Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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37.83600°N / 107.95°W |
Route Type:
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Sport Climbing |
Season:
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Summer |
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Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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5.8 (YDS) |
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Number of Pitches:
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3 |
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Grade:
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II |
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Most of the enticing small holds, crumbled at a touch and large masses of the loosely compacted pebbles would topple dangerously at a slight pull.
Difficulty has a charm that is irresistible to many. The enthusiastic alpinist is completely happy only if his skill is severely taxed.
–Albert Ellingwood, first ascentionist.
P2: Go up & L on ‘death scree’ (probably 3rd class or so, but bad rock & loose- you wouldn’t want to slip here…), up a loose gully. Follow the obvious weakness, & be careful as not to dislodge loose rock that would come down, at the very least on your rope, if not your belayer. Upon reaching the final headwall, head L 20 or 30 ft. until you’re below the obvious crack system/bulge that begins the last pitch. ~180’?
P3: Surmount the strenuous bulge (.8)- this is the crux of the pitch, & arguably the route. This protects well with a #4 Camalot. Keep on following the obvious crack system. Take the obvious L-trending ramp/crack system when you reach it. This widens out to a gully that leads to the summit. There are some good cracks (small to medium cams) shortly before the summit that make for a solid anchor. Note the rap’ anchor, climber’s right, ~40’ below & 50’ (climber’s) R (guess) of the summit.
Congratulations- you’re on top of the hardest summit in Colorado! Enjoy the spectacular views of the nearby San Miguel mountains- Mt. Wilson, Gladstone, & Wilson Peak rise up in splendor right across the valley. The rugged San Juans surround you on all sides.
Rap’ 1: The upper rap’ anchor is directly above where the P2 gully runs into the upper headwall. From the true summit, traverse the summit ridge (SW; skier’s L, looking back at the upper portion of the last pitch), & go down ~40 ft. Be careful getting to it, as it is highly exposed & loose (like the rest of the formation). The questionable old anchor, from which it was practically impossible to retrieve the rap' line (see this photo) has reportedly been replaced by dedicated 'biners (9/'16). With rope stretch, 2 60s will get you to the P1 belay notch. Otherwise you’ll have to do some traversing & downclimbing on the death scree to get back to the notch.
Rap’ 2: A double rope rappel off of the miles of tat will get you back to the base of the formation.
metal4lyf reports (9/'16) that 1 60 m rope should allow a rappel from the previously-mentioned (almost) summit anchors to the Death Traverse (3rd class); scrambling over to the 1st pitch belay/rappel (don't fall!) , a rap' from here, the distance "places the length of the entire first pitch closer to 100' rather than the often-cited 150'." I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of these statements. On the one hand, if it works out with a 60m, great (less weight to drag along would be nice). But if the weather sucks below (/at the same level), & your afraid of knocking stuff down, an extra rope can be a good insurance policy.
Difficulty has a charm that is irresistible to many. The enthusiastic alpinist is completely happy only if his skill is severely taxed.
–Albert Ellingwood, first ascentionist.
FA
Albert Ellingwood & Barton Hoag, 1920(!!) (This was one of the first historical usages of roped climbing in the US)Précis
For better or for worse, Lizard Head is one of the more memorable summits in the Colorado Rockies. It lies in the heart of the rugged & beautiful San Juans. This, the standard route, takes you to the top of this volcanic choss pile. The SW chimney is justifiably reputed to be loose & burly, but if climbs off the beaten path up awesome formations are your thing, this is a must-do. The rock is bad, but not the worst (the Fisher Towers are worse). Just remember to pull DOWN on the rock, & not out! The cruxes are crack climbing, & the rock & pro’ at these locations is satisfactory. Read here about the first ascent in the words of Albert Ellingwood hisself. As the formation is basically a giant stone lightning rod, climbing during it during periods of inclement weather is not recommended.Getting There
Lizard Head is accessible from either the Lizard Head Pass or Cross Mountain (recommended) trailheads. From the turnoff to Telluride, take the 145 (San Juan Skyway- look for great views of 14er Wilson Peak along the way) S approximately 12 miles to Lizard Head Pass. To get to the Cross Mountain trailhead, go approximately 2 miles farther S. Start walking. Once you get to the formation, it is possible to get to the base of the route by either hiking up either the (climber's) R or L side. A use trail up the L side makes going up that side a little easier. Allow 2 hours to get to the base from the trailhead.Gear
A rack of small cams (there would have been a few locations where #.2 Camalots would have been useful) through #3 Camalots. Double up if you desire less spacing between placements. I don’t think I used a nut during the climb- the cracks are virtually all parallel-sided. A #4 Camalot is useful at the P3 wide crux. 2 60m ropes (one lead line + a tag line) for the rappels. Numerous slings/cordelette for the anchors (P2 & 3 anchors are natural), as well as many extendable draws.Route Description
P1: Start at the obvious dihedral/chimney on the SW side (see photo). This feature is formed by the convergence of the enormous buttress on the S side of the formation & the bulk of the formation itself. Follow this for a pitch up to an obvious notch (165’? less than a full 60m rope-length, & probably a 50-m ropelength or less, although I’m not totally certain). The face to the right of the crack has been climbed instead, but REALLY- just sack up & get in the crack (it is the southwest CHIMNEY, after all). A huge ledge is encountered halfway up; it is possible (some say preferable) to follow a thin crack past a pin & regain the chimney higher up. Alternately, just continue up the obvious dihedral/wide crack. Pro’ if taking the crack is good, & the crack climbing is enjoyable. I would say the crux of the pitch is surmounting the bulge to get to the first belay- a steep stemming/cranking on high handholds maneuver that tops off the first pitch well. Belay from a huge nest of tat rapped around the tower. It is possible to break the pitch up into 2, if the obvious ledge is used halfway up.P2: Go up & L on ‘death scree’ (probably 3rd class or so, but bad rock & loose- you wouldn’t want to slip here…), up a loose gully. Follow the obvious weakness, & be careful as not to dislodge loose rock that would come down, at the very least on your rope, if not your belayer. Upon reaching the final headwall, head L 20 or 30 ft. until you’re below the obvious crack system/bulge that begins the last pitch. ~180’?
P3: Surmount the strenuous bulge (.8)- this is the crux of the pitch, & arguably the route. This protects well with a #4 Camalot. Keep on following the obvious crack system. Take the obvious L-trending ramp/crack system when you reach it. This widens out to a gully that leads to the summit. There are some good cracks (small to medium cams) shortly before the summit that make for a solid anchor. Note the rap’ anchor, climber’s right, ~40’ below & 50’ (climber’s) R (guess) of the summit.
Congratulations- you’re on top of the hardest summit in Colorado! Enjoy the spectacular views of the nearby San Miguel mountains- Mt. Wilson, Gladstone, & Wilson Peak rise up in splendor right across the valley. The rugged San Juans surround you on all sides.
Descent
2 double-rope rap’s get you to the base:Rap’ 1: The upper rap’ anchor is directly above where the P2 gully runs into the upper headwall. From the true summit, traverse the summit ridge (SW; skier’s L, looking back at the upper portion of the last pitch), & go down ~40 ft. Be careful getting to it, as it is highly exposed & loose (like the rest of the formation). The questionable old anchor, from which it was practically impossible to retrieve the rap' line (see this photo) has reportedly been replaced by dedicated 'biners (9/'16). With rope stretch, 2 60s will get you to the P1 belay notch. Otherwise you’ll have to do some traversing & downclimbing on the death scree to get back to the notch.
Rap’ 2: A double rope rappel off of the miles of tat will get you back to the base of the formation.
metal4lyf reports (9/'16) that 1 60 m rope should allow a rappel from the previously-mentioned (almost) summit anchors to the Death Traverse (3rd class); scrambling over to the 1st pitch belay/rappel (don't fall!) , a rap' from here, the distance "places the length of the entire first pitch closer to 100' rather than the often-cited 150'." I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of these statements. On the one hand, if it works out with a 60m, great (less weight to drag along would be nice). But if the weather sucks below (/at the same level), & your afraid of knocking stuff down, an extra rope can be a good insurance policy.
metal4lyf - Sep 14, 2016 12:06 am - Hasn't voted
One 60m sufficientFollowed Brandon Chalk's suggestion to take only a single 60m rope. 1 rap off the summit chains (now with dedicated biners) gets you to the ramp with rope to spare and an easy pull. Can't recommend rope up or down the 3rd class--easy enough without, and dragging rope over that will send many rocks down onto the trail and belay stance at the base of the climb. 1 rap off the tat nest gets you to the ground. This places the length of the entire first pitch closer to 100' rather than the often-cited 150'.
Diggler - Nov 3, 2016 3:17 am - Hasn't voted
Re: One 60m sufficientI incorporated into the page- thanks!