"West Apostle"

Route: Apostle Couloirs
Posted On: 4/27/2025, By: Geckser
Info: Arthurspiderman and I climbed West Apostle following Supra/CottonMountaineerings route up West Apostle. Road is currently closed at the first steep hill after Winfield. For the first 3.5 miles snow was non continuous we skinned most of it but the skis definitely got dirty. We skinned along Apostle Creek up to the base of the two Apostle Couloirs. We booted the left couloir as the right route had slid (cornice fall?) and the cornices at the top looked difficult to manage. Good booting. From the top of the couloir to the summit the coverage was middling but still skiable, this will likely not be the case in two weeks. The ski descent was quite fun! Snow softened well on the Eastern aspects off the summit. Pretty high exposure skiing. The couloir had not fully softened by 11:00 but we wanted to get out before the approach became a complete mess. Great skiing from the apron down to the creek. Going down the Huron road was pretty unpleasant Awesome day with total solitude, if it’s on your list get it quick. 

Route: Lake Anne Pass
Posted On: 8/19/2024, By: rleclair
Info: It goes without saying that summer conditions are in effect. Trail from the Huron Peak TH to Lake Anne Pass is in great shape with no major issues. From Lake Anne Pass, it's a Class 2 steep ridge traverse where one stays on ridge proper and/or descends no more than 5-10 feet below the ridgeline to avoid exposure on the north side of the traverse. There are two areas that I wish to mention should anyone consider this route. Item one - approximately 1/3 of the way to the West Apostle summit is a notch that one descends to a short gully crossing. Once across the gully, there are two areas where one can climb back up to the ridgeline proper. When there, you'll see one climb on the left that is not great but doable with some interesting stem/mantle moves can be climbed to regain the ridgeline. Slightly 5-10' horizontally to the right on a down sloping slab is the better up climb. In some reports, it's listed as a Class 3 but IMHO it's more a Class 4 climb with solid hand/foot holds for about 20-25'. Exposure is real and something to isolate in the back of your head as you climb. Once past the climb, ascend back up to the ridgeline and continue. Item two is between the false summit and true summit. There is a connecting rock rib/terrain that has extreme exposure directly to climbers left and perhaps 30-35' of exposure to climbers right. About halfway across, there is a large rectangular rock block you have to move past to continue to the summit proper. If you wish to avoid this, there is a Class 2 traverse before the rock block and below climbers right you can descend to and avoid this block. Regain the terrain and continue to summit proper. If West Apostle is the goal, then reverse the traverse to the false summit, downclimb the Class 4 notch area and return to the Lake Anne Pass. This is a fun route that pushed me a bit outside of my comfort zone but is doable clearly. 

Route: Apostles couloir climb and ski
Posted On: 5/30/2024, By: SnowAlien
Info: I cannot believe it took me that long to climb this peak, but I was considering it for a Sawatch or even 13er list finisher. However, after reading the recent cottonmountaineering's ski report, it got bumped to a peak ski option. It was definitely full value and solid snow conditions are paramount for a successful summit and ski. After 2 13er ski the day before, I launched from my camp in the Apostles basin about an hour earlier, just before 5 am paying close attention to navigation. This time I continued straight following multiple ski tracks. There was considerably more snow in the trees than on my last 2 trips to ski the Fridge on Ice Mountain, which made for considerably quicker and easier approach. Both times I skied the Fridge were in late snow conditions, and although the couloir ski conditions were still good, the approach was much more difficult due to the intermittent snow. This time on consolidated and firm snow it was practically a breeze. About an hour later I popped out of the trees and kept skinning through the basin until the headwall. I knew the left branch was skiable, so I decided to ascend the right, steeper branch to assess the viability of the ski descent. Almost immediately I started to regret my decision, as the snow was not well consolidated, it was powder with suncrust on top, so the booting was laborious. With significant overhead hazard in the form of huge cornices and some mild rockfall from the looming cliff even before 8am, I quickly remembered why I dislike and generally avoid "booting coulies". On top of everything else, the snow in the right branch was total trash and had slid multiple times already. At least I had no fomo about not skiing that branch! Near the top the couloir steepened significantly as I found a good way to find a break in the heavily corniced saddle. I was glad to see the great coverage all the way to the summit with only minimal rocks yet showing. Although east facing, the snow was still supportive, although warming up quick (while both branches of the west facing Apostles couloirs were still firmly frozen in the shade). I arrived on the summit around 9am and very carefully transitioned trying not to drop anything to either side. The views from the summit were amazing. I could also discern a couple of older faded ski tracks off the summit. The skiing on great corn was fun and not as spooky as it looked, and I was quickly back at the saddle, this time traversing to the broader left branch (skiers right). Just before 10am, the west facing couloir was only now slowly coming into the sun. I could have waited an hour, but I had another peak to ski and was worried about the weather, so I carefully dropped in. The skiers' right side was still very firm and icy, but the left side was powder(ish), and I was able to avoid most of the wet avy debris chunks. Strategically picking up speed I was able to ski traverse into the North Apostle/Ice Mountain basin around 12,400 ft in elevation, where I de-layered and switched to booting (could have skinned for a bit too). The weather was starting to look unsettled around 10.30am, so I picked up speed. 

Route: Three Apostles Traverse (N -> Ice -> W)
Posted On: 9/2/2023, By: backcountrybrodes
Info: **See Ice Mtn. condition update for photos** Sensational day out in one of Colorado's most beautiful valleys. While all of Denver, CO was on Huron for the first Saturday of Labor Day weekend, me and EthanBeltramo took on "Ice Cubed" - also known as the Three Apostles Traverse. Summer conditions, saw maybe 3 different groups the whole day. Views were completely unique on each mountain. We stayed ridge direct going down Ice (for the most part) to avoid the crumbly gullies below and it worked out well for us with no cliff outs! Also summitted the "Ice Cube" along the way for fun and got some great shots. 

Route: from Lake Ann
Posted On: 7/11/2023, By: rachel
Info: 10 mi RT, 3000' gain, 7.5 hrs 0430 started from the Huron 4WD trailhead (my Outback made it up there, but there are 3 tricky spots) 0715 mountaineering boots and crampons on at 12,400' 0800 top of couloir at about 13,100' 0845 summit 0950 bottom of couloir 1200 returned to trailhead We started in hiking boots and carried mountaineering boots/ ice ax/ crampons/ helmet. Weather was different than forecasted (20% precip) and we waited out a storm at about 0645. Thankfully it passed and blue skies returned. Snow in couloir was supportive and perfect for crampon-ing--both on the ascent and descent. No snow on ridge to summit. Talked to lots of backpackers and thru-hikers on the Lake Ann trail. 

Route: From Lake Ann - N/NE slope
Posted On: 6/25/2023, By: d_baker
Info: From Clear Creek/S Winfield 4wd TH, the trail to Lake Ann is clear to about 11,000' then mostly continuous snow to Lake Ann. The trail has been tracked and packed, and for the most part tracks are on route. From the bench to N of Lake Ann, I went E and to the upper bowl and ascended a slope and popped out to the S/SW of the tarn at 12,400' Ascended the gully to ridge line, wearing crampons and axe in hand. Snow conditions were good on ascent and descent. (~8:45am at apron for ascent; ~11am back at apron from descent) Ridge to summit mostly dry, as well as the traverse part from false summit to true summit. I attempted this route last summer when dry. Snow is better for this route. 

Route: From Lake Ann
Posted On: 7/21/2022, By: desertdog
Info: Summertime. When leaving Lake Ann to climb to the amphitheater don't go too far right or you will find you yourself hopping some big boulders for a ways. I thought the gully to get to the ridge was pretty loose and was helmet worthy. Intermittent climbers trail along the ridge 

Route: Lake Ann
Posted On: 7/9/2022, By: gcook33
Info: Summer conditions. Be careful as you get to the upper basin/amphitheater and head up the slope, a lot of that terrain is loose. Sticking right gives some solid rock. 10 miles, 3200' 

Route: Apostle Couloir
Posted On: 6/20/2022, By: slawrence2011
Info: Didn't summit. My intention was to give the fridge couloir on ice another shot, but found out that is totally out, see my CR there. Went up the fridge to the choke, downclimbed, and ski traversed to the base of the Apostle Couloir. There are couloirs in on both sides. I took the right hand one to the ridge. Due to cohesionless snow, I didn't attempt to summit W apostle even though it was only 10 AM, but transitioned and skied down immediately. I knocked off huge sluffs up high, so good thing I didn't wait. As you can see in the photos, if you traverse hard skiers left below the Col, you can ski all the way to the head of the basin. Much more fun to skip all that talus slogging. 

Route: Apostles Traverse
Posted On: 9/9/2021, By: Eli Watson
Info: Apostles Traverse: N Apostle via SW Ridge > Ice Mtn via NE Ridge > "W Apostle" via SW Face from Winfield 2WD TH. 16.6 mi, 5300' 9:52 Car-to-Car Slightly smokey today. Entire route is still dry. "W Apostle" summit register is missing end cap, paper, and pencil. 

Route: Ice Cubed
Posted On: 7/12/2021, By: colin j
Info: Climbed North Apostle, Ice, and West Apostle today. The route is in full summer conditions; I did not stick to the ridge between Ice and West and instead descended the SW face of Ice and have a few comments. The gully from the summit of Ice is loose but certainly easier than reversing the standard route; exit the gully near 13.3k (see pics 1 and 2). From reading previous trip reports there appears to be some difficulty route finding along the face from here (may add one myself but won't get around to it for awhile). Including the exit from the gully you should cross 5 rock ribs, the first two and last of which are cairned. The third one is the most difficult (see pics 3 thru 5). Biggest piece of advice is that this should be a DESCENDING traverse; until the last rib there is no need to regain elevation. Feel free to PM about a GPX if you'd like. Otherwise a really fun route; TH 0530, summit of North Apostle 0845, summit of Ice 1000, summit of West 1225, Lake Ann 1420, back to TH 1550 

Route: From Lake Ann
Posted On: 6/6/2021, By: Will_E
Info: Summitted West Apostle from Lake Ann. Trail is dry until a few miles before Lake Ann, then becomes intermittent. After crossing the creek it became hella-nasty. I didn't take snow shoes, just suffered through it. Completely miserable in the morning and in the afternoon. It would have sucked with snowshoes, but less than it did for me since I didn't bring them. Once getting to the start of the steep (north?) ridge above Lake Ann, I went up a steep section to avoid the snow filled gully. It was very steep to start, then mellowed out after a few hundred feet. Once on the final ridge I could mostly stay on dry rock. 

Route: Apostle Couloir to South Face
Posted On: 5/9/2021, By: supranihilest
Info: The 4WD road from Winfield is blocked by large snowbanks about .25 miles from the townsite. This adds 1.75 miles each way to the upper Huron/Lake Ann trailhead. The road is covered in large snowbanks and icy patches, and dry in some spots. We were able to boot it in both directions. From the upper trailhead we followed the trail to the Apostle Basin/Lake Ann split and stayed right towards the former. The trail quickly got entirely lost in snow, so we followed along above a deep drainage on the left side, weaving through the forest in a generally southern direction. Snow in the forest was about 90% OK in snowshoes, 10% posthole hell. After this coming storm you can probably follow our breadcrumb trail of loosely spaced postholes. Staying alongside the drainage led us directly to Apostle Basin, where we finally got views of our climb. We headed directly up a steep headwall at the toe of a massive rock glacier, then to the base of Apostle couloir. We snowshoed to the main bifurcation and left our snowshoes there, donned crampons and got the axes out, and climbed the fatter left branch, taking the leftmost exit at the top. The remaining route is mostly visible from there. Snow in the couloir was a mix of good step kicking snow and icy avalanche debris. We traversed on good snow across the top of the multiple branches of the couloir, highly aware of staying back from giant cornices. At the end of the traverse was a short Class 2 to Class 2+ section on dirt and scree, and from that point it was 500 feet of steep, exceptionally exposed snow to the summit. In general we stayed to climber's right near the edge of "West Apostle"'s massive, vertical northeast face, only making one short traverse across an open face to the left before returning to the right side of the climb. Snow ranged in consistency from an inch of mush with rock hard ice underneath, necessitating extensive front pointing, to quality step kicking styrofoam. Angle was never less than 40 degrees and there were several pitches of 50+ degrees. The summit itself is small and narrow and was covered by another cornice. We couldn't tell what was cornice and what was summit so we did not dig to find the register. We reversed our route exactly, down climbing the south face almost exclusively facing in. We were able to boot back down the couloir, then wore our snowshoes almost all the way to the trailhead considering the increasing postholing in the late morning/early afternoon. Spectacular mountaineering route, and quite a bit harder than we expected! Gear: flotation is mandatory. Ice axe is mandatory and a second would be useful (we each only had one, but it was at our one-axe limit). Crampons are MANDATORY. Microspikes will NOT BE sufficient on this climb. 

Route: west ridge
Posted On: 7/19/2020, By: Trotter
Info: Summer conditions. Summit register missing an end cap, paper, and pen. 

Route: N face above Ann
Posted On: 10/20/2017, By: Tufftommy-BV
Info: Quite a bit of unconsolidated snow on th N aspects. Like, 1 to 2 feet in places and made for some sketchy side-hilling. Clear on the ridge and S facing parts.