Once you are near Willow Lake, follow the trail as it parallels the lake's north side. Leave the trees and continue through thick willows along the shore. Your next goal is to gain the cliffs/headwall on the east end of the lake. Before reaching the cliffs, turn left and climb north up the hillside on a rugged trail -
1. Climb 150', turn right and continue through bushes to reach the top of the cliffs, near 11,800', where you get a view of the remaining route -
2 and
3. Kirk is a narrow couloir which splits the cliffs between Kit Carson and Challenger.
Cross the stream and follow small cairns and trail segments across the remainder of this flat area. Above 11,800', angle left through willows and bushes to reach the base of Challenger's standard, north slope route, near 11,900'. As the terrain opens up near 11,900', continue south on gentle terrain toward Kirk Couloir -
4. After passing over a flat area near 12,200', the climb begins to get steeper -
5 and
6. And steeper above 12,900' as you approach the entrance to Kirk Couloir -
7,
8 and
9.
This is where the fun begins! Turn right and enter the steep couloir (
10) which starts out with a slope angle near 45 degrees. Continue up the narrow, near 50-degree couloir (
11) for approx. 200' and the exit becomes obvious -
12. Leave the confines of the couloir (
13 and
14) and continue toward the Kit Carson-Challenger saddle -
15. From the saddle (
16), turn right and climb 300' to reach the summit -
17,
18 and
19.
Kirk Couloir
