Taken from near the town of Crestone,
1 provides a view of Challenger from the west. Begin by following the
Willow Creek Approach to Willow Lake. If you're camping, there are campsites located below the lake. From the campsites, follow the trail past a small waterfall and ascend briefly to a hill beside the lake
2. Turn left and hike out of the trees to reach a boulder field
3. Continue through it as you approach the large waterfall at the east end of the lake
4 5 6. Cross the stream
above the waterfall, then follow cairns and intermittent trail segments across the flat area above the lake
7.
At a trail junction
, turn right and continue toward Challenger and Kit Carson on the defined trail
8 9. Follow the trail as it zigzags through ledges and a boulder field
10. Near 12,300', swing left onto more moderate terrain
11. Next, follow the left side of a prominent rock rib as the trail becomes less distinct
12. Stay near the rib, continuing upward as the steepness increases
13 14. Near 13,200', at the upper section of the rib, veer left and traverse toward more challenging terrain
15. Ascend through rock slabs to reach the crux of the route: 600 feet of steep, loose, talus-covered terrain. This section can be a bit confusing, so take your time. Look for cairns and use your route-finding skills to keep the difficulty under Class 3
16 17 18. Stay to the right of the snow-filled gully (typically lingering into August) as you work your way up to a notch in the ridge
19 20.
Pass through the notch
, then turn left to gain the summit ridge
21 22. Follow the ridge southeast toward the summit
23. Some sections of the ridge are narrow, so if exposure becomes uncomfortable, stay slightly left of the ridge crest. The final 0.1 mile steepens slightly as you approach the summit
24 25 26.
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