Little Bear Peak  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  14,037' Page Views:  5,666. Good page?    Administrators:  Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  George Bell on Aug 29, 2007 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Little Bear from Lake Como.

Description 

Little Bear lies a mile southwest of Blanca and has a reputation as one of Colorado's most difficult fourteeners. People may therefore be surprised to learn that Little Bear was first climbed in 1888, before Blanca!

The fact of the matter is that there is an easy (meaning 3rd class) route on Little Bear, however the start of this route is on private land and therefore closed (the most obvious start, anyway). Little Bear is therefore almost always climbed from the popular Lake Como access road, and this standard route is one of the most difficult and dangerous of any fourteener.

Getting There 

The Lake Como Road is the usual access point. This road begins in the flat San Luis Valley. 2WD cars are quickly stopped by the vicious "babyheads" at a large parking area at only 8,000'. This is one of the lowest fourteener trailheads in Colorado. 4WD vehicles attack the road with varying success, it soon becomes very steep and narrow but every quarter mile saves you significant hiking. The 10,000' level weeds out all but the most hard core 4WD, which are now creeping along at about the same speed as hikers. This is one of the most famous 4WD roads in the state, and only jeeps and other highly modified vehicles can make it all the way to Lake Como (11,740').

The Classics

Featured Route For Little Bear Peak

Northwest Face Easy 5th Mod. Snow  CO : Alpine Rock : Little Bear Peak

Wear a helmet!This climb is a less-traveled alternative to the Hourglass Couloir route on Little Bear that ascends the impressive northwest face of Little Bear. It connects with the Little Bear-Blanca ridge near the summit of Little Bear. Most of the work is picking your way through the 3rd class talus and scree at a fairly high angle. Two points on the route _may_ require the use of pro: gaining the "shelf" above the "Black Hand" on the rock, gaining the ridge close to the summit. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO

Photos of Little Bear Peak Slideshow

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The beautiful monolithic East Face of Little Bear ...	LB from Lake Como	LB (on the right) and Blanca across the ridge in m...
LB from the end of the Jeep trail. The route we o...	scrambling up 4th+ terrain on LB	Steep soloing on alpine rock (read:sketchy)
Little Bear Peak from the shore of Lake Como at su...	Steve on long Como Road on way to Little Bear.	Me on the long Lake Como Road heading to Little Be...
Mama bear and baby bear tracks outside our tents a...	More bear tracks on way up Little Bear Peak.	View looking south into the valley from just below...
Little Bear, January 2012.