Taken from near the town of Crestone,
1 is a look at Challenger from the west. First, follow the
Willow Creek Approach to Willow Lake. If you are camping, there are campsites below the lake. From the sites, follow the trail past a waterfall and onto a small hill next to the lake
-
2. Turn left and hike up and out of the trees to reach a boulder field -
3. Continue through it as you approach the waterfall at the east end of the lake -
4,
5 and
6. Cross the stream
above the waterfall and follow cairns and trail segments across the remainder of this flat area -
7.
Reach a trail junction
and stay right for Challenger and Kit Carson -
8. Walk a bit farther before climbing right onto the base of Challenger's north slopes, at 11,900' -
9. Following the excellent trail, zig zag through ledges and a boulder field -
10. Near 12,300', the trail heads south out onto more gentle terrain -
11. Now, climb along the left side of a rock "rib" as the trail starts to become less maintained -
12. Stay near the rib and continue higher as the terrain steepens -
13,
14 and
15. Near 13,200' and near the upper portion of the rib, traverse left toward more difficult terrain. Weave up through rock slabs and leave the safety of the grass to reach the crux of the route - 600 feet of steep, talus-covered terrain -
16. The route can be confusing and dangerous so take your time. Look for cairns and you should be able to keep the difficulty under Class 3 -
17 and
18. Stay right of the snow-filled (into August) gully to your left and continue to a notch in the ridge -
19 and
20.
Pass through the notch
(
21), turn left and gain the summit ridge -
22. Follow the ridge southeast toward the summit -
23. Portions of the summit ridge are narrow so some people find it more comfortable to drop a few feet left to avoid the exposure. The last 0.1 mile becomes slightly steeper as you approach the summit
-
24,
25 and
26.
