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Peak(s):  Mt. Sneffels  -  14,155 feet
Date Posted:  08/09/2015
Date Climbed:   07/31/2015
Author:  mcklarry
 Southwest Ridge jmanner intel spot on   

Sneffels from lower trailhead, by the bathroom.
2950 6.25 round trip
Start 5:00, Top 9:30, stayed till 10:30, then back to lower parking lot 12:10
Weather: cloudy most of the day
Hiking partner: Jeff Seager, and then Kurt Mahan (from New Mexico). Jeff's first 14er in about 12 years.

Road to trail head: directions you find on 14ers are straight forward. The last bit of the road to the bathrooms, once you turn left by the mine, does have a couple of ugly spots. Honda Element is a glorified car, but made it, but I would want a SUV or Truck or Jeep for the last bit of the road. On our way down we saw a Subaru overheat on the same spot, and a truck get stuck at the spot spot just below the restroom.

We left the lower trail head hiking on the road. The road was ok, but honestly we thought we would have hiked a bit faster, and got a little discouraged. A jeep passed with two fellows from Durango who got off work late and drove up.

Reaching the top parking lot there was the jeep and a truck. The truck belonged to Kurt, 43 great shape. We stopped to grab a snack. Once on the trail we felt better. I was hoping to do the west ridge as the trip reports make is sound a bit more fun, and that is what John Manner told us as well. His intel is consistently spot on. I also knew the standard route was a little shorter, and Jeff may want to take that route. At the turn, which is easy to see, Jeff said he wanted to try the west ridge. Yea!

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Sun coming up in the distance


The hike up the trail to the ridge is straight forward, and then you go over the side, and up to the left, on the ridge. Awesome views here and cool rocks. There was no snow on this route. None.

Happy to be on the trail
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Jeff on the trail at last


On The Ridge
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On the ridge view


The lakes
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Lakes



Jeff looking up at the next section
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Jeff looking up


The next section
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The next section



As we headed up, Kurt had stopped to let us catch up, as he wanted some hiking friends. Kurt is a wonderful fellow. He came from New Mexico. He has two adorable children twins. Jeff and Kurt were great to have as they shared a lot, to take mind of the breathing. There was a spot just below the place you hit the ridge where you go down about 30 feet where you could chose class 5, class 4 or class 3. We were not trying to find any class 4 or 5 but our route finding in here was a bit off. The following picture: green left line is the line to stay class two and three. Red goes class four and then five. We went that way and then turned around the corner to left by the class five portion. We all liked our choice.

Plenty of choices.
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Plenty of choices


A closer look
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Closer look


Rock edges
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Love the rock edges!


A look from the higher on the ridge
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Higher on the ridge view


Kurt as we head up same section. This is where he stopped to hike with us.
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Kurt before we took the turn to the right


Kurt starting class five before we turned left
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Kurt starting class five before we turned left


Jeff looking up wondering what are we thinking
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Jeff thinking this is a bad idea


Kurt and Jeff coming down over the edge
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Looking up the next section


Ok I guess there was a little snow...

Looking down same area. Hug the right side as you come up and though a little lose on the floor, great hand holds along the wall.

Fun class three spot, good holds solid rock


Glad to be in the mountains and looking at these views!

Next section pretty easy to see need to go to the right and not the left.

Clouds...but no rain, whew

Kissing camels so cool, smaller than I thought

Keep on the ridge-which I did not, and end up coming up the face, which works, but you want to stay on the ridge. Thankfully Kurt and Jeff were ok with my missing the top route portion.

Jeff almost there

Jeff made it!

Jeff and Larry

After I got to the top a guide came up with four gals. She took the picture for Kurt, Jeff and me. Then we had to leave, they had those special pictures to take up top...

A view from the top

A view down standard route

Looking up the top portion of the standard route around corner of the notch

Coming down, the notch was way fun! And that is about it. Staying to the left on the way down the first part of the gully worked well. After that on the steep yucky scree. This was not fun at all. All three of us were glad we did not come up this route. Perhaps with snow this is fine place, but dry it is lose and terrible.

Kurt's Jeff's and Larry's rules for Sneffel
If hiking in summer (since snow could make a large difference)
Rule number one: Hike up the southwest ridge, way fun
Rule number two: Hike down the southwest ridge-avoid the standard scree yuck at all costs.
Rule number three: see rule number one and rule number two.

Get me off of this stuff!!!

Kurt almost down, at last! Well off the scree...

Finally at the parking lot we look back at what we could not see in the dark, the peak from a far



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34


Comments or Questions
jmjr2k
User
SW Ridge Fun
8/9/2015 4:38pm
Nice trip report! Looks like you had a great climb on Sneffels that day. I’ll be posting a report as well for our climb on August 4th. We didn’t go the SW Ridge route, but went up AND down the Standard Route. That gully up to the Couloir is just plain nasty to climb and descend, but the views of the falls, Blue Lakes, and the San Juan’s make up for it!


jmanner
User
Nice going
8/10/2015 9:56am
Sure glad to see ole Seager getting back up in the alpine! Now get back to work and stop wasting the tax payer’s dollars on mountain gear!


Jay521
User
For whatever reason...
8/10/2015 10:42am
... I only get to see the first 14 pictures.. ?? The SW ridge is one of my all time favorite climbs


Mtnman200
User
Same problem...
8/10/2015 5:05pm
Same problem for me. Not sure what’s up with that.


TallGrass
User
Can see pics if...
8/11/2015 11:03pm
I hover my mouse over the thumbnails at the bottom.

Did Sneffels about a week after you (mostly standard), but likely found similar scree for a stretch on Teakettle the day before. If one picks their footing right, much of the backsliding can be avoided. Reading which rocks are locked, planted, supported, can bear weight and where can take a lot of the frustration out of it. Getting the scree–ski technique down makes descent fun, enough that I’d often rather take it than solid rock.

Congrats on the summit, mcklarry! Would like to play around more on that rock up there.



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