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"...
| Castle Peak - NE Ridge |
On July 23rd I climbed Castle Peak via the NE ridge. I started from the Castle Creek Trailhead at 6:30 am and arrived at the summit at 9:30 am. I assumed that the 4x4 road was bad enough to park my SUV at the main road. Well I was wrong, the road seemed in good shape, except for a few stream crossings.
Oh well, some extra calories to burn. Roach indicates it's 10 miles RT from the main road to the summit. According to my GPS watch it's actually 12.1 miles. So I was the only one this day who started from the main road. The views of the creek are nice on the way up to the end of the road at 12,800 feet (approx. 4.9 miles).
The real fun and scenery started after leaving the road and mines and heading up the small snowfield to the NE ridge. I passed three gentlemen on the way up to the summit along the NE ridge and as I approached the summit two climbers had already left for Conundrum. Since the guidebook was wrong about the distance, I didn't feel I had enough gas in the tank for the Castle/Conundrum double which requires a traverse back over the Castle summit or a hairy glissade down the upper moraine snow slope. I have seen some serious glissading accidents on gentler slopes than that one. After having made my decision to head back down, I quickly moved down the ridge and glissaded the very small snowfield in the lower moraine back to the road. On the way down, I passed seven people coming up the road after parking their 4x4's at various spots along the road. I would consider that way too late in the day for a summit bid considering the clouds were rolling in.
|
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.
