Several weeks ago, I sent an email out to my regular climbing partners, Alan Arnette and Patrick Vall, to see if they had any interest in returning to Crestone Peak (14,294') and Crestone Needle (14,197'). Both had done these peaks on different trips but these were 2 mountains on my 2010 summit list to complete. Unfortunately Patrick was unavailable and Alan replied "only if we do the traverse." The traverse is considered one of the 4 great 14,000' climbs among the 14er group and one of the more difficult due to route finding, rock scrambling, and exposure. I was tentative about this traverse but agreed - what better way to gain more skills.
Alan and I left Denver Friday afternoon and 3.5 hours later we were at the trailhead, geared and ready for our 4 mile hike to base camp. We arrived at camp around 6 PM, set up our tents, ate dinner, and set the alarm for a 3:40 AM wake-up call. It arrived too soon but we were greeted by clear skies and tons of stars! We left camp at 4 AM to climb Broken Hand Pass - a several hundred foot scree slope to a weakness in the mountain. From there we descended to a beautiful lake valley and made our way to the Red Gully. The Red Gully is a polished, red rock section that climbers take to within 200' of the summit block. The hiking/climbing was moderately hard but manageable and soon enough we were on the summit of Crestone Peak. But the "fun" was only beginning....
To reach the traverse entry point between Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle, one has to descend 600-700' from the saddle of Crestone Peak. We spent some time attempting to find the entry point and eventually found a strong climbers trail - the traverse! The traverse is a slog of upclimb and downclimb between gullies and fractured rock to an obvious rock formation called the Black Gendarme. From this point on, the climbing gets more serious due to exposure - a fall in some portions is fatal. We took our time finding the safest route and eventually found ourselves at the base of the crux. The crux is an 80' climb on 70-80 degree rock with solid hand and foot holds. Alan was a spider monkey on this portion and free climbed it to the top. I, on the other hand, was a marmot but fortunately was able to tie into a rope from an earlier team that ascended this portion 10 minutes before us. Tied into a safety system, I climbed the 80' crux with no problem and soon enjoyed the summit of Crestone Needle. The remainder of the trip was a slog of a downclimb via the standard route off the Needle back to camp and exhaustive rest.
Overall, the Crestones are quite a beautiful range of mountains and I felt both spent from the exertion yet happy to have climbed these mountains. Next on the agenda, an attempt on Capitol, Wilson, and El Diente this weekend. The "list" grows shorter but my happiness in the mountains continue to grow...
Climb On my friends....
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