Snowmass S-Ridge and Descent Down Western Slope | 1/15–1/17

Left for Marble Wednesday night around 9:30 p.m. and arrived somewhere around 1:30 a.m. Right after Carbondale, we nearly ended the entire trip as a huge herd of elk were chilling on the road. Slept in the car and woke up around 7 a.m. to begin the hike into the wilderness area and campsite. We took the route that led into Crystal, passing Crystal Mill and around Sheep Mountain. There was some sort of big fire going behind the mill—pretty far up the mountain behind it—and I could only assume it was controlled.

For about five miles, the road and trail were packed down by tracks from snowmobiles or cats, which was really nice. After that, we threw on our snowshoes and broke trail for about three miles. We set up camp at the Lake Geneva trailhead—well, not exactly right there, but off to the right maybe 200–300 ft. We got to camp in the mid-afternoon. Just hung out and ate. Night was warm (thanks to gear), and I was exhausted, so I slept fairly well.

Woke up somewhere around 6 a.m. and started stepping at 6:30 a.m. The hike up to the lake was brutal. We got to see an awesome sunrise on the Bells, though, and that was a treat. We arrived at the base of the mountain around 10:30 a.m., still a ways to go. We had to make switchbacks up to the ridge, and it was steep, snowy, and a pain in my butt. Arrived at the bottom of the S-Ridge at noon-ish. Climbed up the first draw and took the ridge the rest of the way up.

There was a lot of ice axe use, a lot of climbing, and good snow along the ridge. It was way more difficult than I anticipated and much more technical than anything I’ve done before. Many times, you were clinging to slab that, if you had let go, would send you tumbling to the ground below—hundreds, if not thousands, of feet at points… straight down. The rock was steady for the most part and had plenty of great holds and cracks for your hands and axe. I did get to throw a sick heel hook somewhere along the way—probably didn’t have to, but come on… heel hooks are just sweet!

Okay, so this is where armchair QBs and people who always have something to say are about to say something, and I don’t blame ya—lol. We arrived at the summit after a long, grueling day at 5 p.m. The thing is, we didn’t realize how long of a day it would be, and turning around wasn’t much of an option. Going down the way we came up was certain death, especially in the dark. Mind you, my headlamp broke—or wasn’t liking the cold, I’m not sure—but not a great combo.

We took a western slope down about 2,000 ft that eventually cliffed out, and we had to cross over two ridges that eventually got us down to Siberia Lake. It was cold, dark, and my snowshoes were no use. We had three miles back to camp through the snow and darkness of night. We followed a creek that took us down to Geneva Lake and followed our tracks the rest of the way.

All in all, it was the most epic thing I’ve ever done—a test of pure grit, faith, and will. Something you read books about, and honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if we met our demise. We got back to camp at 3 a.m. Twenty-one hours of suck fest, and I loved every bit of it. My partner Jason is an absolute animal. I like to think I am too, but this man stuck out the harshest conditions and terrible circumstances. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to climb and do these things with.

Woke up the next morning around 8 a.m., packed up, and made the journey home. Fortunately for me, the snowshoe tracks were packed and frozen enough that the 2.5 miles out of the wilderness area was a breeze, and we made great time. Once we got back to Crystal, it was just a walk in the woods—a painful walk in the woods. Five miles to go from there, and it was relatively nice, although each step was grueling. All I could think about was grabbing a burger and a beer.

We stopped and had lunch at Fat Belly’s in Carbondale—excellent burgers and fries! We both got a double patty and a hot dog and shared some fries. I’m not sure if it was just from days of breathing in cold air, but swallowing was a pain—still delicious and much deserved. Made it back to the Springs around 8:30-ish. I had myself a Spotted Cow waiting for me, which was a blessing and a hell of a way to end the trip.

What I Wish I Had Done Differently:
In hindsight, there are a few things I would have changed. I wish I had brought two headlamps, as losing one due to the cold added unnecessary stress late in the day. I also wish I had spent the money on a nicer pair of snowshoes, as mine became nearly useless during the descent and made the 3 miles to camp almost deadly. I would have brought more food and made a point to eat more on the way down, especially once we were in the dark. The descent itself didn’t bother me too much, but having a better understanding of how long the day would really take would have helped us plan more conservatively and avoid increasing the overall risk.

Jason’s Thoughts — What Could Have Been Done Better:
There were a few decisions we could have improved. We should have left camp earlier on summit day, probably around 3:00 a.m. or even 2:30 a.m., especially knowing we only had one headlamp between us. An earlier start would have made the initial route-finding and descent much easier in daylight. We also probably shouldn’t have started the ridge when we finally reached it around 11:45, given the likelihood that we would be descending in the dark with limited lighting. Lastly, I should have demonstrated and tested all gear ahead of time—boots, crampons, gaiters, etc.—as gear should always be proven prior to heading into the field