass, so I decided to stay away from the ropes,(I would not trust these rope. If I did, I would tie a prussic and attach it to a harness and use it just as a precaution!!) and stick to the drier sides. It is a little bit harder but keeping the soles of my shoes was priority. There were probably about one or two areas after the hourglass that required some focus, but nothing serious. I reached the summit at around 7:30 am and dug through the pack for a couple of aleave. To be honest, I saw the traverse while munching a snickers and was in awe, it looks soooo mean!!

The deciding factor was my knee, I had no intention of down climbing that hourglass!!( I had accepted that I would not make it over to Lindsey this day) I remembered Marmot-man's description of the decent of blanca and it sounded so much better that going down, so off I went.

It was fairly strait forward for the first hundred meters or so. During this whole time, I was downclimbing off the peak of Little Bear. Finding good handholds was the objective and then just lower the feet. To me climbing down is always worse that climbing up!! I arrived at a small tower

with serious (400+ ft) exposure on each side!! I remember thinking that I can't be expected to go up and over this, but it was the safest (if not the only) way to do it. As I went on, I found that one side or the other always had far less exposure. I tried to always stay on that side just in case I took a fall. I was alone with no one in site, and the group I passed earlier let me know that they had no intentions of stepping on that ridge. There were spots that were only a foot or so wide with 1000 ft drop on each side

!! As I came to Bivwacko tower

I stopped and took a pic to show the hold that you must commit to. I did not feel this was the crux, not even close. If you keep your body low, under the hold, you can just slip by it with no problem. Soon after the tower, I came to a vertical face of about 18ft. The exposure was crazy and I definitely felt it was a class five move or two to gain the top of the ridge again

Class five move, vere ot left and up)I felt that most of the rock that I committed to was solid, but I was constantly testing everything. There is a lot of loose stuff!!! By now I was focused and the exposure was not a big deal any more. My knee didn't hurt anymore and it was at this time I decided to keep going to Lindsey. The last of the traverse

is a great deal easier.

I reached the summit of Blanca about two hours after starting the traverse.

It was only 9:30 and nasty clouds had already started forming 30 minutes ago. I couldn't even see Lindsey, but I could see the first part of the traverse. It was a down climb for about a mile on ugly terrain, nope not happening. I dropped down the ridge

toward Ellingwood point while the clouds became stronger. The trail was solid and really well marked. I made it to the Summit within one hour. I kept trying to snap a pic of the traverse between Little Bear and Blanca, but the clouds wouldn't let up

The hike down was relaxing and extremely scenic,

lots of lakes and mosquito's!! I reached Como six hours after I started my climb, packed up camp and hiked down the 5 miles to the truck where I enjoyed a BBQ Sandwich and a well deserved beer.....Off to Lindsey's trail head!!

Overall the Traverse was very exciting and I hope that the traverse between Capitol and Snowmass is just as fun. Please use your own judgment on this climb. Most belays on my alpine routes have the same exposure, therefor I am fairly used to it. Climb within your own capabilities, and have fun!!!>

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

benners	Congrads 7/27/2007 5:47am on getting the Grand Slam! Awesome job on the report and pics also.
Kevin Baker	traverse to Lindsey 11/30/2010 5:28pm I don't think I have read of somebody traversing from LB to Lindsey in one day. I would say you are a psycho climber to even think of attempting that! It looks like you moved well on the traverse to Blanca though. Thanks for the report.
frog92126	Muy Bueno! 11/30/2010 5:28pm My buddy wants to do the traverse this weekend and I only need LB. Looks like I'm doing both. Kick Ass Report!
Matt	Excelente!! 2/5/2011 12:22am I really enjoyed the photos of the LB-Blanca traverse and your perspective.

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