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Challenger Point

snow Kirk Couloir
Difficulty Class 3 
Snow Steepness: Steep 
Ski/Board: Extreme, D13 / R3 / IV  
Risk FactorsExposure: Considerable
Rockfall Potential: Moderate  
Route-Finding: Considerable  
Commitment: Considerable  
 
TrailheadWillow Creek
Start8,850 feet
Summit14,086 feet
Total Gain5,400 feet
RT Length12.75 miles
AuthorBillMiddlebrook
Last UpdatedOct 2022
DownloadsgpxGPX Track
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?WARNING!
This route should only be climbed with consolidated, stable snow, usually in spring or early summer. In mid-winter, many snow routes have frequent risk of avalanche.

Trailhead

Take Colorado 17 to the town of Moffat. On the south side of town, look for the sign for Crestone and turn east on the "RD T" road. Drive approx. 11.5 miles to Crestone. Continue straight and turn left on Alder Street. Drive through town a bit and turn right onto Galena. Follow Galena out of town and it turns to dirt. Now on Forest Service road #949, it's approx. 2 miles to the trailhead.

Route

Once you are near Willow Lake, follow the trail as it parallels the lake's north side. Leave the trees and continue through thick willows along the shore. Your next goal is to gain the cliffs/headwall on the east end of the lake. Before reaching the cliffs, turn left and climb north up the hillside on a rugged trail - 1. Climb 150', turn right and continue through bushes to reach the top of the cliffs, near 11,800', where you get a view of the remaining route - 2 and 3. Kirk is a narrow couloir which splits the cliffs between Kit Carson and Challenger.

Cross the stream and follow small cairns and trail segments across the remainder of this flat area. Above 11,800', angle left through willows and bushes to reach the base of Challenger's standard, north slope route, near 11,900'. As the terrain opens up near 11,900', continue south on gentle terrain toward Kirk Couloir - 4. After passing over a flat area near 12,200', the climb begins to get steeper - 5 and 6. And steeper above 12,900' as you approach the entrance to Kirk Couloir - 7, 8 and 9.

This is where the fun begins! Turn right and enter the steep couloir ( 10) which starts out with a slope angle near 45 degrees. Continue up the narrow, near 50-degree couloir ( 11) for approx. 200' and the exit becomes obvious - 12. Leave the confines of the couloir ( 13 and 14) and continue toward the Kit Carson-Challenger saddle - 15. From the saddle ( 16), turn right and climb 300' to reach the summit - 17, 18 and 19.

Skiing?

Kirk Couloir is the best ski route on Challenger and it usually holds continous snow through the spring ski season. This narrow couloir doesn't have many "safety" spots so it can be difficult to move out of the fall line.
20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Notes

Crampons, helmet, axe and avy gear are recommended for this snow-only climb. IMPORTANT: This route enters the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness area. Wilderness areas have special regulations and restrictions for party size, dispersed camping, campfires, etc. Also, dog owners should read the wilderness information carefully because some wilderness areas prohibit dogs to be off-leash and/or limit how close dogs can be to lakes and streams. If you have questions about the wilderness area, please contact a U.S. Forest Service office for the National Forest(s) listed above.
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