Caution: This is
not the standard route on Snowmass and it holds a lot of large, loose rock on upper route.
1, and
2 are views of Snowmass and the approach, taken from northwest of the trailhead. From the trailhead, follow the excellent trail about 0.4 miles to a trail junction. Stay left on the trail to Geneva Lake. Continue through bushes as the trail swings left and climbs the hillside. Follow the trail to 10,700' where it crosses the slope above a waterfall -
3,
4. Hike briefly through forest and pass a small pond enroute to Geneva Lake -
5. Reach Geneva Lake at 11,000' -
6. There are numbered campsites and some social trails near the lake. Turn left towards campsite #4 and continue north. Hike through an open area near the north end of the lake and onto a small hill -
7. Continue through trees and into a large meadow. Follow the trail across the meadow and up another slope -
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9 and
10. Ascend to Little Gem Lake at 11,700' -
11. Pass the lake and continue approx. 0.25 mile before turning east and descending slightly to the stream that leads to Geneva Lake. As you descend, this is a good time to study the route ahead. The west slope has a lot of ribs and gullies and nothing on this slope looks "easy" from this point.
The easiest route follows a large gully in the middle of the face -
12. If care is taken throughout the climb, this route has only a few Class 3 sections. To find the main gully, locate a patch of grass near the cliffs on the west slope -
13,
14. This patch is above the white talus that has accumulated above the stream. Cross the stream and begin the ascent. Near 12,400', reach the base of the slope and continue toward the grassy patch -
15. Climb past the grass and onto more difficult terrain. The remainder of the climb is loose and requires some Class 3 scrambling. Above the grass, briefly climb right, then swing back to the left, near 12,800'. Now, stay in or along the left side of the gully as you climb toward the summit ridge.
By now, you have probably figured out that not much of the rock here is stable. Even large rocks can be quite "tippy." Above 13,500' you can see the summit ridge directly above. Climb toward the ridge -
16. At 13,800' the large rock is a bit more stable.
17 shows the last 200 feet to the summit ridge. Pass 14,000' and gain the narrow summit ridge -
18,
19. Turn right and carefully climb toward the summit -
20. There is significant exposure on your left (east) side. Bypass several large rocks by dropping slightly to the right before regaining the ridge crest. Scramble to the summit rock and enjoy the views -
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GPX
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