August 11th and 12th, 2025

14.8miles and 6176ft of vertical gain

Ellingwood Point (14,057ft) and Blanca Peak (14,351ft) - Traverse Route (Ridge Direct)

I've been warned time and time again of the atrocity that is the Lake Como approach, and unfortunately I think I agree with the popular conclusions. The road is miserable, but the peaks and lakes that await you are some of the best in the state. Myself and JT left the Denver area by 12:30pm and, after a quick stop at Cheba Hut in Colorado Springs, rolled onto Blanca Peak Road. We were able to get roughly 1.5miles up the road before pulling off to park - a good head start to the trek ahead.

The road is long and rocky, initially very exposed to the hot sun. It'll take you a few miles of hiking before you get into more shaded terrain, so plan accordingly for the heat.

Eventually, the grade flattens out slowly, the trees get denser, and shade becomes your best friend. You do cross one stream on the approach, which is good to know if you plan on filtering water at any point.

The primary enjoyment of the approach comes when Little Bear Peak first comes into view. You won't see Blanca or Ellingwood until you move past Lake Como.

Arrival at the lake was a sweet relief, and we were greeted with some incredible views and great campsites. It was a bit buggy, but we were just happy to be out of the sun and off of that road for the night.

We enjoyed some dinner while watching the sun set on Little Bear. And as is always necessary, the IPAs we hauled up the road were chilled in Lake Como, refrigerated alpine style.

The following morning (August 12th) we woke up at 6:00am and hit the trail, knowing the mileage ahead of us was not crazy long. It was roughly 6 miles roundtrip to tag both peaks with the traverse. In hindsight, I'd recommend starting a tad earlier so that you don't end up descending the approach in the midday sun - as we did.

You'll pass Lake Como, then Blue Lakes, and Crater Lake before you begin your true ascent up to the peak. We decided to start with Ellingwood, traversing next to Blanca.

The trail up is easy to follow and well-cairned up to the split, at which point it becomes a little trickier to follow, though route-finding is pretty straightforward.

The actual summit of Ellingwood was a pretty straightforward climb, nothing exceeding Class 2 unless you wanted to find yourself in more exciting scenarios. I climbed one particular rib to the right of the true summit that was more 3rd class, but overall an easy ascent.

I decided to keep the traverse as ridge direct as possible, while JT opted to dip under the notable cliff bands and follow the more traditional, 3rd class, traverse route. I didn't capture many images of the traverse itself, as I quickly found myself on some highly exposed ridges with the occasional 4th class climb. I would say 80% of the ridge direct traverse is 2nd class with exposure, but your descent into and ascent out of the "white gully" holds a significant down-climb and a pretty airy 4th class ascent. If you needed a bail, there are a bunch of options where you could dip down off the ridge, but this is not always the safest option, as the ridge is fairly solid the whole way and the gullies below are full of a bunch of loose ridiculousness. There's a slight wannabe knife edge toward the end of the traverse, but it's easily down-climbable if you're not willing to embrace the exposure. Overall, the traverse is short, packs a punch, and brings excitement to an otherwise majority 2nd class day. That's my long-winded synopsis.

The final ascent up to the summit of Blanca Peak is 2nd class, steep, and otherwise un-engaging. You could likely spice up this ascent a lot more if you took the ridge more directly, but the standard trail remains fairly mild. The greatest perks of this route are the views, and I never got tired of them.

The descent off of Blanca is steep, rocky, and long. If your quads aren't wrecked by the time you get back to Lake Como, they will be by the time you get back to your car. Prepare for some high heats on the way down the road, make sure you've got plenty of water.

These peaks are rugged, unforgiving, and not easy to access, but it is a beautiful day regardless in a beautiful range. The Sangres demand your respect, but they also reward your efforts. If you're comfortable with 3rd/4th class terrain, the ridge direct traverse from Ellingwood to Blanca is an amazing way to spice up your climb without adding too much time to your day..

Next up, Little Bear.