Your favorite nonstandard routes and weirdo linkups

[sunbleached]

Each year I do a physical challenge for my birthday, and this year my goal is to do all 14ers during this birthday year (May-to-April) through nonstandard routes. This includes alpine climbing routes, obscure or less often done routes, and obtuse linkups (emphasis on the latter). I'm a big fan of the glory of a sufferfest.

I've got plenty of stuff in the pipeline, but I'm still working on ironing out kinks for nice challenging days in the mountains while also pushing myself to explore lesser-done routes. I've got fairly substantial mountaineering experience in all seasons and conditions (including Alaska and California). Although my 14er count is nominally low, I've gotten up quite a few 13ers and other technical peaks in Colorado so far.

I'd love to hear some of your favorite nonstandard routes and big, weirdo linkups in the 14ers. I'm looking for the equivalent of stuff like Kelso Ridge on Grays/Torreys or the Longs Grand Slam - both of which I did on my first time up those peaks (which isn't intended to be a brag so much as show you what my level is and what I'm looking for).

Here are some examples of things I've done already and things I have in the pipeline for this year. The grand traverses are definitely on the agenda as well.

• Antero: Link-up of Antero, Cronin, Grizzly, Mamma, and Boulder
• Decalibron: Laps on the Decaliborn in early spring
• Blue Sky/Bierstadt: Super Tour De Abyss II Championship Edition (Tour de Abyss including Gray Wolf, Warren/Rodgers, and Epaulie/Epaulet/Rosalie)
• Wetterhorn: Southwest Ridge
• Princeton: Traverse from Mt. Princeton to St. Elmo
• Yale: Loop of the cirque from Turner Peak to Yale's northwest ridge
• Grays/Torrey: Lenawee to Sniktau traverse with ridgeline to Grays/Torreys

Thanks for any suggestions! Really curious in particular about suggestions for stuff like Redcloud and Handies, as I'm not too sure how to make them "interesting" just yet.

[maff]

Snowmass S-Ridge is a great alternative. Hits a good sweet spot of “manageable” and “interesting” if you’re comfortable on class 3+ terrain. Getting down is a pain and getting there is tricky too - tough road. But both solvable problems.

[thebeave7]

Truly, far too many to list all the routes here, but here are a couple of my favorites in no particular order.
Crestone 5-peak link up in a day, I prefer N-S (Humboldt, KC, Peak, Needle)
Little Bear (via NW Face), traverse to Blanca then Ellingwood.
Mt Princeton Grouse Canyon/SW Ridge
Handies via Grizzly Gulch (can loop w standard route)
Blanca via Gash Ridge (if you like it spicy)
Capital-Snowmass Linkup via Pierre Lakes Basin
Pretty much anything on the Nolans14 line

Eric

[seannunn]

I will throw in Sunshine & Redcloud from Mill Creek campground. It IS brutally steep right out of the gate, but once you get to tree line IMO it is pretty.
And there is the additional benefit that you can hike from your tent without driving anywhere. Makes logistics very easy.
I haven't done the "standard" route on those 2 peaks, so I can't compare to that.

Sean Nunn
Peculiar, MO

[tortilla]

“Rabbit ridge” between Columbia and Harvard is pretty sweet if you stay proper. You can then follow the Nolan’s line over to the Missouri Gulch 14ers. The east ridge of Missouri is interesting albeit short lived and loose.

Traverse the Massive massif. Climb the south ridge, touch all the sub-summits and then descend via Half moon. You can add Oklahoma if you’re still feeling spry. Evidently there is a cool headwall guarding Oklahoma’s NE ridge. Perhaps Justin Simoni will chime in. Haven’t had enough yet? Go all the way to Elbert. The only time you have to leave the ridge is between Champion and Frasco. Water, though.

Blanca group in a day from the valley floor. West ridge direct, traverse to Blanca, traverse to Ellingwood (ridge proper here also has some interesting scrambling and exposure) then descend Ellingwood’s SW ridge. Makes a nice tour of Lake Como. Watch out for Bobby kicking rocks in the descent gully. Bonus points if you enjoy a stack of pancakes at IHOP in Alamosa afterwards.

Crestone group in a day. Climb KC/Challenger from SCL. You’ll go over Obstruction peak, Kitty Kat Carson and Columbia Point. Reverse it back to Bear’s playground and then climb either the NW gully or the N Buttress on Crestone Peak. N Buttress route takes you over NE Crestone. Tag East Crestone while you’re at it. Traverse to Needle and descend. Reverse the order if you want to be fresher for the harder scrambling, but then you’re downclimbing instead.

The Wemi wipeout. As a mortal I’m unfamiliar with the specifics of this line but I’m sure you can find a thread or two about it.

[daway8]

Some minor variants of things already suggested:

Little Bear West Ridge Direct (class 5) as the approach to the Little Bear - Blanca traverse (once of the 4 Great Traverses in Colorado). Add Ellingwood Point for bonus 3rd 14er of the day. Extra bonus: sneak in a side trip to 14er sub-summit South Little. Make it wickeder - add some nearby 13ers...

Crestone North Buttress route going over 14er sub-summit NE Crestone and then grab East Crestone before doing the Crestone Traverse (another of the 4 Great).

While we're on the 4 Great Traverses, do another of them: the El Diente - Wilson Traverse but ridge proper over another fun 14er sub-summit - PinPoint (class 5 from ElD - anyone seeing a theme here, lol).

Bells Traverse (to wrap up the 4 Great Traverses) also great
for efficiency - might add Pyramid if you have enough gas in your tank.

[tortilla]

I just peeked at your peak list and have 2 more offerings. Climb Ellingwood ridge on La Plata. You can make it as hard or as easy as you’d like. Ellingwood Ridge’s high point is actually a ranked 13er now post LiDAR.

For Holy Cross, follow the standard route to Half Moon pass. Now turn left and climb talus up towards Notch Mountain. Notch mountain is aptly named and there is some cool scrambling to negotiate between the unnamed ranked summit and Notch (soft ranked.) Take your obligatory photo of the Cross Couloir from the Notch mountain shelter and then join the Halo Ridge route. Descend the standard route to complete your circle tour. If interested do this route sooner, the Cross Couloir is prettier with snow in it.

[CaptainSuburbia]

Snowmass S-Ridge is a great alternative. Hits a good sweet spot of “manageable” and “interesting” if you’re comfortable on class 3+ terrain. Getting down is a pain and getting there is tricky too - tough road. But both solvable problems.

Add Siberia Peak to this to make it more challenging.

[Marmot72]

Some other ideas - mix of what I've done and how they could be tweaked, from looking at the map:

Massive - from N Halfmoon Creek, go for Mt Oklahoma first, then to North Massive for the "Massive" tour of N, Massive Green, Massive proper and Massive S.
Handies - from Grizzly gulch, hit 13801 first, then traverse NW to Handies (give the ridge of dinner plates a wide berth!), and stray bit NW to Whitecross Mtn on the descent.
Sneffels - from Blue Lakes, ascend the SW ridge, then traverse to Cirque. Either back track and then descend into Upper Yankee Boy to return over Blue Lakes Pass, or descend into Blaine Basin from the NE shoulder of Sneffels.

[Wentzl]

You mention Wetterhorn SW Ridge, which is one of my favorites. Access from Owl Creek Pass across Wetterhorn Basin later in July. Will be one of your best days out!

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... m=tripmine

[Scott P]

I did them separately, but combining the couloirs on Conundrum and Castle should be fun.

[Veory]

Lots of options depending on your risk tolerance.

If you want to go huge, look at the Megamydal and Megamoroonal traverses in the Elks. A few years ago I did the Pyramid to Len Shoemaker portion and it's pretty tough.

I've done Electric Pass Peak to Castle ridge direct-ish + Malemute as a day from camp below Cathedral peak, total chossfest!

You can link Snowmass S-ridge with Hagerman via the connecting ridge which is pretty cool, nice crux tower and shifty boulders

Capital can be done via the ridge direct (low 5th, very exposed) or the NW buttress (5.9), I've been thinking about heading up the buttress for a long time but haven't gotten around to it.

Kit Carson can be done as a ridge direct loop with Mt. Adams, including a bunch of 13ers. Alternately, climb The Prow (5.8 R)

As mentioned, Little Bear via W. ridge direct is really cool and VERY exposed (short 5.4 crux)

Ellingwood ledges is a classic route on the needle (5.7), direct start for extra climbing, can combine with the traverse to the peak.

Pikes peak has some cool alpine climbing. You can haul a rope and gear all the way to Bottomless pit from Manitou and climb Zeb's Arete (something like 6? pitch 5.6 with a cool optional 5.9 variation on a pitch), or look into the other multitude of climbs there. Also the north face couloirs, although those are pretty melted out already.

Chicago basin 14ers plus Jupiter makes for a nice loop. I backpacked in from Lime Mesa for 2 extra ranked 13ers (Overlook and Aztec), continued on the ridge to Columbine pass which involved a little 4th class bad quality rock with a 3-day backpack on.

Combine Wetterhorn, Matterhorn, and Unc. Can add more nearby 13ers if that's not enough.

G&T as a car shuttle from I-70 over Kelso, T, G, Edwards, Argentine, and Wilcox (or Square Top) ending at Guanalla pass is a cool day. If you're a monster continue to Bierstadt and Blue Sky.

San Luis can be linked with the 13ers to the SW ridge direct, a short but spicy 4th class section in there.

Huron has a steep E. facing couloir, might be out by now. Makes for a cool ski.

Quandary has the 5.4 Inwood arete on it, haven't climbed it personally.

Culebra has, well, you know.