Unpublished LB Route: TR

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
TomPierce
Posts: 2735
Joined: 11/21/2007
Trip Reports (2)
 

Unpublished LB Route: TR

Post by TomPierce »

All: For those who dread the Hourglass route on Little Bear, I wanted to call attention to Alan Arnette's recent TR on a route we went up last week. I looked over the Roach and Dawson guides and did a little internet research but couldn't find anything published which gave significant information on the route. We are not saying it's any sort of new route, I'm sure it's seen plenty of ascents over the years, but it's apparently not in any guides currently in print. For those who don't like the Hourglass route (one of the ugliest routes on a 14er, IMO) the West Ridge Direct offers an alternative. But note that although the rock is generally pretty good, it is significantly exposed in spots at the 4th, possibly low 5th, class level. But there's no significant chance of rockfall, you're prancing up a steep ridge! :lol: It was a pretty fun route, but descent down the West Ridge Direct would be difficult so you might still need to go down the Hourglass or possibly the NW Face via a few raps, or maybe even via the traverse over to Blanca.

If you go, be sure of your skills and be careful, but it is a relatively high quality alternative to the other LB routes, just fyi.

Climb safe!
-Tom
User avatar
painless4u2
Posts: 1298
Joined: 7/14/2010
14ers: 58 
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Unpublished LB Route: TR

Post by painless4u2 »

And of course there's the SW Ridge route, also "non-published", which avoids the hourglass and gets you South LB.
Bad decisions often make good stories.

IPAs + Ambien = "14ers" post (Bill M.)

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
User avatar
Hungry Jack
Posts: 914
Joined: 7/18/2008
14ers: 12 
13ers: 4
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Unpublished LB Route: TR

Post by Hungry Jack »

Can the Hourglass also be avoided by traversing right at its entrance, below the cliffs, to what appears to be a "ramp" (or a glorified rubble mound) that might get you above and over?
please rotate your device
User avatar
painless4u2
Posts: 1298
Joined: 7/14/2010
14ers: 58 
Trip Reports (8)
 

Re: Unpublished LB Route: TR

Post by painless4u2 »

I would think that would lead you here: :shock:
Little Bear West Face.jpg
Little Bear West Face.jpg (181.37 KiB) Viewed 441 times
(with thanks to ameristrat)
Bad decisions often make good stories.

IPAs + Ambien = "14ers" post (Bill M.)

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
User avatar
Hungry Jack
Posts: 914
Joined: 7/18/2008
14ers: 12 
13ers: 4
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Unpublished LB Route: TR

Post by Hungry Jack »

It's just a curiosity, more than anything. I don't know if I will ever get much time in the Sangres. If I do, I'll check out Carson's north ridge before anything else.
please rotate your device
Post Reply