Slept above Lake Como, right at the turn-off from the trail towards Blanca/Elingwood. Hourglass did not seem so bad, just loose rocks could be really dangerous, but I was the first one to summit that cold am.
heather14 - Jun 1, 2009 9:30 pm Date Climbed: May 31, 2009
Snow Climb
I think this is my favorite 14er ascent to date. The snow was continuous all the way to the top and in prime condition.
Did this a few years back in February. Despite some post holing it was great. No one else around, in tee shirts (which became jackets very quickly when we stopped) as we approached the summit in perfect winter conditions.
Mots010 - Aug 31, 2008 8:52 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2008
LB-->Blanca-->Ellingwood
Hourglass is sketch. The traverse is stunning.
HokieJim - Aug 23, 2008 3:42 pm Date Climbed: Apr 27, 2008
What a day!
Never thought I would set foot on that summit! Unbelievably fun climb in great snow conditions!
msihl - Aug 20, 2008 2:28 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2008
NW buttress with class 5 variation
Climbed with Sarp and Paul. Tough 5.6-5.7 section, very icy and slippery...rappelled down the hour glass. 6 hrs up, 6.5 hrs down from Lake Como.
davebobk47 - Jul 28, 2008 9:58 am Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2008
Hourglass
Climbed via the hourglass; lots of water. No one else on the route. Clouds rolled in just before noon. 7 hours round trip from Lake Como camp, started 0530.
Gahugafuga - Jul 13, 2008 1:43 am Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2008
W Ridge
Wet rock made for a tricky ascent and even trickier descent. Several others were on route simultaneously but everyone was good about not kicking down anything too big. Still, I could hear rockfalls occurring all over the mountain which was a little spooky.
Kiefer - May 19, 2008 7:48 pm Date Climbed: May 18, 2008
Snow climb
Definately much easier with snow. That ridge traverse to Blanca should be ready in another couple weeks.
Eric Holle - May 15, 2008 12:08 am Date Climbed: May 11, 2008
Hourglass
After summiting Ellingwood and Blanca the day before, Ben L and I ascended the Hourglass route on Little Bear Pk in thinning snow conditions with a bit of ice peeking out. Exciting and rewarding summit!
We summited! 2 hour driving "boot delay," flat tire on the hwy delay, vehicle road-blocking on Como-lake road delay and cause for extra hiking with camping gear in hand... but we made it! Climbing this is in snow (very avy prone so be careful about conditions) is totally the way to do it to avoid rockfall danger! We EARNED this summit!!!
Perfect snow conditions in the hourglass as I summitted with Hokiejim and ktiffany22. We camped at 10.2K at the sites along Como Lake Rd and bushwacked all the way up the west ridge to meet the standard route. Slope angle was meaured at 40-45 degrees below/to the rap anchors and there was a very short 50 degree slope just below the summit. Climbing on stable snow is the way to do Little Bear!
I really liked this mountain and didn't think the hourglass was too bad, but a marmot did eat my hat at the base of it.
SarahThompson - Mar 13, 2008 1:38 pm Date Climbed: Sep 17, 2005
Hourglass / NW Face & Winter Ascent
9/17/05 - Climbed the hourglass route from camp at Lake Como.
6/10/06 - One day blitz of the Lake Como Trio. Climbed the NW Face of Little Bear, did the classic traverse to Blanca, stayed on the ridge to Ellingwood, and descended Ellingwood's SW ridge.
2/28/09 - Climbed the NW Face (protected everything from the black hand, up). Descended the standard Hourglass route. 18 hrs car to car. NW Face = cold in winter
MountainHikerCO - Feb 22, 2008 8:40 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2001
Lightning
This was my second climb of Little Bear. We did the standard hourglass route. We were hurried by lightning on the return.
MountainHikerCO - Feb 22, 2008 8:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 1994
Hourglass
This was my first climb of Little Bear. We did the stardard West Ridge route through the Hourglass from Como Lake.
tomlauren - Feb 3, 2008 7:02 am Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2007
Little Bear - Blanca - Ellingwood Pt in a day
From camp at Lake Como, climbed the West Ridge of Little Bear, performed the traverse to Blanca Peak, then descended Blanca's Northwest Face to Ellingwood Point's South Face with my friend Keith. The hourglass wasn't too bad. I never touched the ropes, but I also have a rock climbing background. We saw a little bear while hiking up the jeep road to Lake Como. Kind of ironic.
Climbed Blanca traversed to LB and then reversed the LB-Blanca traverse to descend since I wasn't sure what the standard route up LB is. Don't recommend doing the same.
Mike Mc - Sep 16, 2007 11:50 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
Hourglass
Hourglass to LB/Blanca Traverse to Blanca/Ellingwood Ridge to Ellingwood SW Ridge. The 'Hourglass' was not as bad as I expected; however, it was dry and we were alone on the peak. We dislodged a few rocks and these puppies sure were missiles heading down the gully. As for the fixed lines, double check the mess of anchors...quite a bit of the webbing (and ropes for that matter) looked sketch, to say the least!
did it midweek... I got chased down last year by hail and lightning. This year I didnt have that problem at all. No one else on the route while I was there that day. The hourglass was not as bad as it hyped to be in my opinion. I think that I had played it up in my mind some. Lots of loose rock. no question.
Liba Kopeckova - Jul 8, 2009 4:43 am
from Lake ComoSlept above Lake Como, right at the turn-off from the trail towards Blanca/Elingwood. Hourglass did not seem so bad, just loose rocks could be really dangerous, but I was the first one to summit that cold am.
heather14 - Jun 1, 2009 9:30 pm Date Climbed: May 31, 2009
Snow ClimbI think this is my favorite 14er ascent to date. The snow was continuous all the way to the top and in prime condition.
Pablohoney - Mar 28, 2009 6:51 pm
AwesomeDid this a few years back in February. Despite some post holing it was great. No one else around, in tee shirts (which became jackets very quickly when we stopped) as we approached the summit in perfect winter conditions.
Mots010 - Aug 31, 2008 8:52 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2008
LB-->Blanca-->EllingwoodHourglass is sketch. The traverse is stunning.
HokieJim - Aug 23, 2008 3:42 pm Date Climbed: Apr 27, 2008
What a day!Never thought I would set foot on that summit! Unbelievably fun climb in great snow conditions!
msihl - Aug 20, 2008 2:28 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2008
NW buttress with class 5 variationClimbed with Sarp and Paul. Tough 5.6-5.7 section, very icy and slippery...rappelled down the hour glass. 6 hrs up, 6.5 hrs down from Lake Como.
davebobk47 - Jul 28, 2008 9:58 am Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2008
HourglassClimbed via the hourglass; lots of water. No one else on the route. Clouds rolled in just before noon. 7 hours round trip from Lake Como camp, started 0530.
Gahugafuga - Jul 13, 2008 1:43 am Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2008
W RidgeWet rock made for a tricky ascent and even trickier descent. Several others were on route simultaneously but everyone was good about not kicking down anything too big. Still, I could hear rockfalls occurring all over the mountain which was a little spooky.
Kiefer - May 19, 2008 7:48 pm Date Climbed: May 18, 2008
Snow climbDefinately much easier with snow. That ridge traverse to Blanca should be ready in another couple weeks.
Eric Holle - May 15, 2008 12:08 am Date Climbed: May 11, 2008
HourglassAfter summiting Ellingwood and Blanca the day before, Ben L and I ascended the Hourglass route on Little Bear Pk in thinning snow conditions with a bit of ice peeking out. Exciting and rewarding summit!
ktiffany22 - Apr 28, 2008 6:15 pm Date Climbed: Apr 27, 2008
Against all oddsWe summited! 2 hour driving "boot delay," flat tire on the hwy delay, vehicle road-blocking on Como-lake road delay and cause for extra hiking with camping gear in hand... but we made it! Climbing this is in snow (very avy prone so be careful about conditions) is totally the way to do it to avoid rockfall danger! We EARNED this summit!!!
shknbke - Apr 28, 2008 5:51 pm Date Climbed: Apr 27, 2008
Hourglass/West ridge from roadPerfect snow conditions in the hourglass as I summitted with Hokiejim and ktiffany22. We camped at 10.2K at the sites along Como Lake Rd and bushwacked all the way up the west ridge to meet the standard route. Slope angle was meaured at 40-45 degrees below/to the rap anchors and there was a very short 50 degree slope just below the summit. Climbing on stable snow is the way to do Little Bear!
astrobassman - Mar 21, 2008 3:49 pm
Fun MountainI really liked this mountain and didn't think the hourglass was too bad, but a marmot did eat my hat at the base of it.
SarahThompson - Mar 13, 2008 1:38 pm Date Climbed: Sep 17, 2005
Hourglass / NW Face & Winter Ascent9/17/05 - Climbed the hourglass route from camp at Lake Como.
6/10/06 - One day blitz of the Lake Como Trio. Climbed the NW Face of Little Bear, did the classic traverse to Blanca, stayed on the ridge to Ellingwood, and descended Ellingwood's SW ridge.
2/28/09 - Climbed the NW Face (protected everything from the black hand, up). Descended the standard Hourglass route. 18 hrs car to car. NW Face = cold in winter
MountainHikerCO - Feb 22, 2008 8:40 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2001
LightningThis was my second climb of Little Bear. We did the standard hourglass route. We were hurried by lightning on the return.
MountainHikerCO - Feb 22, 2008 8:38 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 1994
HourglassThis was my first climb of Little Bear. We did the stardard West Ridge route through the Hourglass from Como Lake.
tomlauren - Feb 3, 2008 7:02 am Date Climbed: Aug 23, 2007
Little Bear - Blanca - Ellingwood Pt in a dayFrom camp at Lake Como, climbed the West Ridge of Little Bear, performed the traverse to Blanca Peak, then descended Blanca's Northwest Face to Ellingwood Point's South Face with my friend Keith. The hourglass wasn't too bad. I never touched the ropes, but I also have a rock climbing background. We saw a little bear while hiking up the jeep road to Lake Como. Kind of ironic.
Sheets - Jan 27, 2008 9:37 pm
Blanca-LB traverse soloClimbed Blanca traversed to LB and then reversed the LB-Blanca traverse to descend since I wasn't sure what the standard route up LB is. Don't recommend doing the same.
Mike Mc - Sep 16, 2007 11:50 pm Date Climbed: Sep 15, 2007
HourglassHourglass to LB/Blanca Traverse to Blanca/Ellingwood Ridge to Ellingwood SW Ridge. The 'Hourglass' was not as bad as I expected; however, it was dry and we were alone on the peak. We dislodged a few rocks and these puppies sure were missiles heading down the gully. As for the fixed lines, double check the mess of anchors...quite a bit of the webbing (and ropes for that matter) looked sketch, to say the least!
dr_gonz - Sep 5, 2007 1:44 pm
hourglassdid it midweek... I got chased down last year by hail and lightning. This year I didnt have that problem at all. No one else on the route while I was there that day. The hourglass was not as bad as it hyped to be in my opinion. I think that I had played it up in my mind some. Lots of loose rock. no question.