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After (well it still feels like winter - snowing down here in Ouray and Durango today) a great winter - still doing a bunch of spring skiing but started thinking about the Weminuche this summer again. At the end of last summer we invited a couple friends (one of whom is, conveniently, a videographer) to climb Vestal Peak. The snow will melt eventually, that grass sure looks greener right now!....hope you enjoy it.
watch it below or follow this link if you prefer to watch it on Vimeo : https://vimeo.com/90058861
My tips for the climb - it is critical to hit the trail up to vestal basin from the beaver ponds. It is easy to epic if you bushwhack up this drainage without the trail. I know Roach has folks climbing up the climbers right ridge, and this has much to recommend it, but if you are adventurous and a solid trad leader it can be fun to go up the middle or even the left side of the face - though the climbing and routefinding is definitely more difficult. I personally like descending to the east saddle, even though I think most parties head over to the Vestal Arrow saddle. It is a little bit longer to go east but I think the rock fall hazard is a lot lower. Camping up in Vestal during busy weekends can sometimes be a challenge, prepare to be creative, sometimes I head up the drainage a little bit (towards the base of West Trinity) there are a few hidden level spots in the trees - look for the little climbers trails.
Thanks for posting this. The Whammer is one I'd really like to do one of these days, it's just so hard to drag myself away from RMNP.
Which brings me to my next point. You're gonna make FRange RMNP alpine monkeys (like me) start rattling the cage angrily when you call Wham the most iconic climb in the state.
Thank you for this video, well edited and enjoyable commentary. A buddy and I have a week long trip planned into the Grenadiers June 6th through the 13th and I'm pretty excited about it. What are anyones thoughts about conditions up there around then? We anticipate snow and will bring snow climbing gear but at the same time the canyons of Utah are near and they are awesome too, without the snow.
Mea Culpa but i'll make up for it! 5/13/2014 4:34pm
Angry Front Range Alpine Monkey! I hear you, that was a pretty bold claim about the ”most” iconic - the park is pretty awesome indeed, I worked up there for a couple years myself and it is my ”second” most favorite place in Colorado !!
Sent some folks up to Chicago basin today, will get a sat phone call from them tonight and report back on conditions up there (on this comment section) tomorrow or Thursday. Maybe even be able to get a trip report up by Friday.
there is a foot of snow in the lower chicago basin and winter climbing conditions all around with some definite avy hazard out there. definitely some postholing to be had up in the high san juan's right now.
you really picked a great weather day - we had some clouds when we topped out. We still went for Arrow though. This was a highlight of last summer for me Thanks for posting.
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