Torreys Peak Trip Report 09/05/2014

Peak(s):	Torreys Peak - 14,272 feet
Date Posted:	09/05/2014
Modified:	09/07/2014
Date Climbed:	09/01/2014
Author:	emiller6

Kelso Ridge
Have you ever had an experience on a mountain where it pushed you both physically and mentally? Of course, that's why we do this right? To have to step across an exposed ledge, or find your way up and over a tower or ridge, unless you have faced much worse situations, this will force you to grow into a stronger person. Conquering your fear. I have been debating whether or not to submit a trip report on this climb. First off, there's plenty of other TRs out there with better photos, and much better narration than I can possibly provide. However, this was such an incredible climb, that I feel it would be a disservice to not write a TR on my experience climbing Torrey's peak. Yea, I always thought Torrey's was going to be a boring peak, chock full of people that would ruin the experience. Not so on the Kelso Ridge. Quite the opposite, in fact. The photos in the route description make the cruxes look like cakewalks, and the knife's edge hardly exposed. However, this route put an explanation point on several rules of the mountains...1) It's always farther than it looks, and 2) It's always steeper than it looks. The realization of these rules of the mountains made for a very interesting day... My cousin, Katie, and her husband, Carson, were out from Georgia and wanted to climb a 14er. They are big time rock climbers, and brought all of their gear to climb the Spearhead in the Park, but that plan fell through due to the condition of the rock up high. The plan was initially to climb the Spearhead on Sunday, camp in RMNP and hike Longs Peak on Monday, which was Labor Day. Due to the weather and crowds, I ultimately called off Longs, and opted to take them up a fun class 3 route, hence the Kelso Ridge became our prime target for Labor Day. So at 0230 on Monday morning, we packed up camp in Glacier Gorge and headed south to the Gray's Peak trailhead. Got there at around 0515 and set out up the trail with the masses under head lamp conditions. Alpenglow on Torrey's The single track path that diverges from the main trail is easy to spot, and was a welcome change from the congestion on the main trail. It heads off to the saddle between Kelso Mountain and Torrey's peak, and the Kelso ridge route climbs up quickly into a rocky maze of towers, walls, and ridgeline. We saw two other climbers high up the ridge, but aside from them, we were the only ones thus far choosing the spicier route up Torrey's. At the saddle, we donned our helmets and trudged up the gentle ridge that quickly transformed into a rocky labyrinth. Starting out on the ridge, summit high and to the right Climbing over a feature Initially, the exposure is mild. There are several fins and small towers present, but all can be bypassed by choosing routes on either side of the ridge. We opted to climb some ledge systems on the left side of the ridge, which quickly acclimated us to the immediate exposure present below. Again, we were still below the first crux, and a fall here would suck, but you wouldn't tumble down the entire face of the mountain. The first major obstacle we faced was the first headwall crux. It wasn't bad, and I had studied enough TRs and photos of it to know the path of least resistance was up and to the left. It is really only 25-30 feet high, and aside from an awkward move halfway up with down sloping footholds, it was pretty fun. We flew up this feature, thinking the rest of the difficulties would be similar in nature and easily conquered. Topping out - first crux So we continued onwards and upwards, picking our way around and over countless obstacles. Although the going wasn't quite unrelenting, it was definitely sustained class 2/3, and since I was routefinding, I somehow always ended up finding the most difficult path up. Often times, I would find myself on exposed ledges or climbing loose gulleys, only to find an easier alternative which I was able to point out to my climbing partners. Finally, after what felt like an hour getting lost on the ridge, we eventually came upon the white wall that I had studied in photos. It didn't look so bad, but the loose gulley leading to the base of it was sketchy. At this point, a solo climber overtook us, and helped show us the way up the head wall. This too was not too hard, and we quickly found ourselves at the top. We all opted for the route up on the left, and avoided the main chimney in the middle. Climbing the left side of the white wall Once again, after this, we found ourselves facing a maze. Do we take the loose looking pitch up that tower, or traverse around it and regain elevation on the backside... and once again, I seemed to choose the path of most resistance. I eventually gave in and realized it was all in fun, but we were taking a while, and I knew we still had the knife's edge crux up the ridge, and I didn't want to get burned out before we got to it. So up we went, slowly and carefully, until we saw that the summit was only a few hundred vertical feet up the ridge. Also, at about this point, we started to encounter fresh snow on the right (North) side of the ridge, which would increase the difficulty of the route substantially. Not to mention the wind blowing from right to left, trying to rip us off the ridge... An easy part of the ridge, above 13.5k Why yes, I do believe this is a rock At one point, while I stopped to yodel for all of the hikers in the Gray's-Torrey's basin far below, another hiker and his son came flying up the ridge and quickly over took us. The hiker turned out to be Doggler and his son, and his fearless son helped us route find up and towards the knife's edge. One part of the trail here that caught my attention, and the attention of others according to TRs, was an exposed ledge above Dead Dog Couloir. While climbing another 50 foot wall we took an exit left that brought us to an exposed ledge, not more than a single downsloping foot wide, and above a sheer 70 degree granite face that fell away to the DDC 100 feet below. The wall to grab onto was near vertical, so we were unable to really lean into our handholds. The rock here was fractured, and seemed untrustworthy. However we pressed on across this dicey section, and soon found ourselves facing the knife's edge. I will be honest, up until this point, I was fine, but seeing that exposed knife edge, the thought of heading back down crossed my mind. But seeing Doggler coach his young son across, I knew it was doable for us, and so we made our way along some exposed rock to the start of the knife edge. To be honest, looking at the knife's edge is intense...falling to either side would mean a quick ride down to oblivion. Something I was not interested in doing. So with the utmost concentration, I hoisted myself up onto the edge, starting scooching across, and...it wasn't so bad! Using your legs and feet to hug the ridge, and your hands and arms to move you along, the only thing to really think about is to not look down. It took about a minute before I realized I had crossed most of it, and was now faced with an awkward move to hoist myself up and onto the first block of the infamous white rock that joins the knife's edge. Ok, easy does it, and you're on it. It's welcoming to be on solid rock that is wider than a knife's edge width once again, but now you're committed to this comically exposed position, standing on a rock jutting out on top of the ridge with a long way down on either side. Ok, once again, just don't look down, and carefully find solid holds and crawl your way up and over the top of it. At this point, I broke my concentration to look back, and saw this... Crossing the knife's edge Unfortunately, the route along the side of the white rock, the one composed of exposed ledges, was completely covered in snow. Therefore, the only viable way to finish this route was to go up and over the top of the white rock. The white rock is notorious, being a catwalk of sorts that quickly falls away to either the Dead Dog Couloir to the left, or a chute of craggly rocks far down to the right. I have never concentrated so hard in all of my life as I did in that moment. Just laser focus on where your hands, feet, and balance take you, utilizing everything within your power to move forward and onto safer ground. A few hard moves off the white rock, and I was back on more solid terra firma. Photo not the authors... provided to help explain pucker factor Like a man possessed, I took off running up the steep snow field towards the summit, just to put the moment far behind me of what I had just accomplished. Then I stopped, looked back, and captured this moment... Looking for an easier way around the white rock ...and I did some coaching to help them get up and over the difficulty they were now facing. Well, up and over Within a few moments, they were off and onto the relative safety of the Dead Dog Couloir exit. Woohoo!! We all took off up the remaining 50 feet of mixed snow and rocks. However, the ridge wasn't done with us yet. As I pulled away from them, maybe about 20 feet or so up the mountain, I slipped and kicked a microwave sized rock loose. It quickly picked up speed, and hurtled right at Carson... Oh shit.... I thought as I saw it bouncing down the slope towards him. Suddenly, at the last moment, it took a wild bounce to his right, and bounced away into oblivion. He later recalled this part of the mountain as being the toughest for him (I wonder why). Finally, we topped out, and all congratulated each other on a well earned summit. There were about 15 or so confused hikers up there, wondering where the hell we had come from. I immediately called my wife and was able to face time with her and my 11 month old daughter (crazy the things you can do on summits these days...face time, hash hikes, etc...) Topped out! Top of Torrey's, FaceTime with the family Being so full of adrenaline that was beginning to wear off, none of us really had the motivation or the energy to go after Gray's, so we headed down the standard route. The route was a mix of slush, ice and rock, and the main trail was a circus of people heading up and heading down from the summit of Torreys. So glad we did the Kelso Ridge option, we basically had it to ourselves. So down we went, every so often glancing up to gaze at the ridge we had just climbed. Unbelievable. We were also reveling in the knife's edge, the insanity that is the white rock, and the microwave that almost took out Carson. What a trip. Satisfied but tired, we joined the crowds heading down from the saddle and eventually made it back to the car at the trailhead. In retrospect, this was easily the toughest climb for all of us. Prior to this, I was exposed to Class 4 on the Northwest Ridge of Lindsey, and that was freaky. That route contained only a brief moment of fun/terror on the headwall, and aside from that was enjoyable. This route kept us guessing, and the route finding was a blast. The two crux headwalls were a walk in the park. However, the scooch across the exposed knife's edge, followed by making my most exposed moves yet to overcome the white rock, made the Kelso ridge substantially tougher than Lindsey. I have indeed found my comfort zone, and this mountain probably doubled what I am now capable of. Did I enjoy the fear of the white rock? Not so much, but I am now much more confident in my balance and strength, and could probably take on tougher mountains now. But that will have to wait until next summer, I think I've gotten my fill for awhile... In closing, a lot of people talk this route down, like it's an easy walk up a ridge. This ridge holds a ton of exposure. It's not for beginners. When contemplating tackling this ridge, just be ready to move outside your comfort zone, and realize that once you're committed high on the ridge, there's no turning back. It's rewarding and freaky all at once, and I will never forget the feeling of relief I got once I stepped off that white rock towards the end. Haha, deep down inside, I'm already craving it again... Cheers, onwards and upwards.... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Kelso Ridge

Have you ever had an experience on a mountain where it pushed you both physically and mentally? Of course, that's why we do this right? To have to step across an exposed ledge, or find your way up and over a tower or ridge, unless you have faced much worse situations, this will force you to grow into a stronger person. Conquering your fear.

I have been debating whether or not to submit a trip report on this climb. First off, there's plenty of other TRs out there with better photos, and much better narration than I can possibly provide. However, this was such an incredible climb, that I feel it would be a disservice to not write a TR on my experience climbing Torrey's peak. Yea, I always thought Torrey's was going to be a boring peak, chock full of people that would ruin the experience. Not so on the Kelso Ridge. Quite the opposite, in fact. The photos in the route description make the cruxes look like cakewalks, and the knife's edge hardly exposed. However, this route put an explanation point on several rules of the mountains...1) It's always farther than it looks, and 2) It's always steeper than it looks. The realization of these rules of the mountains made for a very interesting day...

My cousin, Katie, and her husband, Carson, were out from Georgia and wanted to climb a 14er. They are big time rock climbers, and brought all of their gear to climb the Spearhead in the Park, but that plan fell through due to the condition of the rock up high. The plan was initially to climb the Spearhead on Sunday, camp in RMNP and hike Longs Peak on Monday, which was Labor Day. Due to the weather and crowds, I ultimately called off Longs, and opted to take them up a fun class 3 route, hence the Kelso Ridge became our prime target for Labor Day. So at 0230 on Monday morning, we packed up camp in Glacier Gorge and headed south to the Gray's Peak trailhead. Got there at around 0515 and set out up the trail with the masses under head lamp conditions.

The single track path that diverges from the main trail is easy to spot, and was a welcome change from the congestion on the main trail. It heads off to the saddle between Kelso Mountain and Torrey's peak, and the Kelso ridge route climbs up quickly into a rocky maze of towers, walls, and ridgeline. We saw two other climbers high up the ridge, but aside from them, we were the only ones thus far choosing the spicier route up Torrey's. At the saddle, we donned our helmets and trudged up the gentle ridge that quickly transformed into a rocky labyrinth.

Starting out on the ridge, summit high and to the right

Initially, the exposure is mild. There are several fins and small towers present, but all can be bypassed by choosing routes on either side of the ridge. We opted to climb some ledge systems on the left side of the ridge, which quickly acclimated us to the immediate exposure present below. Again, we were still below the first crux, and a fall here would suck, but you wouldn't tumble down the entire face of the mountain. The first major obstacle we faced was the first headwall crux. It wasn't bad, and I had studied enough TRs and photos of it to know the path of least resistance was up and to the left. It is really only 25-30 feet high, and aside from an awkward move halfway up with down sloping footholds, it was pretty fun. We flew up this feature, thinking the rest of the difficulties would be similar in nature and easily conquered.

So we continued onwards and upwards, picking our way around and over countless obstacles. Although the going wasn't quite unrelenting, it was definitely sustained class 2/3, and since I was routefinding, I somehow always ended up finding the most difficult path up. Often times, I would find myself on exposed ledges or climbing loose gulleys, only to find an easier alternative which I was able to point out to my climbing partners. Finally, after what felt like an hour getting lost on the ridge, we eventually came upon the white wall that I had studied in photos. It didn't look so bad, but the loose gulley leading to the base of it was sketchy. At this point, a solo climber overtook us, and helped show us the way up the head wall. This too was not too hard, and we quickly found ourselves at the top. We all opted for the route up on the left, and avoided the main chimney in the middle.

Climbing the left side of the white wall

Once again, after this, we found ourselves facing a maze. Do we take the loose looking pitch up that tower, or traverse around it and regain elevation on the backside... and once again, I seemed to choose the path of most resistance. I eventually gave in and realized it was all in fun, but we were taking a while, and I knew we still had the knife's edge crux up the ridge, and I didn't want to get burned out before we got to it. So up we went, slowly and carefully, until we saw that the summit was only a few hundred vertical feet up the ridge. Also, at about this point, we started to encounter fresh snow on the right (North) side of the ridge, which would increase the difficulty of the route substantially. Not to mention the wind blowing from right to left, trying to rip us off the ridge...

At one point, while I stopped to yodel for all of the hikers in the Gray's-Torrey's basin far below, another hiker and his son came flying up the ridge and quickly over took us. The hiker turned out to be Doggler and his son, and his fearless son helped us route find up and towards the knife's edge. One part of the trail here that caught my attention, and the attention of others according to TRs, was an exposed ledge above Dead Dog Couloir. While climbing another 50 foot wall we took an exit left that brought us to an exposed ledge, not more than a single downsloping foot wide, and above a sheer 70 degree granite face that fell away to the DDC 100 feet below. The wall to grab onto was near vertical, so we were unable to really lean into our handholds. The rock here was fractured, and seemed untrustworthy. However we pressed on across this dicey section, and soon found ourselves facing the knife's edge. I will be honest, up until this point, I was fine, but seeing that exposed knife edge, the thought of heading back down crossed my mind. But seeing Doggler coach his young son across, I knew it was doable for us, and so we made our way along some exposed rock to the start of the knife edge.

To be honest, looking at the knife's edge is intense...falling to either side would mean a quick ride down to oblivion. Something I was not interested in doing. So with the utmost concentration, I hoisted myself up onto the edge, starting scooching across, and...it wasn't so bad! Using your legs and feet to hug the ridge, and your hands and arms to move you along, the only thing to really think about is to not look down. It took about a minute before I realized I had crossed most of it, and was now faced with an awkward move to hoist myself up and onto the first block of the infamous white rock that joins the knife's edge. Ok, easy does it, and you're on it. It's welcoming to be on solid rock that is wider than a knife's edge width once again, but now you're committed to this comically exposed position, standing on a rock jutting out on top of the ridge with a long way down on either side. Ok, once again, just don't look down, and carefully find solid holds and crawl your way up and over the top of it. At this point, I broke my concentration to look back, and saw this...

Unfortunately, the route along the side of the white rock, the one composed of exposed ledges, was completely covered in snow. Therefore, the only viable way to finish this route was to go up and over the top of the white rock. The white rock is notorious, being a catwalk of sorts that quickly falls away to either the Dead Dog Couloir to the left, or a chute of craggly rocks far down to the right. I have never concentrated so hard in all of my life as I did in that moment. Just laser focus on where your hands, feet, and balance take you, utilizing everything within your power to move forward and onto safer ground. A few hard moves off the white rock, and I was back on more solid terra firma.

Photo not the authors... provided to help explain pucker factor

Like a man possessed, I took off running up the steep snow field towards the summit, just to put the moment far behind me of what I had just accomplished. Then I stopped, looked back, and captured this moment...

Looking for an easier way around the white rock

...and I did some coaching to help them get up and over the difficulty they were now facing.

Within a few moments, they were off and onto the relative safety of the Dead Dog Couloir exit. Woohoo!! We all took off up the remaining 50 feet of mixed snow and rocks. However, the ridge wasn't done with us yet. As I pulled away from them, maybe about 20 feet or so up the mountain, I slipped and kicked a microwave sized rock loose. It quickly picked up speed, and hurtled right at Carson... Oh shit.... I thought as I saw it bouncing down the slope towards him. Suddenly, at the last moment, it took a wild bounce to his right, and bounced away into oblivion. He later recalled this part of the mountain as being the toughest for him (I wonder why). Finally, we topped out, and all congratulated each other on a well earned summit. There were about 15 or so confused hikers up there, wondering where the hell we had come from. I immediately called my wife and was able to face time with her and my 11 month old daughter (crazy the things you can do on summits these days...face time, hash hikes, etc...)

Top of Torrey's, FaceTime with the family

Being so full of adrenaline that was beginning to wear off, none of us really had the motivation or the energy to go after Gray's, so we headed down the standard route. The route was a mix of slush, ice and rock, and the main trail was a circus of people heading up and heading down from the summit of Torreys. So glad we did the Kelso Ridge option, we basically had it to ourselves. So down we went, every so often glancing up to gaze at the ridge we had just climbed. Unbelievable. We were also reveling in the knife's edge, the insanity that is the white rock, and the microwave that almost took out Carson. What a trip. Satisfied but tired, we joined the crowds heading down from the saddle and eventually made it back to the car at the trailhead.

In retrospect, this was easily the toughest climb for all of us. Prior to this, I was exposed to Class 4 on the Northwest Ridge of Lindsey, and that was freaky. That route contained only a brief moment of fun/terror on the headwall, and aside from that was enjoyable. This route kept us guessing, and the route finding was a blast. The two crux headwalls were a walk in the park. However, the scooch across the exposed knife's edge, followed by making my most exposed moves yet to overcome the white rock, made the Kelso ridge substantially tougher than Lindsey. I have indeed found my comfort zone, and this mountain probably doubled what I am now capable of. Did I enjoy the fear of the white rock? Not so much, but I am now much more confident in my balance and strength, and could probably take on tougher mountains now. But that will have to wait until next summer, I think I've gotten my fill for awhile...

In closing, a lot of people talk this route down, like it's an easy walk up a ridge. This ridge holds a ton of exposure. It's not for beginners. When contemplating tackling this ridge, just be ready to move outside your comfort zone, and realize that once you're committed high on the ridge, there's no turning back. It's rewarding and freaky all at once, and I will never forget the feeling of relief I got once I stepped off that white rock towards the end. Haha, deep down inside, I'm already craving it again...

Cheers, onwards and upwards....

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Jay521	A fun route, isn't it? 9/6/2014 12:35pm And a very nice write up. Hope to see more from you! And as for the ”craving it again”... You now have the addiction, my friend. Welcome to the club!
polar	Good work 9/6/2014 1:02pm Nicely done. And I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought the loose gully before the white wall really sketchy!
emiller6	Fun indeed 9/6/2014 2:56pm @Jay521 - yes, in hindsight, it's always fun. And yes, I've had the addiction for a while now. Crazy how the feeling of satisfaction is fleeting, and the need to get out and experience more never ends. @polar - my cousin said that gully was the hardest part of the climb for her. Solid rock is the easy part, right?
Matt H	Similar Experiences 9/8/2014 1:30am Nice report! I was with a group of four who also tackled Kelso ridge that morning, leaving from the trailhead at about 4:45. Two of us were likely the climbers you saw higher up on the ridge. We were also passed by the solo climber, just before the knife edge. Like you, we spent a while on the white rock just after the knife edge, opting for the exposed ledges on on the right, which were icy and narrow. We didn't consider going up and over, but it seems that may have been more stable. Thanks for emphasizing the difficulty and exposure of this route; if I had written a trip report, that would have been something that I emphasized as well.
emiller6	Foot prints 9/8/2014 2:33am @Matt - ha, we thought we saw foot prints on the ledges! At the base of the white rock, that route seemed like a no-go given the snow, but we did see some evidence that climbers had tried the ledges. Ultimately, what seemed like the best choice was to go up and over, as I had just seen Doggler and his son go that way. Not sure if it was the best choice, but in the moment, I felt if I had lingered and contemplated any longer, I would have had more trouble getting going again, so I just went. We must've seen the glints off your helmets when you were at the white wall crux. We were just making the turn off the standard trail when I first caught glints high on the ridge. Also, that guy that passed us was insane! He came flying up, and said last time he did the route slowly, at 3:30 RT car-to-car. I'm sure he had a PR that morning. I think we spent the better part of three hours on that ridge!
rob runkle	Love the ridge 9/8/2014 1:25pm Good way to gain some experience on stuff like this. I think that your major issues were in the route finding. But, you got some great practice at it. Generally the ridge isn't that crumbly, or sketchy, on route. There are definitely some very notable rock climbing moves in order to make it solid though. On the knife edge, I've found it much easier to stay to one side, rather than butt scooting. There are solid foot holds and the edge is a bomber hand hold. It'd recommend the feet on the South side (left). If it makes you feel any better, the way that you went over the white tower at the top is reminiscent of going over K2 on the Capitol ridge, or the final pitch of Mt. Wilson. Very exposed, class 4. Going around (when DRY) is definitely easier. Nice write up.
wondering_hough	Scrambles 2/3/2015 9:57pm Nice write up. I liked Kelso, did it a month ago. The last two ledge traverses added the exposure i was looking for and the blind corners added to the thrill of the route. It seems as though the knife edge can be thirty ft or ten depending on the route you take.

Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.

Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.

14ers.com

Social

Mobile App