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-Hardest Climb at Indian Creek
-Explanation of Yosemite Decimal System
-The Future of Rock Climbing and Mountaineering
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Showing posts with label class 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label class 5. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
VIDEO: Hardest Rock Climb in the World
This post is being made as a reference and for its history. While sport climbing and mountaineering are quite different pursuits they are related and since both use the same grading scales for difficulty this video of Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra taking on and both completing the most difficult climb in the world currently, La Dura Dura (5.15c)
RELATED
-Hardest Climb at Indian Creek
-Explanation of Yosemite Decimal System
-The Future of Rock Climbing and Mountaineering
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RELATED
-Hardest Climb at Indian Creek
-Explanation of Yosemite Decimal System
-The Future of Rock Climbing and Mountaineering
Monday, October 14, 2013
LIST: Ranked Class 5 Peaks over 13,000 feet
There are seven "ranked" peaks over 13,000 feet that require class 5 climbing to reach the top. In other words, by their easiest route, these seven mountains are the most difficult high peaks in the state. Mountains like Longs Peak or Crestone Needle which have difficult class 5 routes but easier hikes or scrambles as well would not be included. This list also does not include mountains like "Coffeepot" which require fifth-class climbing to reach their summit but do not meet the requirements for being "ranked" (i.e. they have less than 300 feet of topographical prominence).
There are three peaks in the Centennial list (100 highest) that require 5th class climbing. As you will see below, there are four other 13ers that also fall in this intimidating category. It is interesting, though not altogether surprising, that all of the mountains on this list (except the debatable "Whitney Peak") are found in the San Juan Range.
NOTE: I believe this list is complete but there are 637 mountains in Colorado that are above 13,000 feet and have more than 300 feet of topographical prominence. Many of these peaks are quite obscure and have seen only a handful of ascents. If you know of a ranked summit that requires 5th class rock climbing by its easiest route than please let me know!
1. Jagged Mountain (13,824 feet) (5.2)
Deep in the Weminuche Wildnerness lies one of Colorado's most reclusive and inaccessible mountains. Jagged Mountain is a jewel of Colorado mountaineering and deserves a larger reputation than it has. This hard-to-reach mountain is one of the few in the state that requires more than one day to climb. The route itself is a winding, complicated multi-pitch climb with dangerous scrambling, loose rock, tricky routefinding, and several technical cruxes that probably necessitate the use of a rope. There is a great deal of exposure, including a narrow ledge traverse with thousands of feet of air whipping at your ankles.
2. Teakettle Mountain (13,819 feet) (class 5.2)
Teakettle is part of a rugged portion of the San Juans that includes several challenging peaks: Sneffels, Coffeepot, Dallas, and Teakettle. Of the three Centennials on this list, Teakettle is probably the easiest summit to reach. There is a 50-foot 5.2-5.3 summit pitch leading up the unique summit cap (hmmm...why did this mountain get its name?) to an exhilarating and tiny summit.
3. Dallas Peak (13,809 feet) (class 5.3)
Dallas Peak is often cited as the most difficult of Colorado's 100 highest peaks. Dallas's challenging summit cap is generally given a high-end 5.3 rating. The last two hundred feet on Dallas are steep, junky and full of class 4 and 5 terrain. The most difficult moves are just below the summit. You can rappel from near the summit directly past most of the hardest difficulties.
4. Peak Fifteen (13,700) (class 5.2)
Peak Fifteen is the next-door neighbor to more famous 13er Turret Peak and both of these rugged mountains lie in Weminuche Wilderness Area in the San Juans. This technical and committing route is one of the hardest all-around climbs of all the standard routes in the state and most people bring a rope. Peak Sixteen, Peak Fifteen's unranked neighbor, is also a technical mountaineering goal requiring 5th class climbing to reach its summit and together these three mountains for an amazing and impressive massif.
5. Coxcomb Peak (13,656 feet) (class 5.3)
Probably the easiest peak on this list, Coxcomb involves just a short section of class 5 climbing. This flat-topped peak is not particularly imposing but can surprise you. Coxcomb is known for loose rock, poor protection, and some exposure on the summit ridge. Be prepared to rappel.
6. Whitney Peak (13,276') (class 5.6)
Inclusion of this peak is up for debate, as the "class 5" section of it is one boulder. Apparently, however, this boulder is the highest point on the peak and thus to truly climb the peak in the eyes of some you must stand on the top of the boulder. Apparently, scaling this boulder takes a few moves of class 5.6 "climbing."
7. Lizard's Head (13,113 feet) (5.8+ R/X)
Simply put, Lizard's Head is Colorado's hardest ranked peak above 13,000 feet. This intimidating spire is a rotten, exposed nightmare and thus is rarely climbed. The easiest route is the Southwest Chimney, a three-pitch climb on runout choss. There are other possibilities too, all of which are going to require equally or more difficult technical climbing.
Honorable mention:
Sunlight Spire (13,995 feet) (5.10c)
Though it does not meet the criteria to be a ranked peak as it has only 215 feet of topographical prominence, Sunlight Spire is one of Colorado's most dramatic and difficult summits to reach. To add to its allure, the summit pitch is a beautiful and bomber splitter-crack that clocks in at the high 5.10 level. This crack can be freeclimbed or aided (see this photograph for a good view of the amazing summit cap). Based on the more accurate but less syndicated 1988 datum, Sunlight Spire just overtops 14,000 feet, possibly making it the most difficult 14,000 foot summit in the contiguous 48, even more difficult than the famous summit cap on California's Thunderbolt Peak, which, by the way, is also "unranked" by Colorado standards yet considered one of the must-do California 14ers.
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There are three peaks in the Centennial list (100 highest) that require 5th class climbing. As you will see below, there are four other 13ers that also fall in this intimidating category. It is interesting, though not altogether surprising, that all of the mountains on this list (except the debatable "Whitney Peak") are found in the San Juan Range.
NOTE: I believe this list is complete but there are 637 mountains in Colorado that are above 13,000 feet and have more than 300 feet of topographical prominence. Many of these peaks are quite obscure and have seen only a handful of ascents. If you know of a ranked summit that requires 5th class rock climbing by its easiest route than please let me know!
 |
| Dallas Peak from Blue Lake Pass |
Deep in the Weminuche Wildnerness lies one of Colorado's most reclusive and inaccessible mountains. Jagged Mountain is a jewel of Colorado mountaineering and deserves a larger reputation than it has. This hard-to-reach mountain is one of the few in the state that requires more than one day to climb. The route itself is a winding, complicated multi-pitch climb with dangerous scrambling, loose rock, tricky routefinding, and several technical cruxes that probably necessitate the use of a rope. There is a great deal of exposure, including a narrow ledge traverse with thousands of feet of air whipping at your ankles.
2. Teakettle Mountain (13,819 feet) (class 5.2)
Teakettle is part of a rugged portion of the San Juans that includes several challenging peaks: Sneffels, Coffeepot, Dallas, and Teakettle. Of the three Centennials on this list, Teakettle is probably the easiest summit to reach. There is a 50-foot 5.2-5.3 summit pitch leading up the unique summit cap (hmmm...why did this mountain get its name?) to an exhilarating and tiny summit.
3. Dallas Peak (13,809 feet) (class 5.3)
Dallas Peak is often cited as the most difficult of Colorado's 100 highest peaks. Dallas's challenging summit cap is generally given a high-end 5.3 rating. The last two hundred feet on Dallas are steep, junky and full of class 4 and 5 terrain. The most difficult moves are just below the summit. You can rappel from near the summit directly past most of the hardest difficulties.
4. Peak Fifteen (13,700) (class 5.2)
Peak Fifteen is the next-door neighbor to more famous 13er Turret Peak and both of these rugged mountains lie in Weminuche Wilderness Area in the San Juans. This technical and committing route is one of the hardest all-around climbs of all the standard routes in the state and most people bring a rope. Peak Sixteen, Peak Fifteen's unranked neighbor, is also a technical mountaineering goal requiring 5th class climbing to reach its summit and together these three mountains for an amazing and impressive massif.
5. Coxcomb Peak (13,656 feet) (class 5.3)
Probably the easiest peak on this list, Coxcomb involves just a short section of class 5 climbing. This flat-topped peak is not particularly imposing but can surprise you. Coxcomb is known for loose rock, poor protection, and some exposure on the summit ridge. Be prepared to rappel.
6. Whitney Peak (13,276') (class 5.6)
Inclusion of this peak is up for debate, as the "class 5" section of it is one boulder. Apparently, however, this boulder is the highest point on the peak and thus to truly climb the peak in the eyes of some you must stand on the top of the boulder. Apparently, scaling this boulder takes a few moves of class 5.6 "climbing."
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| Lizard Head Peak- Colorado's most difficult summit over 13,000' |
Honorable mention:
Sunlight Spire (13,995 feet) (5.10c)
Though it does not meet the criteria to be a ranked peak as it has only 215 feet of topographical prominence, Sunlight Spire is one of Colorado's most dramatic and difficult summits to reach. To add to its allure, the summit pitch is a beautiful and bomber splitter-crack that clocks in at the high 5.10 level. This crack can be freeclimbed or aided (see this photograph for a good view of the amazing summit cap). Based on the more accurate but less syndicated 1988 datum, Sunlight Spire just overtops 14,000 feet, possibly making it the most difficult 14,000 foot summit in the contiguous 48, even more difficult than the famous summit cap on California's Thunderbolt Peak, which, by the way, is also "unranked" by Colorado standards yet considered one of the must-do California 14ers.
Visit THE ARCHIVE: A list of most of our articles sorted by department
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Peak of the Week: Crestone Peak (14,294 feet)
INTRO
Without question, Crestone Peak is one of Colorado's most spectacular mountains. It is the anchor of the Sangre De Cristo Range, and its crown jewel. It is rugged, picturesque and intimidating. In terms of mountaineering, climbers will find that "The Peak" is one of the most challenging and technically difficult of Colorado's 14ers. But for the advanced mountaineer, more options are available on the rugged peaks of this massif than almost anywhere else in the state.
Crestone Peak is a classic mountain, one that Colorado can be proud of. The Sangres in general leap from the surrounding valleys with abrupt and awe-inspiring sharpness. These mountains define what it means to be rugged. As Colorado's 7th highest peak, Crestone Peak is the tallest mountain in the state that requires class 3 scrambling to obtain its summit.
Composed of cobbled, conglomerate rock, Crestone Peak and its neighbors are unique to Colorado geology, and climbing them is an experience that no mountaineer, either native or visiting, could ever forget. It is a mountain and a range with a unique personality.
DIRECTIONS
South Colony Lake Trailhead- South Colony Lake is the ideal and most popular base camp for the majority of Crestone Peak routes. It is a good base of operations, in fact, for most of the neighboring peaks as well, making multiple-summit trips logistically viable. From Westcliffe, follow Highway 69 for 4.5 miles south. Veer south (right) onto Colfax Lane (County Road 119). Follow this road straight until you reach a T-intersection with Country Road 120 (South Colony Road). Turn right and follow this road 1.5 miles to the trailhead. 4WD vehicles can continue for as many as four more miles to a high trailhead at 11,000 feet. This road is notoriously bad and sometimes a gate may block it off at 9,800 feet.
ROUTES
South Face (class 3, moderate snow)-
The South Face route on Crestone Peak is almost always the easiest route on the peak. However, this route is long, complicated and almost always entails ascending some moderate sections of snow. From South Colony Lakes, climb a couloir to Broken Hand Pass. Descend to Cottonwood Lake (accessible via a long trail through private property with permission) and climb a vague couloir up the south face to a notch between the main summit and a sub-summit. Scramble a couple hundred more feet to the top.
Northwest Couloir (class 3, steep snow/ice)-
This route is more straightforward and entails less elevation gain than the South Face route, but is generally more difficult and dangerous. Depending on conditions, the couloir with either be a steep but good snow climb, or a mess of icy, rubble-infested ledges. A helmet, crampons and ice axe are recommended in almost any season.
Peak to Needle Traverse (class 5.2, moderate snow)- This popular and challenging traverse is listed in Gerry Roach's guidebook Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs as "one of Colorado's four great Fourteener traverses" and for good reason. This route is a spectacular way to visit both of these astounding Colorado peaks. Though originally listed as class 4, standard consensus these days is that there is some limited low class 5 terrain on this route. The most popular way to tackle this route is by climbing Crestone Peak's Northwest Couloir route first, traversing from Peak to Needle, and descending Crestone Needle's South Face. Arguments have been made for doing the traverse in the opposite direction of for starting on the Peak's South Face route instead. This all depends on your skill and mountain conditions. One thing is for sure that this route is long, committing and complicated so plan accordingly.
North Pillar (class 5.8)-
This is the premier technical route on Crestone Peak, and one of the harder alpine climbing in the Sangres. It is not as popular or well-known as the Ellingwood Arete (see a video of climbers on the Ellingwood Arete) on Crestone Needle but is still worth mentioning here. The North Pillar is a ten-pitch climb on the mountain's northeast face, with the crux 5.8 pitch coming about two-thirds of the way up. Be prepared for runouts, complicated route-finding, and some unforgettable knob-pulling on the famous Sangre conglomerate!
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The South Colony Lakes are in the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness Area and special regulations apply. These mostly focus on the carryout of waste. Check out the fact sheet for the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness Area for more information.
LINKS
Crestone Peak on 14ers.com
The Crestones on mountainproject.com
Crestone Peak on Summitpost.org
Visit THE ARCHIVE: A list of most of our articles sorted by department
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
 |
| Late fall dusting of snow of Crestone Peak and its neighbor Crestone Needle |
Crestone Peak is a classic mountain, one that Colorado can be proud of. The Sangres in general leap from the surrounding valleys with abrupt and awe-inspiring sharpness. These mountains define what it means to be rugged. As Colorado's 7th highest peak, Crestone Peak is the tallest mountain in the state that requires class 3 scrambling to obtain its summit.
Composed of cobbled, conglomerate rock, Crestone Peak and its neighbors are unique to Colorado geology, and climbing them is an experience that no mountaineer, either native or visiting, could ever forget. It is a mountain and a range with a unique personality.
DIRECTIONS
South Colony Lake Trailhead- South Colony Lake is the ideal and most popular base camp for the majority of Crestone Peak routes. It is a good base of operations, in fact, for most of the neighboring peaks as well, making multiple-summit trips logistically viable. From Westcliffe, follow Highway 69 for 4.5 miles south. Veer south (right) onto Colfax Lane (County Road 119). Follow this road straight until you reach a T-intersection with Country Road 120 (South Colony Road). Turn right and follow this road 1.5 miles to the trailhead. 4WD vehicles can continue for as many as four more miles to a high trailhead at 11,000 feet. This road is notoriously bad and sometimes a gate may block it off at 9,800 feet.
ROUTES
South Face (class 3, moderate snow)-
The South Face route on Crestone Peak is almost always the easiest route on the peak. However, this route is long, complicated and almost always entails ascending some moderate sections of snow. From South Colony Lakes, climb a couloir to Broken Hand Pass. Descend to Cottonwood Lake (accessible via a long trail through private property with permission) and climb a vague couloir up the south face to a notch between the main summit and a sub-summit. Scramble a couple hundred more feet to the top.
Northwest Couloir (class 3, steep snow/ice)-
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| Crestone Peak stands proud |
Peak to Needle Traverse (class 5.2, moderate snow)- This popular and challenging traverse is listed in Gerry Roach's guidebook Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs as "one of Colorado's four great Fourteener traverses" and for good reason. This route is a spectacular way to visit both of these astounding Colorado peaks. Though originally listed as class 4, standard consensus these days is that there is some limited low class 5 terrain on this route. The most popular way to tackle this route is by climbing Crestone Peak's Northwest Couloir route first, traversing from Peak to Needle, and descending Crestone Needle's South Face. Arguments have been made for doing the traverse in the opposite direction of for starting on the Peak's South Face route instead. This all depends on your skill and mountain conditions. One thing is for sure that this route is long, committing and complicated so plan accordingly.
North Pillar (class 5.8)-
This is the premier technical route on Crestone Peak, and one of the harder alpine climbing in the Sangres. It is not as popular or well-known as the Ellingwood Arete (see a video of climbers on the Ellingwood Arete) on Crestone Needle but is still worth mentioning here. The North Pillar is a ten-pitch climb on the mountain's northeast face, with the crux 5.8 pitch coming about two-thirds of the way up. Be prepared for runouts, complicated route-finding, and some unforgettable knob-pulling on the famous Sangre conglomerate!
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The South Colony Lakes are in the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness Area and special regulations apply. These mostly focus on the carryout of waste. Check out the fact sheet for the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness Area for more information.
LINKS
Crestone Peak on 14ers.com
The Crestones on mountainproject.com
Crestone Peak on Summitpost.org
Visit THE ARCHIVE: A list of most of our articles sorted by department
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Peak of the Week: Arrow Peak (13,803 feet or 4207 m)
There are those in the Colorado mountaineering community who are convinced that the best mountains to climb in our great state are not the ultra-popular 14ers but the lesser-known but just as mighty 13ers. Arrow Peak, in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, is a testament to this.
At 13,803 feet, Arrow Peak falls just shy of hitting the "Centennial" List (Colorado's 100 highest peaks). In terms of rock quality, route aesthetics, and general fun potential, there is hardly a peak anywhere in the state that is more dramatic and fun to climb than Arrow.
When seen from the Colorado Trail alongside its more-famous companion, Vestal Peak, Arrow looks like a peak removed perhaps from the Tetons or one of the rugged ranges of Europe. Arrow Peak is a mountain Colorado can be proud of.
What makes Arrow even more enticing is that its foreboding slopes are not easy to climb. The easiest route, the Northeast Face, is a class 3-4 scramble with many thoughtful and complicated vertical feet. Luckily, the climb is on surprisingly solid quartzite which is unique to the San Juans. Though this route does not require a rope, it is exposed and intricate and not for the beginner.
Not surprisingly, Arrow's rugged escarpments are also home to several technical climbs, especially the North Ridge, a high-quality class 5.6 alpine route.
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| The Northeast Face of Arrow Peak |
The trailhead at Elk Park at the edge of the Weminuche Wilderness Area is accessible either by taking the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Durango or by hiking in from the Molas Pass Trailhead. The Molas Pass trailhead is two miles north of Molas Pass on Highway 550 in-between the turnoffs for Molas and Little Molas Lake campgrounds. This large dirt lot and trailhead is five miles south of Silverton.
ROUTES
Northeast Face (class 3)
This is the standard and easiest route on Arrow Peak. It is an amazing scramble up remarkably solid rock with amazing positions and views. Most people establish a base camp near 11,500 feet in Vestal Basin right at the foot of this route. From basecamp, follow the spiraling ramp up the northeast face of Arrow peak through some sustained and excellent scrambling to the summit.
North Ridge (class 5.6)
Though not as famous and not as aesthetic as its neighbor Wham Ridge, many argue that the North Ridge of Arrow is quite possibly the better climb of the two. It is longer and more sustained and a bit more difficult than its Vestal Peak sibling. The quartzite is as good as any in the San Juans, and the pitches and high quality and generally fairly well protected.
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| Arrow and Vestal Peak from the Colorado Trail |
An incredible route that climbs a buttress on the peak's west side. This incredible spire to a sub-summit can be see from the Beaver Ponds at 10,000 feet on the Colorado Trail. This is perhaps the most rugged and spectacular of all the Grenadier routes.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Arrow Peak is in the Weminuche Wilderness. As with all wilderness areas, special regulations apply. Arrow Peak has some unique features worth noting. Taking the train from Durango to the Elk Park station will cut off over 6 miles and 1,800 feet of additional gain and loss of elevation. This is helpful but costs $85 one way. Visit durangotrain.com for more information.
TRIP REPORTS
Dirty (Wet) 30: An Attempt at Arrow and Vestal Peaks to celebrate turning 30.
Arrow Peak on summitpost.org
North Ridge on mountainproject.com
Northeast Face on summitpost.org
Arrow Spire on mountainproject.com
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