Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
    For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
shadez
Posts: 18
Joined: 3/14/2010
14ers: 11 
Trip Reports (7)
 

Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by shadez »

I was curious if anyone has tried this route in Early November? I know conditions vary widely from year to year but was hoping that someone who had done this route in early "winter" conditions could chime in on how much more difficult the conditions may make it? I have done a few winter "climbs" in snowshoes but nothing over class 2 - I do have an ice ax and know how to use it... I do not have Crampons but they are on the "must have list" for this year.

To give a little bit of history with my class 3 climbing experience - I have done Kelso Ridge, Longs, and the East Ridge of Bierstadt/sawtooth - I have zero experience with "snow climbs" via couloirs.

I found I really enjoy the "climbing" as opposed to hiking and would really like to get one more in this year...

As always I appreciate any insight you can give
"Dream as if you'll live forever - Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
k-berger
Posts: 113
Joined: 6/2/2009
14ers: 20  4 
13ers: 30 8 2
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by k-berger »

I haven't climbed this route in November, but when I did climb it last year there was 3in of new snow on the route (it was in August 2009). I thought the presence of snow made this route much more difficult. I have done Kelso a few times, Longs and the Sawtooth as well and I think this route with snow on it was way harder than any of those routes. Some of the easy bypasses of the towers were not possible because of the snow on our ascent, so it made the scrambling much more difficult.

The conditions in November are likely to be more difficult than when I climbed it (ice, hard packed snow), and hopefully someone else can chime in with some info on current conditions, but I thought I would share my experience. My thoughts, and from some trip reports I have seen, is that this route in November could be a pretty serious undertaking.
User avatar
its_not_a_tuba
Posts: 820
Joined: 8/13/2009
14ers: 36  1  2 
13ers: 5
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by its_not_a_tuba »

An ice axe will do nothing for you on the traverse of the ridge, certainly you won't need it on the standard decent this time of year. I'd bring it, but I would expect it to stay in my pack.

Crampons are a whole other matter - you will want them. You should have some experience climbing ice and rock wearing crampons beforehand as well. As you move across the ridge you are going to hit snow, ice and rock intermittently and since it is not practical to take crampons on and off between the rock sections you need to be comfortable on rock with the points. It is easy to climb rock with crampons but it is a very unnatural feeling and you don't want your first lesson to be over an exposed ridge like that.

Before you attempt this route after snow fall you should think long and hard about what it would feel like holding on to on an icy rock ridge with frozen hands and just the tips of your crampons gaining purchase in verglas ice with your rear end hanging over a several hundred foot drop. This would be a bad ridge to discover you don't like that feeling! I'd do Kelso this time of year first.

One last point, using your ice axe with crampons is different than without, learn and practice both before you get to crazy out there. Good luck.
"Wilderness settles peace on the soul because it needs no help. It is beyond human contrivance." -- E.O. Wilson
User avatar
Carl
Posts: 1800
Joined: 5/20/2007
14ers: 58  58 
13ers: 30
Trip Reports (32)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by Carl »

I haven't climbed this route in Nov. but I have been up it in early May. Obviously a lot more snow in May, making sections of it easier than with just a foot of unconsolidated November snow, but this TR might give you some idea of what to expect http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepor ... ki=Include" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
shadez
Posts: 18
Joined: 3/14/2010
14ers: 11 
Trip Reports (7)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by shadez »

Thank you all for the input... Some excellent advice I hadn't considered - which is exactly y I asked :D

If I push this up to this weekend or next (barring a significant storm between now and then...) Would micro spikes be sufficient or would you still advise crampons? The last TR I can find is from a couple weeks ago... the same weekends I did Bierstadts East Ridge - and I know conditions have changed up there quite a bit since then.

Again thank you all for your helpful response - I love this group
"Dream as if you'll live forever - Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
viejo
Posts: 287
Joined: 5/10/2007
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by viejo »

If you're still looking for advice (and I wouldn't really recommend getting your advice from the internet), then it sounds like you don't have sufficient experience with mixed type climbing to try this ridge in the conditions you'll likely find over the next several weeks. Two or 3 class 3 experineces in dry conditions is not an adequate preparation for this ridge this time of year.

The other posters were alluding to this when saying this would be a serious undertaking, and not to get too crazy too soon.

A light snow covering and/or verglas totally changes the character of this kind of climb. And that ridge can get you committed pretty quickly.
User avatar
Jim Davies
Posts: 7638
Joined: 6/8/2006
14ers: 58  1 
13ers: 67
Trip Reports (5)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by Jim Davies »

I've done the ridge twice, once in October with a little snow and once in mid-summer when it was dry. The snow made a big difference - as pointed out above, it makes some of the traverses and cruxes much harder, as they're all on the north side of the ridge. Crampons would have been useless, as the snow was all unconsolidated (basically it just made things slippery). I'd wait until next summer myself.
Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall — it's great when you stop. -- Chris Darwin
I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now. -- Forrest Gump
SteveBonowski
Posts: 226
Joined: 2/9/2010
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by SteveBonowski »

Rather than trying this difficult route, without significant experience, try something much easier that has a good run-out if you slip. You said you know how to use an ice axe, so I may assume you have practiced self-arrest with the axe. If you've not practiced self-arrest, then your experience is much less.

You might pick a place away from avalanche danger, like some of the slopes around Loveland Pass or St. Marys Glacier, once there is sufficient snow to play on and practice. If you get crampons, find someone who knows what they're doing to show you French and German technique. If the person doesn't know what these techniques are, then they also don't have experience.

A different good idea is to check out the classes at Colorado Mountain Club. There you would get training from knowledgeable volunteers.
skierman13
Posts: 1
Joined: 9/28/2010
14ers: 21  2 
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Quandary Peak - West Ridge

Post by skierman13 »

I did the West Ridge last Saturday, and it was one of the more serious climbs I've done, much harder than Longs or the Sawtooth in summer, haven't done Kelso Ridge. In places, snow was already up to my knees along the ridge. At the second wall, there was hard ice covering most of the steps with soft snow on top of that. Not only was it slippery, but it was difficult to tell which rocks were stable, many of them are not. Considering the high levels of exposure and poor rock, I would not suggest this route without a lot of experience. That said, this would be one of my favorite routes without the snow.
Post Reply