Crestone Peak

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 6/24/2024, By: Ellwood
Info: Started from South Colony lakes and Broken Hand Pass is still holding a lot of snow. Would recommend an ice axe and maybe crampons for the approach in the morning. Red Gully is holding continuous snow and made for some difficult climbing on climbers left. We down-climbed on the opposite side to find the traverse entrance since we did not want to cross the icy and snow filled gully. Rest of the traverse was pretty straight forward but required crossing of 2-3 more snow filled gullies. There is still a snow bank under the crux and it definitely made it easier. Headwall was dry but route finding down the Needle was rough. No cairns above ~13,000' and digital maps can always be a challenge. 

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 6/16/2024, By: calhack7
Info: Did the Crestone Traverse yesterday via the Cottonwood Creek Approach. The approach was dry up to the base of the Red Gully. The gully was continuous snow; we stayed on climbers left and avoided most of it with some more difficult climbing. Getting to the traverse required crossing the Red Gully, which wasn't bad, and another steeper snow filled gully that was very icy. We opted to go up and around this one, adding some additional 4th class up and down climbing. Once on the traverse it was dry until just below the bulge; there was a snow bank under it that actually made the crux easier. There was a bit of snow above the bulge, but the headwall was dry. Crestone Needle was in summer conditions, the descent to Broken Hand Pass and down to the basin were completely dry. The east side of the pass was still holding a lot of snow. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 5/28/2024, By: haydenkast44
Info: Skied red gulley on the 26th! Excellent conditions up high, snow is melting fast below 12,500'. Approached from cottonwood, did have any real snow until after the 2nd waterfall. The choke on the couloir is pretty spicy, had to downclimb around to avoid it 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 5/23/2024, By: jmanner
Info: Bailed at the water flow on Red Gully yesterday, partner wasnt feeling great and we needed to head home. Saying that, C peak was skiing pretty good from 13,200 down and Broken Hand Pass, skied off both sides. Road was skiable back to 1.8 miles(10,700ish) from the summer TH, two two or three short gaps. It never warmed up even skiing off BH Pass at 12 pm. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 5/17/2024, By: Hjelmstadlt
Info: Skied the Peak from Cottonwood TH in the SLV. Dry conditions up to the first Waterfall, patchy drifts to the second Waterfall, continuous snow from there to the top. Only about 30 down trees to navigate. The Red Gulley was good, although things are heating up fast and may not stay that way for long. Lots of weird crusts and layers of unconsolidated gropple near the surface that have serious wet avalanche potential if things heat up. Surface Snow was starting to melt around 10:00am today and we were glad to be on our way down! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/21/2023, By: Will_E
Info: Fantastic day on Crestone Peak, one of the warmest October days I've experienced up high. A little bit of snow on Broken Hand Pass, and some easily avoidable water in Hormel Gully. I took spikes and an axe, used neither. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/21/2023, By: Gibson135
Info: Most of the route up there is totally clear and as good as summer. But I also wanted to confirm that the NE side of Broken Hand Pass had a good amount of snow. After carrying around an ice axe all day thinking it ended up being unnecessary, I ended up using it along with microspikes for just about every move the top section descending from the pass. It was very unstable and hard-to-read there. The rest of the route was fine. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/16/2023, By: seanhouseworth
Info: Red Gully still dry with ice/patchy snow only in center, easily avoidable and no traction needed. Some snow on final ridge but still no spikes needed just careful scrambling. East Crestone also just patchy snow, but NE Crestone downclimb is covered in ice. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/8/2023, By: jway2952
Info: Did not attempt or summit, but took some pics that people may find helpful. Looks like winter is arriving! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 10/4/2023, By: doeeth
Info: I flew to Phoenix and got some pics of northern sangres. Looks real snow covered, certainly start of shoulder season. Blanca massif looked less snowed in 

Route: Crestones Traverse
Posted On: 10/1/2023, By: stimko
Info: *posting knowing this information may be obsolete already//very soon based on forecasted snow* BHP has some frozen snow for the middle third of the route; mostly avoidable but microspikes would be recommended especially for the way down. All the ice was melting off the red gully and all water is totally avoidable. There is a little snow below the bulge and some frozen snow above that is unavoidable and microspikes would be helpful (there is no snow on the bulge itself). The rest of the route is clear. Excellent conditions for shoulder season! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 9/24/2023, By: shapovalovm
Info: A few more details (and some pics) on top of Jake's report (we actually climbed the traverse together). 2WD parking->Peak->Needle and back. Broken Hand Pass has minimal snow in the upper ~100'. Spikes will be useful, but I did not use them neither up or down (even though I had them in my pack). Red Gully up the Peak has decent amount of ice and water, but most of it is a bit to the side and I never had to even step on the wet rock. The route is Easy class 3 at best, mostly class 2. The traverse is dry class 2 until 5.2 bulge and that's where fun begins. The bulge is pretty easy (but I agree it probably is 5.2), especially if you are tall (I'm 6'1''). There was some snow below and above (maybe 10 steps in snow total) and around the knife's edge right after the bulge, but nothing serious. Coming up to the wall and the wall itself are 100% dry. The exposure on the wall is real, but the rock is super solid so I had a blast, but if you are scared of exposure/heights it might not be that pleasant. I found this traverse way easier than El D->Wilson (others in my party disagree), mostly because there's almost no loose rock, everything is concrete-solid. Navigation here is also very easy, there are cairns everywhere. Going down the Needle is completely dry as well and the rock is solid as well. Haven't done a single class 4 move there, but solid class 3. 5:45am start, 5:50pm finish. Great long day! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 9/20/2023, By: quandary34
Info: At the moment, Broken Hand Pass is the main concern in the South Colony Lakes area in terms of snow and ice. It snowed about an inch last night, and I doubt that the snow will be melting off BHP this season. I found microspikes to be helpful on the descent. The Red Gully had about an inch of snow and some slick ice (in addition to the usual running water) when I reached it around 6am this morning, but I expect that most of that melted today. The standard route is still very doable, but we are definitely approaching shoulder season! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 9/17/2023, By: mattbrill9
Info: Most of this weeks snow melted out well on Crestone Peak. BHP is still holding a decent amount of snow and would recommend spikes. The red gully was mostly ice free - and any ice is avoidable. Great day in the Crestones! 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 9/3/2023, By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: There is water running down lower Red Gully, but it is fairly easy to avoid. The rest of the route is still dry, so worth taking advantage of before any of the snow forecasts have started to mention comes to fruition.