Conundrum Peak

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 7/29/2018, By: ericjroth
Info: This website says the South Ridge is an easiest way to just climb Conundrum. Maybe but...we had to wait hidden behind rocks for at least 45 minutes as climbers came down the South Ridge knocking down rocks (helmet is a must). Then going up the dirt is super slippery and the rotten rock gives away easily as you try to get hand holds. Wound up taking us 3 hours to get up. Coming down was not so bad - just a lot of side slipping. Going up the couloir, there was one section that still had snow and ice in it...microspikes would have really helped. For that matter an ice axe would have been good and it could have served double duty for a lower snow covered couloir that you can glissade almost alll the way to the 12,800 parking lot. That will save you have to climb down the wobbly boulder field. Finally - we made it up to 12,800 with 4 runner with 3 inch lift. Tacoma with no lift also made it up. Just be prepared...the road has very few pullouts...if you are heading up or down and run into a vehicle going the other way - it will be scary. Finally - shoutout to Dan from Leadville who we met climbing up. Overall my advice is - do Castle and Conundrum combo and go down the South Ridge. Bring microspikes and Ice Axe if you are going to do this in July. In June, I suspect your best bet is with crampons too. 

Route: Conundrum Couloir
Posted On: 6/14/2018, By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: Conundrum couloir is sun-cupped but we found it to be stable, firm and continuous, making for a quick climb. 

Route: Conundrum Couloir
Posted On: 5/28/2018, By: shelly o
Info: Road was snow-free to a ways past the creek crossing, then there were occasional deep drifts. Above treeline, the road had snow in places with a couple minor crossings, which were firm in the morning. Snow was continuous from about ~12,600? For those dedicated skiers or riders you could probably descend further than this but it gets more difficult to hook back up with the road. Snow above this point was in good shape, Conundrum Couloir was quite firm at 8am when we began ascending (consistent wind helped this). Avoidable cornice at the top. Couloir top to summit was basically dry. PSA: if you are climbing above a couloir or really anywhere and you knock rocks down, it is a good practice to shout "rock!" A couple dudes were climbing above us and knocking rocks all over the place, a nice piece of which hit my helmet just as I was in the crux of the couloir. I didn't really need the extra surprise obstacle course to make this route harder than it already was. Take care in the mountains. Be aware of your surroundings and others who may be around you. Don't sacrifice safety for speed... 

Route: Conundrum Couloir
Posted On: 5/22/2018, By: Buddyboy27
Info: Road free of ice and snow below the creek crossing. Park my 2WD Ranger just below the creek crossing. Patchy snow covering half of the road starts just a bit after the creek crossing (enough to ski down but enough road to avoid it on the hike up) and continues until just past the Pearl Pass intersection around 11.2k. From here, you could skin all the way to Montezuma basin or hike without snowshoes if you start early enough and stay on the beaten trail. Conundrum is in great shape for climbing in the early AM. Skied down at 9:15AM which is just a bit early as the choke was still pretty icy but manageable if careful. Able to ski from summit to ~10.6k with taking skis off only for a few minutes of hiking. Snow at low elevations is melting very fast however. Conundrum will probably be rock'n and roll'n for a while longer. Started just below creek crossing at 4:45AM, reached Conundrum summit at 8:45AM, back at truck at 10:15AM. 

Route: Conundrum Couloir
Posted On: 5/22/2018, By: Zach Eiten
Info: Road is snow free to the river crossing. You don't hit continuous snow until about 11,300 ft. as you head uphill towards Montezuma Basin Mine. I brought AT skis and I am neutral to if they were worth it or not. The snow is very consolidated for almost the entirety of the trail. My partner did not bring skis or snowshoes and was completely fine for the approach and decent other than a couple spots. Conundrum Couloir is in near perfect condition. Nice firm snow with patches of soft alpine ice perfect for placing your axe/ tool. Looking over at the North Face couloir, the snow is continuous up to the ridge line just below the summit. I would imagine the snow to be of similar merit as Conundrum Couloir. Beware of wet slab avalanche problems. We descended around 9:30 am and the snow was sloughing of substantially in spots below my ski turns below the saddle of Castle and Conundrum. 

Route: Condundrum Couloir
Posted On: 5/11/2018, By: Hobbes301
Info: We parked a few 100 feet from the creek crossing, and it is continuous snow from there, except for one small (10ft) dirt patch on the road. Lots of snow in the basin, and the couloir skied great. There were many days-old wet slides, including a pretty large one in the lower Montezuma Basin through the usual route of travel. Start early and stay safe. 

Route: Castle and Conundrum
Posted On: 9/17/2017, By: SamFletcher
Info: I found microspikes to be very helpful on the descent from Castle. The climb up to Conundrum is mostly snow free, but there are a few spots where care is required. However, the descent from the Castle/Conundrum saddle is miserable. For the first hundred or so feet, it is a mess of loose dirt, scree, and loose snow. Microspikes are a must, and even then it's pretty treacherous. Unless you are very confident, returning over Castle is probably the way to go. IF you do descend from the saddle however, once you reach the snowfields the rest of the descent to the road is a nice glissade, with a small interlude of rock hopping back to the first snow slope. 

Route: Castle and Conundrum
Posted On: 8/4/2017, By: flagship47
Info: river crossing no problem and snow all clear to up 12800; modified Ford Bronco at the end of the road. Made it to upper TH @ 11200 no problem with an Xterra and parked next to a Wrangler. there are 2 snowfields that you have to deal with on the standard NE Ridge route. One is about 300 yards and the second is about 100 yards. Microspikes would make the trek easier, but used standard footwear and made it just fine - icy in morning and a little slushy in afternoon coming down. Still a few glissading opportunities. One from about 50 feet below the saddle of Castle/Conundrum and 2 spots a little lower in basin. 

Route: Castle and Conundrum
Posted On: 7/26/2017, By: Flyingfish
Info: The route from Castle to Conundrum is straightforward however, yesterday the northwest ridge of Castle was super muddy and slick which made the decent hard and the subsequent ascent harder. The snow field off the saddle has dropped down to be about 50' below the saddle and there is a small cliff that blocks the entrance so I decided to re-summit Castle to go down. 

Route: Castle and Conundrum
Posted On: 7/24/2017, By: kayleenann8
Info: Trail still has snow right past mine (12,300 ish) I didn't feel like I needed microspikes for the lower snowfields -- if you aren't as comfortable on snow, they would help though. The ridge is dry in great shape. Later, in the day, someone on the ridge pull off a big boulder that caused a decent sized rock slide. PLEASE BE CAREFUL ON THE RIDGE. Your mistakes could injure people lower than you. Traverse from Castle to Conundrum is a little loose, but overall in good shape. As other reports indicated, what surprised me the most was the "descent" from the saddle. It's very steep, slick and soft. I broke a snow bridge between the rock and the snow field glissading across it. Glissading is very fast right now, the snow is sharp and wet, and it's hard to slow down. Also, some rocks are starting to peak through in the glissade tubes so you might be better off making your own. Mountain axe and spikes are a must here IMO. 

Route: North Face Couloir
Posted On: 7/24/2017, By: kayleenann8
Info: I didn't climb the couloir but talked to a party that did. Crampons are a must but the snow is in great condition for snow climbing right now and hasn't iced over yet! 

Route: Castle and Conundrum
Posted On: 7/3/2017, By: dogballs
Info: You can now drive to the intersection of FR102 and Pearl Pass. Avi debris has been cleared and there are only a couple snow piles to go over. Road past the intersection still has some snow that will stop you above treeline. Started at the creek crossing, but saw a few vehicles on the other side. Creek doesn't look that bad. Reached the summit of Castle Peak in 3hr15min and Conundrum at 3hr42min. Car to car took 5hr41min. The glissade down from the saddle is now like a slide with a well worn path. Its fast but won't last much longer. 

Route: Conundrum Couloir
Posted On: 7/1/2017, By: thurs
Info: Couloir is in from lake to saddle, coverage looks good. No real cornice at the top. 

Route: via Conundrum Creek
Posted On: 6/27/2017, By: addrock528
Info: The trail is clear of snow up to the hot springs. Ridiculous amounts of deadfall. In order to avoid losing elevation I skirted the contour of the mountain to get to the ridge for summiting. I wouldn't say it was the best idea in the world. There were several snowfields that at 6am were very icy. Crampons would have made it much easier. The east ridge used for summiting was completely clear of snow. 

Route: 
Posted On: 6/26/2017, By: gotpow
Info: Snow in the couloir is becoming very hard. We started up the apron at 7:15, gaining the ridge at 8:30. We used a mountaineering axe along with an ice tool, and the tool was very handy for ascending the couloir. Front point crampons are necessary, tool recommended. Snow surface has many runnels, I imagine skiing this thing would be hairy and not enjoyable even if waiting until later in the day. The cornice is no longer overhanging, basically just a vertical wall of snow, so I don't think that is much of a risk anymore. Montezuma basin has a ton of snow, big glissades are still possible. Go get it!