Mt. Alice is a relatively remote 13,000 foot peak located deep in Wild Basin of RMNP. The climbs are located on its steep, impressive, and intimidating east face, and consists of mostly older aid lines with the exception of Central Ramp (5.8) which is probably the most popular route. Like all alpine climbs, these routes should not be taken lightly. This is especially true for Mt. Alice due to its remote location (8 miles back). Don't expect to see crowds. It's likely you'll be the only party there. Since these routes don't see a lot of traffic, you should expect dirt, loose rock, and lots of plant life. A true backcountry/alpine experience.
The climbs start part-way up the face. They are accessed by hiking up the snow chute on the left (a little steep) or by cutting up and across from the right on a 3rd-4th class ramp which is a spicy in a couple spots (we roped up for part of it).
After tagging the summit, walk off to the south and drop down the gully between Mt. Alice and Pilot Mt. to return to the base or continue south to Boulder-Grand Pass and hike down to Thunder Lake and enjoy all the alpine flowers.
Getting There
Head up to RMNP and Estes Park. Take CO Hwy 7 south out of Estes, through Meeker Park, to the Wild Basin entrance of RMNP. After entering the gates, drive about 2 [miles] down the dirt road to the trailhead for Thunder Lake. Hike the Thunder Lake trail for about 5 miles to the Lion Lakes turnoff. Hike up to Lion Lake and head up to the alpine meadow and boulderfield to the west. The objective will be obvious by this point - head to the base and pick the least scary approach to the start of the climbs.
The "BLT" route goes up the right side of the face of the prominent pillar to the left of the Central Ramp. The topo begins on the large ledges to the left of the start of the Central Ramp. There are no fixed anchors on the route. The 5.11c pitch may be a tad easier as a piece of rock came out, improving a hold, when Al was seconding....[more]Browse More Classics in CO
This peak is not heavily traveled, and there is a lot of potential for new routes. The good rock high up on the peak, left of the central gully, looks especially attractive and there are a good number of lines available which would likely be 5.10 and up. Good luck, they're too freakin' hard for me!
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