Solo from Castle Creek road near the last designated campsite. Avy debris is cleared from the road now and the road is an easy walk. Still some snow in Montezuma Basin. Traversed up and over Castle to Conundrum, then back over Castle as the glissade slope has a nasty loose scree field above it that lots of people were kicking rocks down.
eli.boardman - Dec 27, 2018 12:09 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2018
Traverse from Castle
With family and dogs; descended gully past lake; lots of pretty fire-weed down lower
MissH - Jun 24, 2018 11:51 am Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2018
Awesome glissade!
Hiked from Castle. Glissaded down from saddle. Two fun and steep glissades made for a quick descent.
Wheelbarrow - Feb 6, 2018 12:35 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2017
#39
Pushed my bike to the top of the miners road for a fun way to get back to the car. Easy connecting saddle–much appreciated. On this date the glissade was in stellar condition!
yadahzoemtn - Mar 18, 2017 5:04 pm Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2016
So glad to be here
Tried this one and Castle the week before and got rained out. But this time was good. Got Castle, tagged Conundrum and back over Castle.
#1 9-10-2016 After Castle Pk. With Lana on a very breezy morning. The trail between Castle and Conundrum is well defined. We didn't want to try the steep emery board masquerading as a short cut from the saddle so we chose to go back over Castle and never regretted that decision.
Bob is the best. Drove me to 12,500 feet in a 25 year old Ford. Kind man, great spirit, one cool dude. His friend Dave was awesome, too. That guy can break trail! Dave's daughter Miriam is no slouch either, rocketing up the moraine sections. To get her 42nd and 43rd 14er! I did Castle for the 2nd time and Condom (joke, you know I mean Conundrum) the first time. Easy except for the descent from the saddle. Steep sandy rock exited onto a steep frozen glissade path. Dave went first, slid a very fast 50 feet onto a rock patch, hitting full speed and cutting his hand. Then Miriam repeated the treachery, it was almost impossible not to. I had given her my axe but she dropped it half way down. Then Bob slides next, grabs my axe in speedy mid-glissade, and performs a textbook self arrest, a la Jason Bourne. Calm as a cucumber. Or cool. Or whichever. Great day with 3 great folks.
Onager - Aug 30, 2015 10:16 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2015
Castle + Conundrum
Today I climbed 14,265 ft. Castle Peak and 14,060 ft. Conundrum Peak in Colorado's Elk Range. After work on Saturday I drove up Independence Pass towards Aspen. I camped after driving up a rough 4WD road which included a river crossing. I started from camp at 11,000 ft. at 5AM and made fast progress on Northeast Ridge route. I made the summit of Castle at 8:30 AM and proceeded down to the col between Castle Peak and my next target, Conundrum Peak. I made the summit of Conundrum at approx. 9:15AM and then had to re-summit Castle Peak. I made it back to camp at 11:45AM. Epic day and 31 Colorado 14ers done!
Senad Rizvanovic - Jul 13, 2015 8:26 am Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2015
Traverse from Castle
Short and easy traverse from Castle Peak, great views!
ericd - Aug 16, 2014 12:14 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 2014
Even better views
Traversed from Castle's crowd. Initial downclimb was the steepest but was a short distance and took less than 1hr. Thought this highpoint had better views all around than Castle. Snow couloir looked tempting but with an ice ax.
Alex Wood - Jul 14, 2014 2:07 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2014
Castle and Conudrum via the Conundrum Couloir
Left the bridge at 6am and got to the summit of Conundrum Peak by 10:15am. There was snow down to about 12k, maybe a little lower. The traverse to Castle was easy (a little hard in ski boots). I was hoping to ski off the summit of Castle, but we were two weeks late..bleh. So I skied the Castle headwall and got about 2k vert on the descent.
DanielL - Oct 9, 2013 12:30 am Date Climbed: Jun 27, 2013
Castle & Conundrum Combo
Enjoyed a beautiful early summer day on Castle and Conundrum. This was a great climb for my first ice axe self arrest/glissade experience!
Fletch - Dec 28, 2012 4:42 pm Date Climbed: May 19, 2012
w/ tmathews
as our guide. fun day!
milan - Oct 21, 2012 5:20 pm Date Climbed: Sep 19, 2010
Last for next 2 years!
Great trip, fall weather, nice and sunny, warm at the trailhead and freezing above timber line. Golden leaves of Aspens. Great weekend.
BLong - Sep 13, 2012 11:18 am Date Climbed: Sep 9, 2012
Fun link-up
I scrambled from Cathedral Lake up unnamed 13,828' and then traversed the 2nd - 4th class ridge-line to summit Conundrum Peak and Castle Peak. I was also hoping to summit Cathedral Peak from the ridge-line on 13,828, but did not have time. I descended via the main hiking trail on Castle Peak. The ridge between 13,828 and Conundrum Peak was a blast, including several towers to navigate over/around.
tehbea5t - Aug 21, 2019 5:43 am Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2019
Castle + ConundrumWorth grabbing after Castle. Adds 1-1.5 hours to the hike.
chicagotransplant - Aug 19, 2019 8:18 am Date Climbed: Aug 17, 2019
via CastleSolo from Castle Creek road near the last designated campsite. Avy debris is cleared from the road now and the road is an easy walk. Still some snow in Montezuma Basin. Traversed up and over Castle to Conundrum, then back over Castle as the glissade slope has a nasty loose scree field above it that lots of people were kicking rocks down.
eli.boardman - Dec 27, 2018 12:09 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2018
Traverse from CastleWith family and dogs; descended gully past lake; lots of pretty fire-weed down lower
MissH - Jun 24, 2018 11:51 am Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2018
Awesome glissade!Hiked from Castle. Glissaded down from saddle. Two fun and steep glissades made for a quick descent.
Wheelbarrow - Feb 6, 2018 12:35 am Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2017
#39Pushed my bike to the top of the miners road for a fun way to get back to the car. Easy connecting saddle–much appreciated. On this date the glissade was in stellar condition!
yadahzoemtn - Mar 18, 2017 5:04 pm Date Climbed: Sep 11, 2016
So glad to be hereTried this one and Castle the week before and got rained out. But this time was good. Got Castle, tagged Conundrum and back over Castle.
utclimber - Oct 16, 2016 5:19 pm
Castle and ConundrumVisited Conundrum after my first trip to Castle Peak.
Moogie737 - Sep 11, 2016 12:54 pm Date Climbed: Sep 10, 2016
With Castle#1 9-10-2016 After Castle Pk. With Lana on a very breezy morning. The trail between Castle and Conundrum is well defined. We didn't want to try the steep emery board masquerading as a short cut from the saddle so we chose to go back over Castle and never regretted that decision.
BradBartick - Jul 25, 2016 7:40 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2016
Fun short day thanks to Bob, Dave, and Miriam...Bob is the best. Drove me to 12,500 feet in a 25 year old Ford. Kind man, great spirit, one cool dude. His friend Dave was awesome, too. That guy can break trail! Dave's daughter Miriam is no slouch either, rocketing up the moraine sections. To get her 42nd and 43rd 14er! I did Castle for the 2nd time and Condom (joke, you know I mean Conundrum) the first time. Easy except for the descent from the saddle. Steep sandy rock exited onto a steep frozen glissade path. Dave went first, slid a very fast 50 feet onto a rock patch, hitting full speed and cutting his hand. Then Miriam repeated the treachery, it was almost impossible not to. I had given her my axe but she dropped it half way down. Then Bob slides next, grabs my axe in speedy mid-glissade, and performs a textbook self arrest, a la Jason Bourne. Calm as a cucumber. Or cool. Or whichever. Great day with 3 great folks.
Onager - Aug 30, 2015 10:16 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2015
Castle + ConundrumToday I climbed 14,265 ft. Castle Peak and 14,060 ft. Conundrum Peak in Colorado's Elk Range. After work on Saturday I drove up Independence Pass towards Aspen. I camped after driving up a rough 4WD road which included a river crossing. I started from camp at 11,000 ft. at 5AM and made fast progress on Northeast Ridge route. I made the summit of Castle at 8:30 AM and proceeded down to the col between Castle Peak and my next target, Conundrum Peak. I made the summit of Conundrum at approx. 9:15AM and then had to re-summit Castle Peak. I made it back to camp at 11:45AM. Epic day and 31 Colorado 14ers done!
Senad Rizvanovic - Jul 13, 2015 8:26 am Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2015
Traverse from CastleShort and easy traverse from Castle Peak, great views!
ericd - Aug 16, 2014 12:14 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 2014
Even better viewsTraversed from Castle's crowd. Initial downclimb was the steepest but was a short distance and took less than 1hr. Thought this highpoint had better views all around than Castle. Snow couloir looked tempting but with an ice ax.
Alex Wood - Jul 14, 2014 2:07 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2014
Castle and Conudrum via the Conundrum CouloirLeft the bridge at 6am and got to the summit of Conundrum Peak by 10:15am. There was snow down to about 12k, maybe a little lower. The traverse to Castle was easy (a little hard in ski boots). I was hoping to ski off the summit of Castle, but we were two weeks late..bleh. So I skied the Castle headwall and got about 2k vert on the descent.
DanielL - Oct 9, 2013 12:30 am Date Climbed: Jun 27, 2013
Castle & Conundrum ComboEnjoyed a beautiful early summer day on Castle and Conundrum. This was a great climb for my first ice axe self arrest/glissade experience!
Daria - Jul 29, 2013 3:26 pm Date Climbed: Jul 21, 2013
with CastleHiked 5 miles up the 4wd road, with Castle. Was disheartening to see all the Jeeps driving up and down the roads...while we walked.
Hyadventure - Jul 11, 2013 4:40 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2013
Traverse from CastleNeed to go back earlier in the year to do one of the snow routes.
astroclimber - Jul 6, 2013 9:42 pm Date Climbed: Jul 28, 2012
soggy climbAfter Castle, with Sarah and Jill
Fletch - Dec 28, 2012 4:42 pm Date Climbed: May 19, 2012
w/ tmathewsas our guide. fun day!
milan - Oct 21, 2012 5:20 pm Date Climbed: Sep 19, 2010
Last for next 2 years!Great trip, fall weather, nice and sunny, warm at the trailhead and freezing above timber line. Golden leaves of Aspens. Great weekend.
BLong - Sep 13, 2012 11:18 am Date Climbed: Sep 9, 2012
Fun link-upI scrambled from Cathedral Lake up unnamed 13,828' and then traversed the 2nd - 4th class ridge-line to summit Conundrum Peak and Castle Peak. I was also hoping to summit Cathedral Peak from the ridge-line on 13,828, but did not have time. I descended via the main hiking trail on Castle Peak. The ridge between 13,828 and Conundrum Peak was a blast, including several towers to navigate over/around.