Some of the most jagged and spectacular peaks in Colorado--The Crestones. Both the Peak (14,294) and the Needle (14,197) are also two of the most difficult 14'ers in Colorado. They lie in the narrow Sangre de Cristo Range in the south central part of the state. The best climbing season is from late June-September although there are some good snow/ice climbs also. There are several technical routes in the Crestone group including Ellingwood Ledges (part of Fifty Classic Climbs of North America) and the NW Pillar on the Peak.
Getting There
The shortest (although not best) approach to these peaks is via the East side. Drive to Westcliff from HW 96. Go 4.6mi. S on 69, the take 119 5.6mi to 120. Turn right and take the dirt road to a gate. Cars without 4WD Low should park here and walk the remaining 5mi to the trailhead. Those with a good vehicle can take the 4x4 trail. Note that this 4x4 trail is not easy. I would not attempt this trail in any vehicle w/out 4 low, good tires, and plenty of clearance. I was in 4-low for the whole 4 mi. and actually needed it many times. Anyway, we made it but the trail was very slow going and only beat the hikers in my group by 1/2 hr. This 4x4 trail get you ridiculously close to the mtns. A 1.5mi or so hike gets you to the camp. Alternative approach: From the West side, take the Cottonwood Creek trail 6mi. and about 4500ft of elevation gain to the lake on the Crestones SW side. I prefer this approach since there are far less people and the scenery is nicer.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for The Crestones:
This is one of the "Four Great 14er Traverses". It is a fun route on good rock but is not as aesthetic as other traverses as you are rarely on the ridgecrest. As with all alpine climbs, be prepared for bad weather, start early, and expect tricky route-finding. From the summit of Crestone Peak, descend to the saddle where the Northwest and South gullies meet at the ridge crest. Descend the South gully for approximately 500ft and find a path of sm...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
Hey, has anybody ever climbed the "Black Gendarme", the spectacular tower on the ridge between Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak? This tower is visible in the Mike Sofranko photo on the skyline left of the big gully (first photo on the Ellingwood Ledges page). We spotted a wicked crack on the SW side with slings at it's top. Looked wide and burly but was the only route evident on the west side. That is one wild tower!
That is an amazing looking tower, isn't it? Good ol' Harvey T. Carter claimed the first ascent of the Black Gendarme in the early 1960's. See W.M. Bueller's "Roof of the Rockies" for more details.
Does anyone know if the Ellingwood Ledges route and the Prow have been linked before? Since these are the two most famous climbs in the area, it seems like someone would have done this before, including the traverse between the Needle and the Peak as the approach to the Prow.
We were up there this weekend with really perfect weather. Wanting to avoid an insurance claim on the truck I just bought, it took us over 2hrs to complete the 5 mile 4wd road in my Dodge Ram 1500. It seems 4runners and jeeps have the easiest time on this road. We were told by several climbers on the way in that the last pitch on the headwall of Ellingwood Ledges is completely iced up, as well as the surrounding cracks. The days have been nice and warm lately (60's), but the nights dip below freezing. The headwall only gets a couple hours of sunlight each day probably not allowing time for the ice to thaw. To answer Bill Wrights question, it IS possible to do The Prow from the Ellingwood area. We hiked up the trail from "upper" S. Colony lake to the saddle of Humboldt peak, then broke NW along the ridge which will gradually drop you down to the Bears Playground. From here you can see the obvious awesome Prow about 2 miles away. Keep in mind you do not want to reverse the ridge at night. Several sections are only 3ft wide and some with snow and ice thats challenging enough in the middle of the day. Start early and haul ass and it can be done.
My partner and I did the Ellingwood Ledges & Peak Traverse part of the link up on Monday. I have done the Prow as well on a separate excursion. While I am no marathon maniac, the feat is doable. First off a good working knowledge of the traverse is mandatory as it isn't all that intuitive and is usually done in the reverse direction. After dropping all the way down the North/west couloir on Crestone Peak, it is most likely a long mile over to the start of the Prow on pretty reasonable terrain. Ending the day back at S. Colony is going to be the ball buster as going back up over the Bears Playground after all that ground is going to separate the men from the boyz so to speak. But then those of you who chase these dreams are made of the stuff the others of us only dream of.
By Julian Smith From: Colorado Springs, CO Aug 2, 2009
A bit more on the marathon stuff… left the trailhead at 3:30 AM, hiked to upper South Colony Lake and had to pace around in the dark to wait for enough light to solo the direct start of the Ellingwood Arete; arrived on the summit at 7:34 AM. Down-climbed the rappel and traversed over to Crestone Peak, which is way more complicated than I gave it credit for; arrived at 9:35 AM. Descended the North Couloir, crossed over the Bears Playground, and climbed Humboldt Peak; arrived at the summit at 11:45 AM. Descended back to the trailhead by 1:07 PM. I call this the South Colony Lakes Trifecta; my first three-bagger! (not as stout as doing the South Prow instead of Humboldt...)
An update on the S. Colony Lakes access road...the Forest Service is constructing a new trailhead about 0.5 km past the Rainbow Trail intersection, and installed a heavy-duty gate just past the parking area. I don't know what that implies for future 4WD access, but in any event, the lower part of the road has been recently maintained and it is now passable to skillfully-driven 2WD vehicles as far as the new parking lot. The new lot is still about 5 km from the old 4WD trailhead farther up the valley. The upper part of the road is still godawful.
Camping at lower S. Colony Lake was very crowded on Labor Day weekend. There are a large number of fairly good sites southeast of the lake, near the old hiking trail that went unnoticed and unoccupied. PLEASE be careful with waste disposal, litter, fires, etc. in this area.
If you are of a mind to pack a fishing pole along with your rope, both S. Colony Lakes have sizable populations of cutthroat trout.
Custer County South Colony Road Closure Begins This Month Westcliffe, Colo., October 1, 2009 - The U.S. Forest Service - San Isabel National Forest, San Carlos Ranger District will permanently close the upper half of the South Colony Road, Forest Service Road (FSR) 120 to motor vehicles on October 13, 2009.
The closure near the Custer and Huerfano County line will occur approx. 2.7 miles above the lower parking lot or .2 miles above the Rainbow Trail before the first stream crossing. A trailhead, information kiosk, foot bridge and primitive camping facilities have been constructed at the closure point. The parking area will accommodate about 50 vehicles.
These actions are needed to protect the physical and biological environment surrounding the lakes, streams, trailheads, and routes to the nearby peaks from the steadily increasing levels of recreation use in South Colony Basin.
This action responds to the goals and objectives outlined in the Pike and San Isabel Forest Plan, and helps move South Colony Basin towards desired conditions described in that plan. This action is being implemented in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the management of the South Colony Basin. The purpose is to:
Maintain South Colony Basin in a natural condition while accommodating human uses. Offer recreational opportunities within a natural setting that enhance the visitor's outdoor experience; including opportunities for challenge, self-reliance, and risk. Provide for public health and safety commensurate with the backcountry setting. Minimize the costs for maintaining roads, trails and trailhead facilities.
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