Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

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doggler
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Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by doggler »

Hey kids,

What are some of the finest "hidden/underground" Colorado scrambles that you have come across? Roach's book highlights the obvious ones: Capitol's knife edge and the airy pitch ascending the Needle on the Crestone traverse are two that come to mind. Furthermore, Cooper has an entire book dedicated to quality scrambles on lower peaks: Arrow, Engineer Mountain, Lone Cone to name just a few.

What I'd love to hear are some of the scrambles that don't have much beta, scrambles you've come across that aren't well-known, are hard to access....scrambles on the down low, if you will. Following is my contribution.

Just yesterday, I got a chance to stumble across one of the most awesome scrambling pitches I have ever encountered. From the Lindsey/"Huerfanito" saddle, Jake and I took the "Huerfanito" east ridge proper (mostly) until we topped out. Later parts of the line were quite sketchy. I saw some of the most rotten rock I have ever seen in the Sangres here. However, the initial headwall hid this amazing cave-tunnel-hole thing that required a good 50 feet of low class 5 ascending.
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Last edited by doggler on Tue Aug 27, 2013 5:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SpringsHiker
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by SpringsHiker »

Looks like a great climb Sean. Most anything I could think of I'm fairly certain you have done. One possibility: the connecting ridge from Treasure to Treasury, if you stay true to the ridge on the ascent to Treasury looks like a nice wall with class 4 and maybe some low class 5. Not a huge wall but one nice, sustained section.

Trying to find my pictures of it but not finding them...will post when I locate them.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Sugar Madison »

East Beckwith was a pretty fun scramble. Kane did a write-up on it on SP a long time ago... "Five Cirque Traverse". I did the cirque he didn't do. All looked really fun.

http://www.summitpost.org/five-cirquetr ... dge/159044
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Sugar Madison
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Sugar Madison »

Not sure I have the stones for this one... but *DAYAM* it looks sweet!

Image

http://www.summitpost.org/chair-mountai ... 7/c-216987
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by bethtrombone »

The Indian Peaks has some great traverses. I have done the South-North Arapaho traverse (class 3 with some 4 moves), the Mt. Neva ridge (Class 3/4), and the Mt. Bancroft ridge (Class 4 with a rappel and a short 5.2 climb). Then there's the Kasparov Traverse which I want to do some day. http://www.summitpost.org/indian-peaks- ... dge/669823" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've been playing with some of the climbs on this list as well: http://www.summitpost.org/colorado-ridg ... les/190898" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Have done about 10 of them plus some others as well. There are a lot of great scrambles out there if you look for them!
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Scott P »

The Sawtooth Range is one of my favorites in Colorado. Great scenery, excellent rock, and I've never run into other people there. It's like the Gore Range, but with a lot less people.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

First photos is Jack Brauer's:

http://www.mountainphotography.com/photo/sawtooth-lake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by jam6880 »

Kit Carson north ridge
northeast face of little bear
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Marmot72 »

I love this thread and am bookmarking for future ideas. To revisit some 14ers, Crestones north buttress is a stout airy class 4, and taking the Capitol ridge direct gets into class 4 that renders the knife edge trivial.

The rock quality in the IPW is hard to beat. I liked Navajo and a variation I found to climb from the saddle instead of first contouring around the back side. You are faster than I am, I think, so perhaps you could complete the Willow Lake ridge tour. The ridge south from Adams is pretty sweet.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Pennacle »

Chair Mountain looks like a good time but the post says there is some red tape to cut through to gain access to the private land. Perhaps a 14ers group climb could help gain access??? I'd be up for this.

http://www.summitpost.org/chair-mountain/216987
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by FireOnTheMountain »

Not trying to promote my outings but this was fun...Billy Traverse

This is also a big time favorite of mine which Otina documented awesomely (Wayah Group

West Truro to Truro really fun and gendarmy.

Cats out of the bag....? Thanks for the tip of Huerf Sean.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Tory Wells »

Marmot72 wrote:I love this thread and am bookmarking for future ideas.
I liked this thread for scrambling ideas as well.
http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37242
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by k-berger »

Wow, those pics of the sawtooth range are spectacular, any good class 3/4 recommendations there?
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