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Peak(s):  Little Bear Peak  -  14,041 feet
Blanca Peak  -  14,350 feet
Ellingwood Point  -  14,057 feet
Date Posted:  09/11/2007
Modified:  09/12/2007
Date Climbed:   09/08/2007
Author:  maverick_manley
 The LB - Blanca Traverse, Walking the Plank in Glorious Weather   



and the summitpost link is http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/335966/little-bear-blanca-traverse.html



Comments or Questions
Shad
Great report
9/12/2007 2:58pm
I am jealous!!! That one is on the list for next year. Great job!

Shad


doumall
User
Bravo!
9/12/2007 4:48pm
What can I say Prakash, hell of a job!

Your TRs make me laugh so many times, I love it!


Dan England
User
Who-hoo!
9/13/2007 12:38am
Awesome Job. While I was really glad I did this, I puked at the end, from nerves, I think, more than anything else. The Bells and the Diente/Wilson traverse had nothing on this. I was glad to relive it, but only from my desk.


jillaye
Very nice!
9/13/2007 1:41pm
Great description and photos! I was 1/2 of the group of 2 right in front of you guys (doumall found my binoculars - which to me is amazing). We had a lot of fun doing the traverse and also were thankful for the perfect weather - we stayed up at Lake Como Sat night and awoke to rain on Sun AM.


Shad
Not quite yet
9/13/2007 2:10pm
Racing season is not quite over yet. I am doing my first ultra in 2 days on Saturday. My last race of the year is the Denver Marathon on Oct. 14th.

Shad


Patinator
User
Awesome!
9/13/2007 4:18pm
My skill level is not there yet to attempt this tempting ridge, but I will refer to this TR when it is. The hardest part about taking great pictures like this is to steady your hand and not fall off the mountain. Great TR and even better climb!


Gary Brady
User
Nice!
12/3/2008 8:48pm
Great photos.


SarahT
User
Finally, a great Little Bear - Blanca TR!
11/30/2010 5:28pm
I think this is one of the most accurate and informative TRs I've ever seen on this traverse. I have to say I think I agree with every assessment you made. It should be helpful to many people in the future and will give them a very good understanding of what they're getting themselves into. Thanks!

And congrats to you and doumall on completing the 4 traverses. This one was by far my favorite too. I hear ya about these ridge traverses getting in the way of 14er goals - I had the same problem last summer


maverick_manley
User
Re: Bravo
11/30/2010 5:28pm
Brian: I did feel one block shifting below my feet on the catwalk... It's not totally stable. I can see how that must have been a bitch with lousy weather.

Shad: Is racing season over yet?

Sarah: Thanks for the comment, the ridge's call was simply impossible to resist. I wouldn't feel too comfortable down-playing this ridge's difficulties even to the most experienced climber. The shifting block on the Catwalk that I mentioned could swiftly bring the carelss pro down to the level of a noob.

Joe: We should try this again some time but continue going down Gash Ridge over to Lindsey... in Winter


Aubrey
User
in-frickin-credible
11/30/2010 5:28pm
Fantastic job, you three. I almost crapped my pants a few times while reading; but in a good crap-your-pants-sort-of way. And another AWESOME TR, MavMan! Just reading that thing got my palms sweating and heart racing ... and I felt like I was there. Incredible storytelling and photos. I'd be very honored to share a beer with any of you guys one day.


lordhelmut
User
Bravo
2/5/2011 12:22am
thats about as good as it gets as far as LB-Blanca ridge TR's go, specially the description of the ”catwalk”. My brother and I, after battling the weather, very close lightning, fog and cursing heard throughout the San Luis Valley, came up to this section and about .01% of my brain said ”just jump off the cliff and get this over with”. When that part is wet and two of the huge blocks move on you when your right in the middle, you piss your pants and thats exactly what I did (just a little).

But good job on this, not one detail was left out, man thats an extreme outing, too bad about the truck though, that road is scarier than any section of the traverse.



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