Kruck - Aug 4, 2008 10:50 am Date Climbed: Aug 2, 2008
NW Slopes: Variation
I expected it to be a little scarier than it was at the top. I didn't feel too exposed on the catwalk or the summit boulders, though I did use four points of contact for the final crawl to the summit. Awesome views of everything from up there, as expected. This peak has called to me since I first saw it. On a ski trip last winter, I decided that it must be climbed. Best peak of the summer for me so far.
7/19/08 - After climbing nearby Arrowhead & McHenrys the weather was still so magnificent and The Spearhead so cool looking that we decided to add it to the agenda. The standard NW slopes route with its talus and scree gully wasn't fun, but the scrambling near the summit was wild. Can't wait to go back for the north ridge!
8/9/09 - Went back to climb the classic North Ridge route. It was certainly worth the return trip!
Hiked this while on a multi-day backpack in RMNP. Very happy to have tried this. I was nervous after reading the descriptions of the final few feet, and also from having seen the Spearhead from below. The final stretch is exposed, but not as bad as I expected. On the left the drop off is not quite so shear, and so I had the (false) comfort of stone ledges below. I didn't do this in style (crawled the catwalk and lay down to peer over the edge of the summit blocks), but I did it. Someday I hope to work up to the technical routes. Thank you, Spearhead, fun day.
Mike Mc - Aug 20, 2007 11:05 pm Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2007
North Ridge
Spectacular route! This one could probably be called my first true alpine climb. We got off route, and I would put it at 5.8 or so. Certainly worth repeating!
Tom Fralich - Jul 10, 2007 10:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2007
North Ridge (III 5.6)
Climbed with Mary as our first alpine route together on our summer road trip in 2007. We left the trail head at Bear Lake on July 9 at around 3:30PM. We had great weather for the hike in and got lots of great photos by Mills Lake, Ribbon Falls, etc. We reached the base of The Spearhead at around 7:40PM and found a perfect bivy cave. We started climbing at around 5:45AM in swirling clouds and mist, making for very eerie conditions. The clouds cleared just as we reached the summit at around 10AM. The decent was loose and a bit annoying, but otherwise a great route and a great two days.
mow10 - Mar 17, 2007 7:36 am Date Climbed: Jun 18, 1997
WOW
My first real roped alpine climb. Gerry Roach's guide says this " is a climb that takes place on rock so solid you feel like you are touching the soul of the earth; touch it! climb it!" Thanks Gerry. I'm glad I did.
Route Climbed: Northwest Slopes Date Climbed: October 2, 2005
This is a fun climb with some exposure along the summit ridge. There was a fair amount of wind, so Haliku and I moved across the summit ridge with the lulls. There were great views of the valley from practically any direction.
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: Summer 2004
Excellent route and a nice introduction to RMNP alpine climbing. The last technical pitch was memorable due to the classic hailstorm that hit just as I arrived at the belay. My partner, cursing me and the gods themselves, struggled to get a cam out just below the belay while getting belted by monster hail and rain. The descent is slicker than shit when wet.
Route Climbed: Northwest Slopes Date Climbed: 2 Oct 2005
We, rkymtn and I, got an early start on what was a beautiful fall Colorado day. The aspens were just past their peak color but still quite a show. The route to the upper valley where Spearhead is located was straight forward. The entire beta you need is in the route and mountain pages. The scramble up the talus slope wasn't too difficult but did have some exposure. With 30-40 mph wind gusts we had to carefully time our moves at the summit. Excellent views of the Glacier Gorge valley.
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: August 28th, 2005
Climbed the entire route and got snowed on while unroping 100 ft from the summit. Long approach, very nice bivy shelter, spectacular climb, and horrendous descent. In other words, stellar alpine climb!
Route Climbed: Sykes Sickle Date Climbed: August 2003
A great rock climb in RMNP - I was glad that my partner got the chimney/stemming lead on the next-to-last pitch, but then I realized I got the traverse on the final pitch, so it all evened out. We were racing weather, and I remember the descent being unplesant, but what a great climb!
Kruck - Aug 4, 2008 10:50 am Date Climbed: Aug 2, 2008
NW Slopes: VariationI expected it to be a little scarier than it was at the top. I didn't feel too exposed on the catwalk or the summit boulders, though I did use four points of contact for the final crawl to the summit. Awesome views of everything from up there, as expected. This peak has called to me since I first saw it. On a ski trip last winter, I decided that it must be climbed. Best peak of the summer for me so far.
SarahThompson - Jul 21, 2008 1:50 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2008
Two times7/19/08 - After climbing nearby Arrowhead & McHenrys the weather was still so magnificent and The Spearhead so cool looking that we decided to add it to the agenda. The standard NW slopes route with its talus and scree gully wasn't fun, but the scrambling near the summit was wild. Can't wait to go back for the north ridge!
8/9/09 - Went back to climb the classic North Ridge route. It was certainly worth the return trip!
utclimber - Jan 13, 2008 11:57 pm
North RidgeAwesome route with great exposure.
Joe_Parvis - Sep 21, 2007 12:55 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2007
Northwest Slopes ScrambleHiked this while on a multi-day backpack in RMNP. Very happy to have tried this. I was nervous after reading the descriptions of the final few feet, and also from having seen the Spearhead from below. The final stretch is exposed, but not as bad as I expected. On the left the drop off is not quite so shear, and so I had the (false) comfort of stone ledges below. I didn't do this in style (crawled the catwalk and lay down to peer over the edge of the summit blocks), but I did it. Someday I hope to work up to the technical routes. Thank you, Spearhead, fun day.
Mike Mc - Aug 20, 2007 11:05 pm Date Climbed: Aug 11, 2007
North RidgeSpectacular route! This one could probably be called my first true alpine climb. We got off route, and I would put it at 5.8 or so. Certainly worth repeating!
Tom Fralich - Jul 10, 2007 10:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 10, 2007
North Ridge (III 5.6)Climbed with Mary as our first alpine route together on our summer road trip in 2007. We left the trail head at Bear Lake on July 9 at around 3:30PM. We had great weather for the hike in and got lots of great photos by Mills Lake, Ribbon Falls, etc. We reached the base of The Spearhead at around 7:40PM and found a perfect bivy cave. We started climbing at around 5:45AM in swirling clouds and mist, making for very eerie conditions. The clouds cleared just as we reached the summit at around 10AM. The decent was loose and a bit annoying, but otherwise a great route and a great two days.
mow10 - Mar 17, 2007 7:36 am Date Climbed: Jun 18, 1997
WOWMy first real roped alpine climb. Gerry Roach's guide says this " is a climb that takes place on rock so solid you feel like you are touching the soul of the earth; touch it! climb it!" Thanks Gerry. I'm glad I did.
brandon - Jan 20, 2007 1:00 am
North RidgeWith Tom, bailed on trying the Barb, and did this is a little less than 2 hours, fun stuff.
f360driver - Sep 6, 2006 4:21 am Date Climbed: Sep 1, 2006
North RidgeGreat route. The hand traverse was pretty airy. All in all good day.
Andy - Jul 31, 2006 5:25 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2006
North RidgeFollowed Roach's description to the letter for a fun day out. It was about 15 hours car-to-car for us.
dunsum - Jul 26, 2006 9:53 am Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2006
North RidgeA nice day on a fun route.
boisedoc - Jul 19, 2006 4:48 am Date Climbed: Jun 10, 1989
Incredible summitTook the nontechnical route over steep snow. Sharp, very exposed summit.
markhyams - Feb 24, 2006 11:08 pm Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2000
north ridgeFinally ticked this one. Great fun, although only the top part of the route has the super-amazing rock that Roach goes on about.
rkymtn - Jan 8, 2006 11:06 pm
Route Climbed: Northwest Slopes Date Climbed: October 2, 2005This is a fun climb with some exposure along the summit ridge. There was a fair amount of wind, so Haliku and I moved across the summit ridge with the lulls. There were great views of the valley from practically any direction.
Eric Rak - Dec 21, 2005 6:42 pm
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: Summer 2004Excellent route and a nice introduction to RMNP alpine climbing. The last technical pitch was memorable due to the classic hailstorm that hit just as I arrived at the belay. My partner, cursing me and the gods themselves, struggled to get a cam out just below the belay while getting belted by monster hail and rain. The descent is slicker than shit when wet.
Haliku - Oct 3, 2005 10:33 am
Route Climbed: Northwest Slopes Date Climbed: 2 Oct 2005We, rkymtn and I, got an early start on what was a beautiful fall Colorado day. The aspens were just past their peak color but still quite a show. The route to the upper valley where Spearhead is located was straight forward. The entire beta you need is in the route and mountain pages. The scramble up the talus slope wasn't too difficult but did have some exposure. With 30-40 mph wind gusts we had to carefully time our moves at the summit. Excellent views of the Glacier Gorge valley.
jennakate - Sep 30, 2005 9:40 pm
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: August 16, 2005My first big alpine climb...with hail:)
edlins - Aug 29, 2005 10:30 pm
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: August 28th, 2005Climbed the entire route and got snowed on while unroping 100 ft from the summit. Long approach, very nice bivy shelter, spectacular climb, and horrendous descent. In other words, stellar alpine climb!
ben - Aug 12, 2005 4:44 am
Route Climbed: Sykes Sickle Date Climbed: August 2003A great rock climb in RMNP - I was glad that my partner got the chimney/stemming lead on the next-to-last pitch, but then I realized I got the traverse on the final pitch, so it all evened out. We were racing weather, and I remember the descent being unplesant, but what a great climb!
federico - Aug 10, 2005 5:48 pm
Route Climbed: North Ridge Date Climbed: August 7, 2005I had a great time on this climb -- I agree, the exposure on the last pitches is amazing!