FEATURED ROUTE: Mt. Sneffels (Southwest Ridge)

FEATURED ROUTE: Mt. Sneffels (Southwest Ridge)

Miles: 8.0
Elevation gained: 3,500'
Difficulty: Class 3

The Southwest Ridge of Mt. Sneffels is an excellent scrambling route that is exciting, scenic, exposed yet not too difficult. It makes an excellent alternative to the popular standard route which, as Sneffels is likely the most popular mountain in the San Juans Range. The Southwest Ridge takes the same approach, from Yankee Boy Basin, but avoids much of the loose scree of the standard route. For someone who is comfortable with class 3-4 scrambling on exposed rock, this is one of the better more challenging ways to climb Mt. Sneffles.

From Ouray, take Highway 550 south towards Silverton and Durango. About a half mile outside of Ourday, turn right onto a dirt road (CR 361) that enters Yankee Boy Basin. Measure from this point. Around mile 3-4 there is good camping. Pass an exposed shelf section of road at mile 5. The usual trailhead is found at mile 7 where there is good parking and a bathroom. Some passenger cars can make it to this point. 4WD only after here and even then the road gets pretty rough. The highest possible trailhead is at mile 9.7 at 12,440'. Continue past the parking lot for a short ways, taking a left at a fork in the trail towards Blue Lakes Pass (the right fork goes to the standard route). Follow the switchbacking trail for three-quarters of a mile past the end of the 4WD road to the summit of the pass. The approach is over.

Leave the trail and turn north along the southwest ridge proper to a set a jagged gendarmes. These spires are foreboding in appearance during the approach but as you will find at this point, they are easy to avoid on the west (left) side.

After the gendarmes, veer slightly left into a gully. Cinch down your helmet here if you havent already, for the crux moves are not far ahead and the rest of the route from here to the summit is steep, exposed, and littered at times with loose rock. Follow the well-cairned path of least resistance up class 3-ish terrain through a series of disjunct gullies to a prominent notch at 13,500'. Cross through the notch and downclimb to the east (right) into a prominent, loose gully. Ascend the gully to a large notch in the ridge, easily visible on approach.


Turn right at the top of the gully and face what I thought was the route's crux, a steep class 4-ish section. We found ice in early September here and were forced into what was definitely class 4 terrain. I am told that even a good line here might have some class 4 moves. Above this crux headwall you ascend a steep gully, passing the "Kissing Camels" formation on the left, and exit onto the ridge proper at 13,700'. Cross over to the south face and climb the last few hundred feet and easy but wonderfully exposed class 3 rock directly to the summit.

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PEAK OF THE WEEK: Mt. Sneffles (14,150 feet)

Mt. Sneffels from the south near Blue Lakes Pass

INTRO
Perhaps the most popular mountain in the San Juan Range is Mt. Sneffels near Ouray, Colorado. In the northern part of the range, Mt. Sneffels is one of the iconic and spectacular peaks on the area. The view of its jagged and complex north face has been seen in many photographs, especially in the fall when the colors come out. As a mountaineering destination, Sneffels is top notch for a number of reasons, including its ease of access and variety of routes of various difficulty from 2+ to 5.6.

ROUTES

South Slopes standard (8 miles RT, +3,500', class 2+)
This popular route is accessed from Yankee Boy Basin via the town of Ouray. The route follows a dirt road (passenger cars can park at 11,000) up to a high parking lot near Wright Lake at 12,300'. From here you follow a fainter trail into the scree, taking a right at a fork (not towards Blue Lakes Pass), to the base of a large scree-filled gully that angles up the mountain to the north. The route climbs this gully to the saddle between Sneffels and Mt. Kismet at 13,500'. From here the route turns west up a steep, obvious couloir band climbs through a short notch, arguably the route's crux and possibly a brief class 3 move. A few small ledges and the summit appears.

red=Southwest ridge; green= south slopes (standard)

Southwest Ridge (8 miles RT, +3,500', class 3)
A more difficult option from Yankee Boy Basin follows the standard route into the scree and instead of turning right at the junction, follows the main trail left towards Blue Lakes Pass. From Blue Lakes Pass the route turns up the southwest ridge, dodging some large gendarmes and towers on the west (left side). Climb a steep couloir (class 3) to prominent notch, downclimb and track along some cliffs and into a steeper, looser couloir (class 3). Exit the couloir at a steep crux (class 3+) and finish on some airy slabs for the last couple hundred feet (class 3-).


Snake Couloir (9.4 miles RT, +4,810', class 3, steep snow/ice)
This classic route on Sneffels' famous north face is one of Colorado's best snow routes when the conditions are good. Reached from Blaine Basin, this route follows the western part of the north face. The potential for avalanches is omnipresent, so bring a beacon and know what you are doing. Usually people descend the East Slopes route, which follows the South Slopes route down the couloir from the summit to the saddle between Kismet and Sneffels. Instead of turning down the scree-filled basin back to Yankee Boy, however, the east slopes route turns east-northeast and descends back into Blaine Basin.

North Buttress (9.8 miles RT, class 5.6)
A quality rock route in a range known for its crumbling choss. This excellent route follows a prominent buttress in-between the Snake Couloir and the central of the north face's three main couloirs. Climb a pitches of moderate climbing and descend the East Slopes route as described in the Snake Couloir description.

Resting on the south face while climbing the Southwest Ridge route

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Copyright notice: This website and all its contents are the intellectual property of www.coloradomountaineering.com and its authors. None of the content can be used or reproduced without the approval of www.coloradomountaineering.com.
Climbing and mountaineering are dangerous!! Please see the DISCLAIMER page
For information about how to contact us, visit this link