| Southeast Ridge/Bancroft Bowl Route |
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| Southeast Ridge/Bancroft Bowl   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Colorado, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 39.83750°N / 105.7002°W Route Type: Hike or Ski Time Required: Most of a day Difficulty: Class 2 hiking/Advanced ski route
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| Page By: peakwolf Created/Edited: Oct 15, 2002 / Oct 15, 2002 Object ID: 157158 Hits: 1537 Loading... Page Score: 0% - 0 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Approach
Follow the directions to Loch Lomond in the Getting There section of the Mt. Bancroft page. The route starts at Loch Lomond or about a quarter mile before the lake.
Route Description
About a quarter mile before Loch Lomond head west into Bancroft basin. If you parked at the lake still head west into the basin. Although the ski route follows the bowl out, the easiest thing to do on the way up is heft your skis onto your back and hike the southeast ridge. The southeast ridge is also the hiking route. Although it is tempting to skin up directly into the bowl, it is very steep and in the morning it is hard and icy. You can hike up into the rather flat basin a little before accessing the ridge, but its easier to just contour southwest from the basin up to the ridge. Once on the ridge hike west then northwest to the summit. Note that the summit is actually farther than you think, you can't see the true summit until you are close to a shallow spot on the ridge. Once on the summit enjoy the amazing views of other peaks along the divide, including James to your north, Parry Peak to the west and Mt. Eva to the southwest. You might be able to see skiers on the southeast face of James Peak. If you are hiking you can just retrace your steps along the southeast ridge or if you are ambitious you can hike the 0.7 miles west for a class 2 ascent of Parry Peak, the highest summit along the ridge . You will have to hike back to Bancroft though if you left your car at Loch Lomond. For skiers, once on the summit you will need to head to skiers left (northwest) to access the bowl. Ski the gentle slopes of the summit to the top of the bowl. The snow up here can often be crusty. Just before the bowl steepens you can stop and take a look at the ski route. Bancroft Bowl is not for beginner skiers. It is very steep and the southside route described in the Indian Peak Descents book melts out a lot sooner than the bowl, so you may not have a choice about skiing the bowl. The steepest part of the bowl is just above Lake Caroline and often can be bypassed if the 40 degree chute is a little too much for you. Head directly down the bowl. Be warned that this bowl can slide and know your avalanche safety techniques. Do not ski this bowl if you got there too late and the snow is too wet. Also don't get too far over to skiers left because there are often slides on this far side of the bowl. You should plan to be skiing by around 11 am on a typical sunny spring day. Just before you come to the steepest part of the bowl, a wide chute between two rock outcroppings, you can head right to bypass this steepest section. The steep chute is in the 40 degree range, the "bailout" slopes are more in the 35 degree range. You might have to take off your skis to access the shallower slopes. At the bottom of the chute you can see the route down to Lake Caroline. Ski to the lake, often avoiding some rock outcroppings, and ski along the right (south) side of the lake. Ski west down the big bowl to Loch Lomond. These slopes are less steep and can be a blast, if the snow didn't get too soft yet. Once at Loch Lomond ski along the southwest shore until you find your car! The route described here is about 2800 ft of gain and 6 ½ miles route trip, if you can park near Loch Lomond.
Essential Gear
For hiking just bring what you normally would bring for an off trail hike. A glissade down the Bancroft Bowl could be a fun alternative to hiking down, so you might want a axe. For skiers, be sure to wear your beacon and bring avalanche rescue gear. You might find your skins useful on part of this climb especially if you have to ski up the road any distance.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
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Indian Peaks (CO)
