Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
A wonderful climb. The snow adds a new dimension to the fun. But first you have to get there.
The roundabout in Aspen makes it easier to get onto Castle Creek rd. The dirt road part is a bit challenging. First the trailhead parking area at the beginning has been converted to a camping area. In fact there are 7 or 8 camping areas spaced along the road. A passenger car with good clearance and a careful driver might make it up about a mile. With a Rav4 we made it to the Pearl Pass Junction. The first stream crossing isn't too bad - pick the inside corner when entering and leaving. The good news is that the much feared stream crossing right before Pearl Pass Junction is no more. Somebody built a bridge over it:
There is parking for 3 vehicles and room for 3 tents at the junction. You may find it hard to sleep with the roaring waterfall nearby (the full moon shining through my tent didn't help either).
Despite bedding down at 11:30p the night before, we left at 5:45a. We made it to the end of the road by 7:30. There is a steep snow climb (as shown in the route entry) at the end of the road. It's fun and much easier when someone has already kicked footholds. We then stayed along the right side of the bowl on the next level and headed upslope when we were under the right edge of the saddle. Kicking our own footholds took a lot longer. The snow didn't extend all the way up but the moist soil made the dirt and rock bit reasonable. Here's a picture of the climb up the bowl snow.
We did Conundrum first so we cound circle round down the North East ridge after summitting Castle. The top is an easy walk along a stable, 3 foot wide ridge. We made the top at 9:25a.
Its a long climb up to Castle from the saddle, The rock is bad but the trail is fairly easy to follow. We summitted at 10:50. It was surprising how long a 2.7mile, 3100 foot gain climb took. Especially when the first 1800 feet were along a road. Enjoy the Maroon Bells, Snowmass and Capitol from the top.
We took the North East ridge back. This isn't as fast as it looks. There is lots of bad rock and a couple of near class 3 scramble points. I've never tried more than class 2 before but I found that if you just focus and take your time, you'll do well. After you finish the ridge part of this route you get to slide walk down the loose talus (almost scree). The best part starts in the 3 sequential snowfields at the bottom of this. The snow is all mini moguls and at glissading speed it's a fun slide!!
Even with the glissading we didn‘t make it back to Pearl Pass Junction until 2p.
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Comments or Questions
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.
