Solo trip to Crestone Needle by way of Brooklyn

[Broderick22]

I love this site and all the information available on it. I am however a little taken aback by how often people discourage others from certain hikes. The Needle done by itself is not easy but it is not like climbing Everest. If you are in great physical shape and comfortable with bouldering or with rock climbing in the slightest, then I say go for it! Do not let yourself be disuaded from the adventure you originally planned! You said you combed through trip reports and the route many times. If you think you can do it then DO IT! If you get into a situation you don't like on the mountain then simply turn back. I just don't like to see people not attempt something simply because it is "hard". The best adventures in life are "hard".

The sage advice here is to go with your gut and do what you originally had planned. Just be safe and don't do something you aren't comfortable with once you are on the mountain. The route finding in this area is defintely not easy so I recommend bringing pictures or using the 14ers.com app and loading the pictures for offline use. I also think the advice to climb Humboldt first is solid. Do this and you will get a magnificent view of Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle.

Remember, you live a long ways away from here and probably don't get many chances to do this! Have fun and be safe.

[doggler]

Send it, good luck! Did the needle last weekend and it was fantastic. No helmet or fancy equipment was necessary.

Ugh.

Maybe the worst internet advice given. Ever. Sorry, Krullinbro, I totally dig your enthusiasm and hope you continue to rock it, but I'm gonna call it like I see it. As mentioned before, a helmet isn't needed until it is. All it takes to kill a person is one dislodged rock. I don't care how BA you think you are, you're not BA enough to control luck. Any time you hit terrain where rockfall is a potential hazard, you're simply playing Russian Roulette if you're not donning a lid.

Back to OP. Understand that the background of those replying to you run the gamut. Certainly, the plan of testing the waters on Humboldt day 1 and moving on to the Needle day 2 can be absolutely feasible. Most of my sea-level buddies who I've brought up CO mountains have had some pretty serious endurance background - i.e. collegiate cross country runners, Ironman finishers, etc. Some of them have had absolutely no problem tackling peaks like the Needle. Some have. A sub-15:00 5k buddy of mine barely made it up Bierstadt as the altitude hammered him, yet a somewhat out of shape friend of mine who could barely handle 5.8 in a rock gym had absolutely no problem getting up and down the Needle.

The biggest key to your success IMO is the ability to put your ego in check if you need to. Ambitious plans make for awesome accomplishments, but you'll know after your Humboldt day whether or not the Needle is in the cards. If the altitude is getting to you worse than you thought it would, or if the exposure gets under your skin more than expected, or if you start too late or end up going slower than you had hoped and the weather builds, you MUST be able to pull the plug. IF you can handle this (some folks can, some folks can't) then you should be able to proceed with your plan without hesitation. Having contact info (SAR, county sheriffs, etc) may seem like overkill, but think of it this way. You're only 0.1% likely to need it, but when you do need it, it could be the one and only thing that saves your life. People die on these peaks. It may not seem that way - trust me, it's easy to get lost in the grandeur of what's around you and the rush of flying up and down stuff that feels well within your comforat level, but you must keep in the back of your mind the seriousness of the consequences should something not quite shake out the way you want it to.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[doggler]

I love this site and all the information available on it. I am however a little taken aback by how often people discourage others from certain hikes. The Needle done by itself is not easy but it is not like climbing Everest.

I was just thinking this as I typed my last post. At the same time, it makes sense...some folks will never even sniff a peak like the Needle, whether it be due to their physical fitness or their comfort with exposure. Others could easily do it as their first peak without breaking a sweat. The former group sometimes either resents or doesn't even fathom the latter group.

To add - and why I called Mr. Krullin out - is that those of us that have been around a while have invariably become aware of disaster. When someone as experienced and skilled as Steve Gladbach (or, unfortunately, countless others) can be here and then not here in the blink of an eye, it's easy to put on the brakes and believe everything is more dangerous than it is. You can't ever eliminate risk, but you can work to minimize it. There have been too many cases of people dreaming of CO's peaks from afar, setting lofty goals, and then killing themselves in the process either due to lack of research, lack of experience, lack of ability to check their ego at the door, or whatever else. So...while I agree with you, the discouraging comments DO make sense, right?

[Krullin_14ers]

Maybe he could wear the grill on his head in place of the helmet.

With a little creativity and the right escutcheon plate, he could also use it to keep his head warm once he starts collecting snowflakes...

^^hahaha i love it! Unfortunately I left the grill at the bottom when I did the needle! U guys are more than welcome to join me for a tenderloin at the top sometime!

[nyker]

We'll be in that general area next week as well.

Nice!! And thanks for all the feedback! Maybe I'll see you around the way...gonna hit Humboldt for sure and go out early the next day for *maybe* the Peak for endless scrambling. Still doing my research though until I make a solid plan.

Really good advice about elevation and starting off a bit slow - I'm hoping all the marathon training in Denver the week prior will help with general acclimation, but one never knows how the elevation will affect my body. I'll probably be wandering around the area in an orange helmet if I'm on the Peak. Perhaps I'll see you and your crew around!

Hey ST_TS

Good luck this week. I'd agree with your thoughts about starting off slow, coming from NY. Also, assume you would be aware, but get your starts early this time of year. You don't want to be on the Crestones (nor any other peak) when lightning looms, as there is no quick, safe way down once you're committed up high.

[TallGrass]

Weather conditions can different on the down climb.
Hydrate; you lose water from respiration not just perspiration.
Be aware of AMS using the Lake Louise scale.
Some fatigue, short windedness, and a little light headedness at times can be normal, but if it doesn't subside if you take a break (and are hydrated, fed, hydrated, rested, hydrated, and warm or cool enough), you're probably best descending.

[st_ts]

Hey everyone! Fun to read these comments after looking back at an amazing weekend. I arrived on Friday and summited Crestone Peak on Saturday. I was able to find a buddy through work who was willing to journey in with me. Returned to Denver Sunday and took a red eye to LA on Monday morning. Phew! I'll be sure to wave at the 14ers on my flight back east tomorrow.

The elevation was no joke and it was interesting that no matter how much research I did, the feel of actually being on the mountain and seeing it paled in comparison to pictures! It was easy just to look up and get lost in the surroundings. Packing into TH on Friday was grueling and hellacious. We had planned on fishing that afternoon, but instead, set up camp and put our feet up instead. Besides the inevitable rains, the weather at the top was absolutely perfect.

I'll write a TR, but the climb was challenging, beautiful, and fun. I took it really slow and was the last one off the peak that day. There was quite a bit of rockfall at one point and a family heard it from the Needle. Glad I had my helmet on just in case! The ledge was probably my favorite part of the climb, not just because we were mere feet from the summit; the rock was solid, the exposure was exhilarating, and I felt very confident climbing up and across. Amazing how small the summit was. Looking down was actually one of the scariest parts of the entire climb itself!

Thanks for all the tips and being, in some ways, a big part of my trip experience!

[bdloftin77]

I'm glad you had such an awesome hike, dude!!! That makes me really happy.