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8/1/09
Route: South Colony TH - Crestone Peak via the South Face, traverse to Crestone Needle, descend South Face of Crestone Needle
Party: Daniel Trugman (solo)
Route Splits:
Left Upper Trailhead at 4:45am
Crestone Peak Summit, 8:15 - 8:35am
Crestone Needle Summit, 11:10 - 11:30am
Back to Upper Trailhead at 1:45pm
I had the Crestones on the brain all week. The plan was to do the Crestone Traverse, car-to-car, solo from the "Rough" 2WD trailhead. My Suburu Outback had other ideas. It made it all the way up to the Upper 4wd trailhead without much problem. It was slow-going, but worth it as I got far away from the three illegal fires that were roaring at the lower trailhead. I slept in the back of the Suburu and packed my trusty orange backpack for the next day.
I woke to "Enter Sandman" blaring on my cell phone at 4:30am Saturday morning. Having packed everything the night before, I was ready to go at 4:45. This was going to be my first solo 14er outing since I did Harvard alone at age 12. Needless to say, I was expecting a different experience.
The trail up to the lakes was easy to follow in the dark, and I felt like I was making good time. A good sign marked the turnoff for Broken Hand Pass, and the trail began to climb in earnest. My pace slowed and I was feeling slightly nauseous, so I decided to stop for breakfast about 500 feet below the pass. Bear claws had never tasted so good. Mmmmm.
After this break, I was feeling a bit better and my pace increased. I pulled out my camera to snap the first photos of the day:
Sunrise - They don't call it the Sangre de Cristo range for nothing
There was no snow in the steep gulley below Broken Hand Pass. I was glad I hadn't bothered to bring my ice axe. When I reached the pass, there was cool light on Crestone Needle.
The Needle
Cottonwood Lake
The hike down into the Cottonwood Basin was short and sweet. I have no clue how far it really is, but it seemed like only 500 vertical feet to me. As I walked through the basin, I couldn't help but notice the potential for fun trad lines, both single and multi pitch. The red gulley of Crestone Peak had some snow in it, but I was confident that I'd be able to meander around it.
Red Gulley
This odd photo shows most of the Traverse
After ascending the grassy slopes right of the Red Gulley, I opted to stay right for a pitch of Class 3 knobby slabs instead of traversing left to enter the Gulley. I wasn't disappointed; this was great fun but a cliff band eventually forced me back on route. The climbing in the Red Gulley was uninspiring but easy. A dense fog covered the top of the peaks, making for poor photos. I reached the snowfield and was able to bypass it via a short traverse on snow and some fun class 3 scrambling
My route went to the right of this snowfield, but some parties opted to stay left
The snowfield I crossed
After the snowfield, the rock quality deteriorated but the climbing was never difficult. I tried to stay on the fun rock ribs that split the Gulley as much as possible.
Looking down from near the top of the Gulley.
Some fun, blocky scrambling guarded the summit pitch of Crestone, which was a welcome change from the monotony of the Gulley. I arrived at the summit at 8:15 or so, and was greeted with a beautiful view of the Kit Carson massif.
This is why The Prow is on the list...
After munching on a snack bar, I left the cold summit. I moved very slowly and cautiously down the Gulley as there were many parties below me and I didn't want to peg anyone with a rock. Somehow, rockfall has always been a pet peeve of mine.
The fog...
On the way up, I had taken a mental picture of where I thought I should start the traverse. There is a huge cairn you can see that is only a few hundred feet from the top of the couloir but I knew it was a sucker cairn. Don't exit there. I decided to exit the gulley about a hundred feet below the lowest snowfield, maybe 800 feet from the summit.
My exit. See if you can spot the cairns in this poor photo.
The first part of the traverse consists mostly of easy traverses on grassy benches and low angle rock.
Casual terrain
Looking back
Crestone Needle's upper difficulties shrouded in fog
I quickly got off route and had to do some more serious scrambling in places, but the difficulty never exceeded class four. When in doubt, stay low (I did not heed my own advice).
Less casual terrain
Looking back at the first part of the traverse
I made a bee line for a prominent couloir north of the Black Gendarme. This couloir is prominent and has some snow in it in photo 5.
The snow in the couloir was avoidable and there were some delightful class 3 sections.
Looking down the couloir. I stayed on the rock rib to the right (climber's left) for the most part.
The Black Gendarme. At this point, head hard right and up an improbable-looking corner/face system.
A poor photo looking down the corner/face system.
Although it looked possible to head straight up from here, I decided to head right through a slot and onto and exposed but easy ledge system.
The slot
After this traverse, the route moved onto a fun class 3 face.
Looking down
Cairns led out right again to yet another easy but exposed traverse, and then up a class 3 ramp to the base of the crux pitch
Looking up the crux pitch
The crux pitch was easily the best on the climb. It consisted of airy, steep climbing on huge holds. The wind was blowing really hard and my hands were becoming numb from cold, but the climbing was excellent.
Steep and juggy Class 4 terrain
Looking down from about half way up
Looking back at Crestone Peak
The summit welcomed me at 11:10am. I was ecstatic to have completed the 4 Traverses and had an incredible experience doing this one solo. Although I knew there was a party ahead of me and likely some behind me on the Traverse, I never saw a soul until I got to Crestone Needle's summit. This solitude is what alpine climbing is all about.
The descent off the Needle was straightforward, and I was moving much faster than I was when I came off the Peak.
Some of the terrain
I ate lunch at Broken Hand Pass and strolled back to the trailhead.
Requisite shot of the Needle and the Peak
It was only then that I realized I hadn't taken any photos of myself. I snapped a quick hero shot.
Yeah. I'm that cool.
I arrived at the trailhead at 1:45 pm, exactly 9 hours (within 30 seconds) after I left it. I then got psyched for the LONG drive back to NM.
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
to do a Birthday climb on the Prow (but that may not happen) and I have concrete plans with some 14ers.com members for Lizard Head. I‘ve got a week or so between the end of work and start of school; I might solo Wham Ridge or something. Suggestions?
I think my roommate and I passed you on the way down the peak and we must have left a few minutes before you summited the Needle. I really could have done without that wind on the traverse crux. My hands were numb as well!
Am headed up to do the traverse next week, and I‘ve been waffling back and forth on which direction to go...this great report solidified my lean towards Peak-to-Needle. Thanks so much for the great beta!! :D
Thanks for a thorough trip report. The photos and beta are really helpful as I plan to make the traverse this week. Side note: In order to avoid the long haul over broken hand pass to the south side, my buddies and I are considering an ascent via the north buttress or northwest couloir. Do you recall seeing much snow on that side? I‘d expect more than on the sunny south face, but want to consider our options.
Thanks!
Andrew
I remember seeing some snow in the NW Couloir near the top and none on the NW Buttress. I think I would choose the NW Buttress not only because it makes an aesthetic and interesting start to a great day, but also because you won‘t have to haul an axe and crampons around on the traverse. I hope it goes well for you!
Daniel
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