Mt. Sneffels

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 6/15/2024, By: The Stadler
Info: Started from the lower TH at 4am, got to the base of the couloir at 6am. Couldnt ask for better snow. V-notch is snow free, but it is a bit muddy. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 6/8/2024, By: Wentzl
Info: The V-Notch is OPEN for business. Climbed the SW Ridge and descended the standard route and used the notch without difficulty. Still a little snow hanging on above where you climb, and Plenty of snow above and below that section, but the notch itself is clear! As for the SW Ridge, expect mixed conditions with all manner of spring snow. I did not use any traction. But I also started late (11:00 a.m.) I did pay a price for the late start in soft snow at the bottom of the S. Slopes route when I passed through there around 2:30 p.m. Not horrible, but something. Finally, I did my semi-annual housecleaning and emptied the ammo can of its trash (last photo) I did leave a nice big green laminated Mt. Sneffels sign, so don't bring another one and leave it there. Also left what appeared to be some prime bud still in it's dispensary container. So if getting high has various meanings for you, get after it! The prominent gully that goes from the S. Slopes direct to the crux on the SW Ridge route is in fine shape and the guy who asked about that should get after it this week! (see photo) Steep snow on the S. W. Ridge route, just below the crux section, can be avoided by the gully just to the east. I did come across a guy who stayed too far to the east, in the next gully over. I invited Scott from Canada to join me when I found him, but he declined, which was best, as he did not appear to have an axe, which is mandatory right now. After descending through the notch I found slushy snow that allowed me to butt slide while triggering small sloughs, but not the deep, penetrating variety that the avalanche center warned about for this weekend. As mentioned earlier, there were a few miserable crotch deep steps on the way down, but nothing that would have warranted lugging snowshoes along for the ride. 

Route: Birthday Chutes to Standard
Posted On: 6/5/2024, By: Boggy B
Info: Went up Birthday Chutes, down standard. Early morning (down by 845) snow conditions typical early June variety bag of garbage. Still a cornice parked in the v-notch. As noted by previous update you can bypass it by low 5th scrambling to climber's right, or use the easy snow bypass climber's left about halfway (?) up Lavender couloir. Bootpack is obvious on descent. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 5/30/2024, By: andy_schlichting
Info: Figured I'd throw updated conditions since someone might be looking for updated beta. Honestly not much changed though. Road is clear to 1/4 mile below the outhouse (just above the stream) and a Rubicon and 4Runner made it past. I'm guessing this will be melted out completely by this weekend. We camped at the outhouse and there was only room for 3-4 tents on dry ground there. Outhouse is open despite the sign saying it's closed for the season. The route is continuous snow from the outhouse to the summit and the only postholing was below treeline (though it was overcast on Saturday morning so that could be different on a sunny, hot day). The col was very hard crust snow so great for climbing in crampons, not great for skiing. V notch had a big cornice that hopefully will fall soon. I chose to climb the rocks to the right of the V notch to summit (low class 5) and descend the way most people are ascending and descending right now (follow the boot pack). 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 5/20/2024, By: Wentzl
Info: Not much to add to aksean22 report, but a couple more photos and an observation that the snow is melting out quickly. Snowpack was firm enough in the morning I thought I might need crampons, but on the descent, soft enough for heel steps down from the summit then posthole down much of the S Slope till I thankfully reached my stashed snowshoes. Last photo is looking down SW Ridge route which still holds lots of snow. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 5/20/2024, By: aksean22
Info: The road is plowed all the way to the outhouse parking at 11,300', however there are some new snow drifts that stopped everyone about 1/4 mile below. No problems making it to that point in a Crosstrek. Continuous snow from car to summit. We climbed the Lavender couloir and skied directly off the summit down the Birthday chutes. Great corn the whole way, still lots of snow up there. There is also a bomber anchor at the top to access the Snake. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 5/9/2024, By: lang_daly
Info: Road is clear to 11k. Lots of snow up there. Cornice on the notch feature where the standard route turns off of lavender couloir, theres a fourth class workaround a little higher up 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 1/1/2024, By: supranihilest
Info: The road from the gate is icy but no traction needed. From the end of the plowing to the outhouse is bootable - thanks to Kiefer for putting in the initial trench. We put showshoes on shortly after that since the trench ended. The snow beyond the outhouse was awful crust with bottomless sugar underneath. Massive thanks to Heather for taking the lead literally all the way to the bottom of the couloir - very arduous trenching up to the south slopes, and brutal, knee deep trash with rocks and trapdoors all the way up the south slopes. We wore our snowshoes all the way to the bottom of the couloir since booting would have been so much worse. Snow in the couloir was too steep for snowshoes so we cramponed up there. More garbage snow, mostly knee deep postholing and ample waist deep wallowing. There were a few nicer sections of supportive snow but for the most part it was an exhausting effort up the couloir. The last 30 feet to the V-notch took probably 10 minutes, the wallowing was something else there. The V-notch was covered in the usual trash snow and too exposed for our liking so we went up the Class 3 chimney just to climber's right. This required a fair amount of excavating snow off, both climbing up and down, but the rock was solid and holds plentiful (once we'd dug them out, of course). Above this things mellowed out some, but all the rocks were covered in snow so we took it slowly and carefully due to the exposure. Typical postholing to the summit with some Class 2+ and Class 3. We carefully down climbed back to the crux scramble, excavated some more, then half down climbed the couloir facing in, half plunge stepped it. Pretty sure we absolutely trashed it because the snow was so soft, sorry. We then booted back down the south slopes since snowshoes would have been useless and a great way to face plant. I can guarantee we trashed the slopes, there was so much knee to waist deep postholing it was silly. From the bottom of the slopes we wore snowshoes back to the plowed road and then booted back to the cars. Overall crummy but safe snow conditions, but to be expected in January. There were no signs of instability, a must on this route. Anyone who goes up can follow our trench, if you want. Not sure it'll really matter with how much postholing you'll surely be doing! Gear: flotation, ice axe, crampons, helmet all mandatory. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 10/15/2023, By: tmpolistina
Info: Pretty much no snow for the entire climb. The most snow I saw for the entire climb was at the V Notch. I did not like it, but watched 3 people complete it without slipping. I climbed up the feature just to the right. Conditions were perfect otherwise. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 10/7/2023, By: fsun71
Info: Went up southwest ridge and down south slopes. Southwest ridge remarkably still full summer conditions (surrounding peaks are all dusted with snow). A bit of snow/ice in the v-notch on the south slopes, adding some challenge to that area. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 10/5/2023, By: IFoundItUnderThere
Info: Light snow from earlier this week is melting and made it a little slick/muddy up top, otherwise clear and summer like conditions. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/24/2023, By: ML_Elevation
Info: Summer conditions 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 9/23/2023, By: francismueller
Info: Despite the freezing temperatures and strong winds, we had perfect conditions. No snow or ice on the entire route. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/19/2023, By: dustinbarrett
Info: Lower Blue Lake to Southwest Ridge. A bit a snow fell on 9/16. We got a late start (10am) to give the sun a chance to dry things out. Summer conditions up through the saddle. We hit a few stretches of snow in some of the upper gullies (around the Kissing Camels section) but were able to cross without traction. The rest of the technical portion was dry. Some precipitation came in the afternoon of 9/18 so would expect snow to start accumulating. For the rest of this season plan on taking microspikes at least and crampons within a few weeks. 

Route: Southwest Ridge
Posted On: 9/11/2023, By: Wentzl
Info: Trace of new snow above 13,000'. No snow on either SW Ridge or S Slopes routes.