| Peak: | La Plata Peak |
| Route: | Northwest Ridge Winter Variation |
| Range: | Sawatch |
| Posted By: | Count40 |
| Date of Info: | 1/23/2016 |
| Date Posted: | 1/24/2016 |
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Just to add some photos (caption notes may be useful) to what other users said for Jan 23rd regarding general route and Headwall. Yes, up to timberline either small snowshoes (trench being not too wide, but quite steep in many spots) or microspikes (which did the job). As for the rest, some even decided to leave snowshoes (though small) below headwall scramble. Your choice of "weight vs. options", there was still lots of work left to be done. Note that the easy part (below timberline) still needs attention. In some places, you just would not like to posthole on the downhill side of the trench. In that very short stretch from timberline to headwall, stick to trench center/visible rock, because careless postholing between rocks can get you down up to your waist. Groups started going up between 4:45 am and 7:20 am. Early ones needed 10 to 12 hours overall. A late one did it in 8.5 hours. Say, in that range, it takes about 2 to 3 hours to headwall, then about 1 hour max for headwall (where bottom half, below that red circle, has less solid rock, and more slipping and sliding), then 2 to 3 hours to summit, then about 2 hours max back to headwall, and about hour and a quarter back to TH. As for the headwall lower portion, some chose the seat-sled option going down (see those long slide marks on headwall pic). Note that mountain-forecast for Sawatches next week shows even warmer conditions, with much less wind (was 20-30 mph on 23rd above timberline) of only 5 to 10 mph for Thursday 28th and Friday 29th. Till then, not much snow expected Sunday 24th and Monday. |
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