Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

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Beaker
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Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by Beaker »

Anyone have any info on snow conditions? Anyone planning on going up there early this week?

...BKR
You have a cough? Eat a whole box of Ex-Lax tonite, tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough.
alsrun
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by alsrun »

Take a gander at the recent trip report of the LB West Direct Route. Two of them descended the Hour Glass and took some good photos of the HG and the route immediately above and below it. Be safe.
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ColoradoKid
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by ColoradoKid »

Climbed these on Friday & Saturday (6/21 & 6/22).

Little Bear - (West Ridge route) Patches of snow in the first gully, avoidable. Only other snow encountered was just below the hourglass and can be easily avoided by going below and around
Snow below hourglass on 6/21/13
Snow below hourglass on 6/21/13
LBSnow.jpg (166.04 KiB) Viewed 484 times
There was a small amount of running/trickling water in the hourglass which could be generally avoided.

Blanca - About 20 steps worth of a snowfield to cross on the lower portion of the headwall along the main trail.

Ellingwood Pt. - No snow on the traverse from Blanca, avoidable snow on the south face.

Good luck and safe climbing.
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Beaker
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by Beaker »

Thanks very much
You have a cough? Eat a whole box of Ex-Lax tonite, tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough.
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danb
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by danb »

Colokid-Perfect report, I was there 21st and 22nd also and this is spot-on. The weep in the hourglass is tiny and totally avoidable.

PS - some great folks cut away all the old crap ropes and installed a brand new one (6/21) in the hourglass. It is totally unnecessary on the ascent, kind of handy if you want to come down quickly though.
enjoi_14ers
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by enjoi_14ers »

We are planning on doing B/E on 6.30,7.1,7.2 did you do Blanca and Ellingwood too? Or just LB?
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danb
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by danb »

B/E also done. Like 12 steps in snow on the bottom of the trail before any real incline. Nothing to report there except that taking the class 3 variation on the Ellingwood combo route from Blanca is a big improvement over the standard! :) Saves elevation and adds fun.
enjoi_14ers
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by enjoi_14ers »

AWESOME danb! Appreciate the info!!! :-D
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Beaker
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by Beaker »

Danb- what is the class 3 variation on Ellington combo route from Blanca? Thanks.

...BKR
You have a cough? Eat a whole box of Ex-Lax tonite, tomorrow you'll be afraid to cough.
Tenteighty
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by Tenteighty »

If you are coming from Blanca stay the ridge once you hit the bottom of the saddle. I think Roach calls it the Highline Variation. Def more fun. There is one section of class 3/4 down climb. The rest is class 3 scramble. I would look into the LB to Blanca traverse too. Did the LB-Blanca-Ellingwood on Sunday!

On another note, if anyone goes up the please pick up your trash or leave it better than it was before. We carried out a grocery bag full of trash that was left by some group (empty mountain house meals, tin cans, granola wrappers). Also, lots of TP and waste that was not buried.

Have fun and good luck!
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danb
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Re: Blanca/Elingwood and LB Conditions?

Post by danb »

http://www.14ers.com/routemain.php?rout ... Ellingwood" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty cool. Look at the route pictures and you will see the variation.

The only confusing part is that when you descend from Blanca back to the saddle, there is no real marked route from there. You just kind of hug the ridge and move towards Ellingwood on class 2 boulder field until you find markings and trails. You can clearly see the latter part of the route from the saddle, but the first portion is kind of make your own way. Don be alarmed by this, hoards of people mosey over that talus and find the route, it is pretty firm stuff.
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