Climbed with Tracy (gurlyclimber). We were hoping for sustained knobby conglomerate and the gully really didn't offer it so we mostly climbed the knobby face to the right of the gully to make it more interesting. We descended the gully though because we didn't want to downclimb all of the class 4 stuff we found on the way up. Had the summit to ourselves once again!
km_donovan - Apr 28, 2006 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2005
Route Climbed: South face & NW couloir Date Climbed: July 22, 2005
A hot day to start. flies and mosquitos were very bad.
ascented via the Red Couloir which was actually quite nice. Solid rock. Spent about 15 minutes at the top and descended via the NW couloir. I would reccommend going up via this route and down the Red. The rock is much looser. There was still snow and water running down the center. The ledges going around were tricky to navigate. Nothing bad but pay attention. Got back to the truck and collapsed. About a 12 hour day.
Route Climbed: Red Coulior Date Climbed: September 18, 2005
This was an awesome climb coming from the Cottonwood Creek trailhead. We got a little lost where the two creeks split, but thanks to good topo reading we dropped into Cottonwood Lake from the saddle next to Broken Hand Pass adding quite a few miles to the approach.
Route Climbed: Red Couloir Date Climbed: September 18, 2005
Two weeks before I got turned around on a solo of the North West Couloir (this route should be done as a steep snow climb in late Spring). If anyone ventures into the NW Couloir as a late summer route... bring a helmet, short rope, crampons, self-belay equip./belayer and a hammer/ax as it had hard ice even on Sept. 7th. I had golf ball sized rocks fly by consistently- every 5 or 10 minutes. On the 18th, I summitted via the beautifully dry, relatively solid Red Couloir. See my photo of the nearly invisible cutoff from the main valley to the Cottonwood Creek fork- this is truly the crux of the entire southern route. This very important saddle is just north of the top of the boiler plates. Awesome solid scrambling up the Red Couloir!!!
Route Climbed: South Face Date Climbed: Sept 17, 2005
This Peak is much easier than it's made out to be!!! The Red Coulier offers some FUN class 3 climbing:-) I'd compare it to the Homestretch on Long's Peak.... only MUCH longer. We had a blast!
Route Climbed: South Face Date Climbed: August 2004
Awesome Summit! The approach trail from the Cottonwood Trailhead can be quite tricky at 11:00 P.M.. Also, I was bit by a marmot near Cottonwood Lake (totally unprovoked)!
Route Climbed: South Face/Red Couloir Date Climbed: Aug. 21, 2005
Great climb with 14er partner Alan (Alana). Original plan was to do traverse to Needle, but clouds and tired quads thought otherwise. Went back over Broken Hand Pass and back to South Colony Lakes for a long, but incredible, day.
Route Climbed: Red Couloir Date Climbed: August 9, 2005
fun ascent, and the summit was breathtaking. slipped on some black ice coming down, slid 100 feet down a ice patch before crashing into some rocks. what a scary moment, be careful up there! it was an epic journey......and i'd do it again.
Route Climbed: Northwest Couloir Date Climbed: 24 Jul 2005
Climbed the North Couloir from Colony Lakes 4x4 TH with Brad Snider. I didn't expect to have to scramble so much on the walk from Humboldt to Bears Playground. The couloir was almost completely devoid of snow, but had quite a lot of water running down it. We continued on and traversed to the Needle afterwards.
Brian Kalet - Jun 19, 2006 7:07 pm Date Climbed: Jun 17, 2006
North ButtressFrom Humboldt Peak, Point 13290 and East Crestone. En route to Crestone Needle. Trip Report
Foxy Long Bottoms - Jun 12, 2006 3:08 pm Date Climbed: Jun 10, 2006
Our own variationWhat he said. :-)
chicagotransplant - Jun 12, 2006 2:58 pm Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2006
Red Gully right side variationClimbed with Tracy (gurlyclimber). We were hoping for sustained knobby conglomerate and the gully really didn't offer it so we mostly climbed the knobby face to the right of the gully to make it more interesting. We descended the gully though because we didn't want to downclimb all of the class 4 stuff we found on the way up. Had the summit to ourselves once again!
km_donovan - Apr 28, 2006 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2005
Route Climbed: Red CouliorGreat climb! Details in the trip report :
… and he’s climbing a stairway to Crestone…
bajaandy - Mar 9, 2006 3:57 am
A long time agoFirst 14ner when I was just a lad of 15. This is the one that bit me, and I've had the bug ever since. Climbed it with COBS.
MarieP - Mar 6, 2006 4:35 pm Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2005
South FaceWanted to do the traverse to the Needle but had to bail because of bad weather.
markhyams - Mar 2, 2006 11:40 pm Date Climbed: Sep 3, 1995
South FaceWent over Broken Hand Pass intent on doing the traverse to the Needle, but we pooped out.
Mountain Jim - Feb 9, 2006 11:35 pm
Route Climbed: From Crestone Needle Date Climbed: August 1968Climbed both summits because in those days we didn't know which was the highest.
jomal - Feb 6, 2006 1:05 am
Route Climbed: Red Coulior Date Climbed: July 2005Climbed right after climbing the Needle, so we were pretty tired. A fair amount of snow, so we had to go off route a bit, but a fun, easy climb.
Kiefer - Jan 21, 2006 12:50 pm
Route Climbed: South face & NW couloir Date Climbed: July 22, 2005A hot day to start. flies and mosquitos were very bad.
ascented via the Red Couloir which was actually quite nice. Solid rock. Spent about 15 minutes at the top and descended via the NW couloir. I would reccommend going up via this route and down the Red. The rock is much looser. There was still snow and water running down the center. The ledges going around were tricky to navigate. Nothing bad but pay attention. Got back to the truck and collapsed. About a 12 hour day.
1mvertical - Jan 4, 2006 5:03 pm
Route Climbed: Red Couloir Date Climbed: August 3, 2004Took half the time we thought it would. Be very careful of rock fall. A couple of big ones went past me on the descent.
brandon - Oct 1, 2005 2:10 pm
Route Climbed: North Buttress with direct start Date Climbed: 8/13/05Fun stuff, climbing in a whiteout all morn, bailed on the traverse, return pver Broken hand pass... with Andrew
hoopyfrood - Sep 27, 2005 12:33 pm
Route Climbed: Red Coulior Date Climbed: September 18, 2005This was an awesome climb coming from the Cottonwood Creek trailhead. We got a little lost where the two creeks split, but thanks to good topo reading we dropped into Cottonwood Lake from the saddle next to Broken Hand Pass adding quite a few miles to the approach.
K_G_Wright - Sep 23, 2005 4:34 pm
Route Climbed: Red Couloir Date Climbed: September 18, 2005Two weeks before I got turned around on a solo of the North West Couloir (this route should be done as a steep snow climb in late Spring). If anyone ventures into the NW Couloir as a late summer route... bring a helmet, short rope, crampons, self-belay equip./belayer and a hammer/ax as it had hard ice even on Sept. 7th. I had golf ball sized rocks fly by consistently- every 5 or 10 minutes. On the 18th, I summitted via the beautifully dry, relatively solid Red Couloir. See my photo of the nearly invisible cutoff from the main valley to the Cottonwood Creek fork- this is truly the crux of the entire southern route. This very important saddle is just north of the top of the boiler plates. Awesome solid scrambling up the Red Couloir!!!
ktiffany22 - Sep 18, 2005 7:58 pm
Route Climbed: South Face Date Climbed: Sept 17, 2005This Peak is much easier than it's made out to be!!! The Red Coulier offers some FUN class 3 climbing:-) I'd compare it to the Homestretch on Long's Peak.... only MUCH longer. We had a blast!
Mike Mc - Aug 28, 2005 10:23 pm
Route Climbed: South Face Date Climbed: August 2004Awesome Summit! The approach trail from the Cottonwood Trailhead can be quite tricky at 11:00 P.M.. Also, I was bit by a marmot near Cottonwood Lake (totally unprovoked)!
shanrickv - Aug 22, 2005 1:14 am
Route Climbed: South Face/Red Couloir Date Climbed: Aug. 21, 2005Great climb with 14er partner Alan (Alana). Original plan was to do traverse to Needle, but clouds and tired quads thought otherwise. Went back over Broken Hand Pass and back to South Colony Lakes for a long, but incredible, day.
shanahan96 - Aug 14, 2005 3:31 am
Route Climbed: Red Couloir Date Climbed: August 9, 2005fun ascent, and the summit was breathtaking. slipped on some black ice coming down, slid 100 feet down a ice patch before crashing into some rocks. what a scary moment, be careful up there! it was an epic journey......and i'd do it again.
jamie
doumall - Aug 4, 2005 12:48 pm
Route Climbed: South Couloir Date Climbed: July 30th 2005Cottonwood Creek approach is amazing. Awsome, relaxing day. 48th 14er!
bc44caesar - Jul 25, 2005 1:19 am
Route Climbed: Northwest Couloir Date Climbed: 24 Jul 2005Climbed the North Couloir from Colony Lakes 4x4 TH with Brad Snider. I didn't expect to have to scramble so much on the walk from Humboldt to Bears Playground. The couloir was almost completely devoid of snow, but had quite a lot of water running down it. We continued on and traversed to the Needle afterwards.