From: ajs@hpfcla.HP.COM (Alan Silverstein)
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 86 17:11:54 MDT
Subject: Re: Trip reports: the last six Fourteeners
Newsgroups: hpnc.general

Sunday, August 31: Crestone Peak (14294')

This was one of my toughest Fourteener climbs, largely because of conditions -- recent hailstone snow on many narrow ledges, and glare ice on the upper rocks. Even on a good day it would be no picnic. The south approach, dropping 600' into a valley, might be a much better way to do this peak.

The first light on Crestone Needle was crimson-orange again, but not as unique and spectacular as the morning before. Chuck and I said goodbye to Paul and Carolyn at their tent, as they'd only come up for a climb of Kit Carson and a hike back out. We started up at 0715, much the same way as the day before -- but this time avoiding the willows, on the main trail. This, the normal way to the Peak, doesn't lose any height enroute, as it takes you north and west around to the north face, but it puts you into a terrible couloir for the last 500' or so.

We had fantasies of completing the classic Peak to Needle traverse, despite being tired and facing afternoon storms. Knowing we probably wouldn't make it, we headed for the Peak first. Why? Paul advised us that upclimbing the infamous "red couloir" would be easier than downclimbing (if we didn't come back that way), and that reaching the top of the Needle would be likewise easier than downclimbing off it. Besides, I wanted to get the tougher of the two peaks out of the way!

We reached the Bears Playground in about the same amount of time as the day before, but today we swung hard left up the ridge towards Crestone Peak. All previous advice was to take the highest route possible, but we still didn't go high enough. It's directest and easiest to stay right on top of the ridge (or near it) until you reach a marked path, I saw later from above.

The seam on my right boot was coming loose at the sole, so I had to tie some nylon line around it. This didn't fix it completely, and hiking in a loose boot wasn't very smart, but one thing I hadn't had time for the night before was visiting the Jeep to pick up an old, spare pair. The fix worked surprisingly well -- it took all day to wear through that piece of line.

The route took us up and across beneath some near-cliffs of conglomerate rock on the north side of the Peak. There was some hesitation as we had to climb about 20' up a narrow crack between the mountain and a huge, calving-off boulder. But it was definitely the easiest route on this side. A couple of short downs and ups around from the top of the crack brought us to the ice (not snow, this time of year) field across the couloir, to our left. (Nothing but air to our right!)

It was treacherous, to say the least. Steep, exposed, and almost rock-hard. 100' across the way a couple of groups had somehow come up the gully on rotten red slabrock, including one person attempting his last Fourteener. They had a 150' rope, but decided upclimbing the ice was too hazardous, and used it to belay some people back down the gully. (Eventually two of them came low around the left side and the one finishing his last peak made it the same way I did.)

Chuck wasn't feeling well and neither of us was thrilled about this obstacle. After resting awhile, we decided he'd head down alone from there, while I joined another person coming up. Not long after that, as I surveyed above for alternate routes, a pair of people came down a steep ledge-and-crack section, confirming it was do-able.

I climbed about 200' up this way with the other person below me. This has GOT to be the easiest way up the north face, but it's no picnic. Steep, exposed, and slow going. There's a ledge cutting right, with cairns, that takes you to a 50' downclimb, then around into the red couloir, this time at least 100' above the snowfield.

But that wasn't the worst of it. The couloir exists because it's a softer rock (sandstone?) than the surrounding conglomerate. It's steep and there are few reliable handholds. Add the hard-packed hailstone snow on most of the little ledges, and I needed real determination and care to keep going. Oh yes, did I mention the uncertain weather overhead? Clouds building in all directions, but no sure signs of lightning. (Fortunately there was none nearby all day.)

I toiled up the gully, one careful move at a time. The last 50' or so is the worst, a pair of equally steep, narrow cracks to choose from. It's quite a relief to reach the small but spacious saddle at the top! Here you're between two peaks of almost equal height, about 150' above you, with a great view SE to Crestone Needle less than two miles away. I raced up the boulders to the right-hand peak, which is shown on the map to be taller, arriving on top at 1225 (a long 5:10 for only 2800' total gain), shortly before the other person.

The Crestone summits are complex and interesting, with many spires above 14000'. The main peak is unusual in that it's more a rounded knob (though not that simple) than a ridgetop. As it sits back from the main ridge to the Needle, you can't see over to the South Colony basin, but there are plenty of other landmarks -- the Sand Dunes, Kit Carson, the Needle, and Humboldt, for instance.

The weather permitted me 1/2 hour to enjoy the summit, wondering if distant thunderbooms were getting any closer. Then I and the other fellow started back. He paused at the saddle to recoil a long rope, so I ran up the east sub-peak in about two minutes. Now THERE'S a neat peak, a narrow ridgetop with a sheer drop of about 2000' down the NE side to the basin. Cliffs upon cliffs, all the way to the Needle.

I dropped back to the saddle at about 1310 and started the precarious, nefarious, scariest climb down. What a bitch. Enough said.

Once out of the couloir I spent a long time resting and chatting with the fellow who'd finished his last peak (just behind us), and his friend who'd done the same five years ago. The former is a doctor in Grand Junction -- who knew of the doctor I clobbered with a rock on Mount Wilson. We had an interesting discussion while the clouds stayed away.

Being refreshed and eager to get back, I followed cairns on a grassy slope down the first gully past the NE face of the subpeak. That was a mistake -- I fought about 200' of intensely steep rocks at one point. I knew I was in trouble when I came across some old webbing left behind by folks who'd used a rope! Well, I found reasonably safe (though slow) ways to downclimb, using my ice axe at one point on some snow. The crumbly, loose, garbage talus at the bottom was a relief after that.

I reached the upper lake at 1635, camp (and Chuck, who'd had a fine afternoon mellowing out on Mother Nature) at 1715, and the Jeep (for a new old pair of boots) at 1810 or so. And still got to bed by 2010.