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

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Scott P
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Scott P »

Wow, those pics of the sawtooth range are spectacular, any good class 3/4 recommendations there?
Just about all of it.

Big Agnes to The Castle (Point 11811) is probably one of the best and most spectacular scrambles in Colorado. Just don't expect to find any info in a guidebook or on the net.
Last edited by Scott P on Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by bergsteigen »

I'm looking forward to the Truro group, they look awesome! Thanks fireonthemoutian for reminding me. Also Billy is on shortest of short list, as I've meant to do it at least 2 times already this summer, but weather etc have gotten in the way.

I'm about to put up a TR for Pawnee to Little Pawnee which was tremendous this weekend. Sure it's in a guide book, but doing it in the opposite direction added in some spice!
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Monster5 »

I'm mixed on Cooper's guide. He has some fantastic routes and also a few head-scratchers.

Bored and sitting around so here are my thoughts by range. Subjective ratings out of 5 are influenced by conditions, direction, route-finding, etc. I generally like to stay proper, weather and gear/difficulty dependent. WL = wish list; ML = Meh List

Front Range and surrounds:
Crescent Mtn SE face, JeffCo (5/5)
Arrowhead McHenrys (4/5)
Arapaho Traverse (4/5)
Audubon SE Ridge (2/5. Might have been nice to combine with Toll)
Apache Navajo Niwot (4/5. Should have tagged on the full Niwot E Ridge)
Bancroft E ridge (4/5)
Hassel to Citadel to Golden Bear (4/5)
Meeker Iron Gates (3/5)
Lenawee E ridge (2/5)
Kelso + ridge (3/5)
Sawtooth (2/5)
Ypsilon Blitzen (WL)
Thatchtop Powell (ML)
Chiefs Head Warbonnet (WL - maybe not a "scramble")
Mahler Richthofen Electrode and Nokhu (ML)
Neva N Ridge (ML)
Lone Eagle Solo Flight or climb Pawnees Chessmen Mohling (WL)
Hiamovi Tower area (WL)
Pikes and Little Pike N and E ridges (ML)
Pikes batholith little peaks (MWL - The Castle, Noddles, Devil's, etc)
LCW Pumphouse area and peak scrambles (MWL)

Sangres
Crestone Traverse (5/5)
Milwaukee Aislado (5/5)
Tijeras and Music S ridge (4/5 - short. Should tack on ridge to Milwaukee)
LB Blanca Ellingwood SW ridge loop (5/5. Some junk on Ellingwood)
Huerfanito Iron Nipple 12er (2/5. 12er was the best part)
Marble NE Ridge to W subpoint (ML)
KC N ridge (WL)
Crestolita Analemma and Broken Hand (WL)
Crestone Peak N buttress (WL)

Gore and surrounds
EN Powell (4/5)
Pk C N ridge and Ripsaw (4/5)
Keller E Ridge(2/5)
L to O (3/5. Caveat: Did not ascend via L's classic route)
Grand Traverse (3/5)
Partners Traverse (5/5)
Snow S ridge (3/5)
E Thorn Silverthorne Rain (5/5)
Q to T (WL)
Zodiacs (WL)
Nordic Ridge/towers on Valhalla (WL - some tech climbing)
Spider Fly Elephant I (WL - basically, all the 12ers)
Little Agnes to Zirkel traverse (ML)
Devil's Causeway area (ML)

10Mi and Mosquitoes
Helen FD Crystal (3/5. Next time, will skip Crystal and ascend FD's SE)
Drift Fletcher (3/5)
Quandary W ridge (2/5)
Wheeler to Clinton (2/5)
Arkansas NE (2/5)
Buckskin Tweto and Democrat ridges (ML)
Mayflower Gulch (ML choss)
10 Mi traverse (ML)

Sawatch
Truros and Anderson's E Ridge (4/5)
Ice/North (3/5)
13472 E Ridge to 13517 to Pear (4/5; DNC)
Cronin N Ridge (1/5. This is not a scramble. Chossy 2+. Not sure why it has that rep. W/ snow?)
Fools (ML looks short)
Finnegan Gold Dust Pika (WL)
Wayahs (WL)
Billy (WL)
Twining Geisslers (WL)

Elks Generally prefer this range with snow.
Sleeping Sexton (5/5 views)
Cathedral group (2/5 as a scramble. Choss. 4/5 with snow)
Snowmass S Ridge (4/5)
Cap Ridge Direct (5/5 with views. 4/5 without)
S Maroon W Ridge (4/5 DNC)
Bells Traverse (4/5)
Siberia (WL)
Daly Clark 13060 linkup (WL)
Chair (ML)
Willoughby to Baldy (ML)
Pyramidal Traverse (ML)
Buckskin Sexton Bells Belleview traverse (WL)
Hagerman S Ridge, traverse over to 12er above Snowmass Lake (WL)

San Juans. I'm a bit ignorant here.
Dallas (3/5. Approach bleh. This would be a lot of fun with snow)
Teakettle Coffeepot (4/5 approach bleh but shorter)
El D N buttress and traverse (5/5. W/ snow descent. No loose rock concerns)
Vestal group (WL. This weekend hopefully)
Coxcomb Heisshorn El Punto (MAJOR WL. Partner please.)
Silex Guardian 15 Jagged Pigeon Turret etc (WL)
Ice Lakes (WL)
Lizard Head (WL. Somebody lead the first pitch for me?)
Emma (WL)
La Platas (ML)
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by k-berger »

Nice list Monster, thank you for that. I will be coming back to this page. Looks like you have some 5th class routes in there too?
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Monster5 »

Most are <5.4, utilizing the usual scrambling bypasses. Naturally, purist sorts with time and good weather can turn any of them hard 5th. Warbonnet, Blitzen direct, Lizard Head, Zodiacs, and a couple of the linkups are moderate 5th via the easiest options

I think Buckskin Pass to West Maroon Pass can be done with a single rappel off Sexton into the Gunsight, but not sure. One might be able to bypass it by dropping W into loose junk. Belleview ascent from the S Maroon saddle might have a spicy spot.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by Tory Wells »

Monster5 wrote:Crescent Mtn SE face, JeffCo (5/5)
Now that's a d.l. scramble. I'm excited to try this one, thank you.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by bohlsen »

The Iron Gates route on Meeker is pretty fun especially the final traverse to the summit. Not sure how D/L it is compared to some of the other routes on here but I've done it twice on mid-August weekends and seen a total of two other people which didn't seem bad after seeing the hundreds of cars at the parking lot lined up for Longs.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by doggler »

I've got to add the east face of UN 13,164 to this list. I stumbled upon it by accident earlier this week. Only about 200 feet, but it's whatever you want. I eyed up class 2, 3, 4, and low 5th lines all over this puppy. Better yet, it's only feet from the Colorado Trail! Although...it's maybe 6 miles from the Cataract Lake TH.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by polar »

Monster5 wrote: Bored and sitting around so here are my thoughts by range. Subjective ratings out of 5 are influenced by conditions, direction, route-finding, etc. I generally like to stay proper, weather and gear/difficulty dependent. WL = wish list; ML = Meh List
Pretty sweet list! Having just done some scrambling this weekend, I'm looking for more fun routes on solid rock to do. Any updates to this list after two years?
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by justiner »

There's so many routes in the Flatirons that you'll find almost no one on. Just stay outside of the First, Second, or Third.
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by polar »

justiner wrote:There's so many routes in the Flatirons that you'll find almost no one on. Just stay outside of the First, Second, or Third.
flying.jpg
I'm pretty sure that won't be a scramble for me... what's that shiny metal thing hanging on that guy's harness?
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Re: Colorado's best "on the d/l" scrambles

Post by justiner »

Eh, you find scrambles then you go, "let's do a real rock climb", so you bring shiny metal bits to stick in stuff.

You can go up Bear Peak (for example) with thousands of feet of rock scrambling under say 5.2. Which is nuts. Total mountaineering playground. As long as you like slab ;)
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