Climbing Little Bear Safely

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.
User avatar
tobiasfunke
Posts: 138
Joined: 4/11/2015
14ers: 31  2 
13ers: 2
Trip Reports (0)
 

Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by tobiasfunke »

Is it possible? I've heard too many horror stories about slippery conditions and loose rocks form those above you, plus remaining ropes of dubious quality.
Under what conditions can this be done safely? Is the SW ridge a viable alternative to the hourglass? How necessary are ropes?
User avatar
CO Native
Posts: 4879
Joined: 7/26/2004
14ers: 58  2  15 
13ers: 29
Trip Reports (50)
 
Contact:

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safetly

Post by CO Native »

Can of worms opened.

In all climbing there is some risk. You cannot climb Little Bear without some danger. Nor can you climb Mt Elbert without some danger.

There are some hints to help limit unnecessary risks though.

Ropes are not necessary at all, but if you are descending the hourglass they get you through the worst danger a whole lot faster than down climbing. However if you are not experienced with them they will likely be more dangerous.

The SW ridge avoids the hourglass, but has some danger of its own. You do have more control over those dangers than the rockfall risk in the hourglass.

Climbing the hourglass when it's full of snow is one way to mitigate some of the risk. When snow conditions are right it's safer than when it's dry.
Remember what your knees are for.
http://www.hikingintherockies.com
User avatar
Urban Snowshoer
Posts: 370
Joined: 7/12/2009
14ers: 42  3  2 
13ers: 20 1 1
Trip Reports (4)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safetly

Post by Urban Snowshoer »

CO Native wrote:Can of worms opened.

In all climbing there is some risk. You cannot climb Little Bear without some danger. Nor can you climb Mt Elbert without some danger.

There are some hints to help limit unnecessary risks though.

Ropes are not necessary at all, but if you are descending the hourglass they get you through the worst danger a whole lot faster than down climbing. However if you are not experienced with them they will likely be more dangerous.

The SW ridge avoids the hourglass, but has some danger of its own. You do have more control over those dangers than the rockfall risk in the hourglass.

Climbing the hourglass when it's full of snow is one way to mitigate some of the risk. When snow conditions are right it's safer than when it's dry.
Correct me, if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Southwest Ridge route require crossing private property, access to which hasn't been granted (to climbers) in a number of years?
User avatar
Wish I lived in CO
Posts: 1088
Joined: 2/8/2008
14ers: 58 
Trip Reports (11)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by Wish I lived in CO »

SW Ridge or Hourglass you will get a mixed bag of replies, some for and against for each. Each has it's pros and cons. Of course a third option is the snow climb of the hourglass (eliminates the rockfall). I think it will basically boil down to what your gut feel is.

I did the SW ridge last summer, so I'm obviously biased to that route. I had an off day physically (4 hrs of sleep total for 2 nights before) and since it is such a tedious route with tons of talus and navigating with no trail thru the trees, I was really feeling it at the end. You will see some reports about going on knife edges, negotiating a 6 ft. wall, and a class 4 down-climb. All of these are avoidable if you wish to do so, namely by keeping a keen eye for alternative lines. I have a trip report if you go thru my profile that offers a few clues. We kept it to class 3. Yes Little Bear can be climbed entirely all class 3. That's not to say that it is not dangerous and it should not be taken lightly. Someone compared it in terms of route-finding, effort, and technically to North Maroon. I've done both and I think that's a pretty fair comparison. N. Maroon is also class 3 if you use the bypass, though some of the moves I would call "difficult" class 3 if there is such a thing. I wanted to avoid that hourglass at all costs, so to me that absolutely trumped everything else. Thus we did the SW route. Some of course will talk about the hourglass and their experience and that's absolutely fine. As I said above, it will be kind of a personal choice for you based on many factors.
I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:1-2
User avatar
CO Native
Posts: 4879
Joined: 7/26/2004
14ers: 58  2  15 
13ers: 29
Trip Reports (50)
 
Contact:

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by CO Native »

Both the SW ridge and the standard route cross private property. Both can be done via routes that have not been an issue for access.
Remember what your knees are for.
http://www.hikingintherockies.com
User avatar
Wish I lived in CO
Posts: 1088
Joined: 2/8/2008
14ers: 58 
Trip Reports (11)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safetly

Post by Wish I lived in CO »

Urban Snowshoer wrote:Correct me, if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Southwest Ridge route require crossing private property, access to which hasn't been granted (to climbers) in a number of years?
There is no "concensus" on the property issues, only lots of opinions.

Camp One is that it is a private road (which I don't know or necessarily agree) and it is private, period.

Camp two is that as long as you stay on the road only, then where you finally park and hike is indeed public. I liken it to driving thru a subdivision to get to the park - everybody's yard is private, but just stay on the road till you're at the public park.

Camp three is "I don't care".
I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:1-2
User avatar
JChitwood
Posts: 622
Joined: 8/29/2011
14ers: 58 
13ers: 51
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by JChitwood »

You take your chances on L Bear. I climbed through the week with nobody above and still got hammered with rocks, one left a good bruise on my arm for months and also got some small bangers on the helmet. Several times we heard them echoing off the walls above and dove for cover. And I used the fixed ropes, mainly for a crutch going up but the rope was a huge time saver descending. The faster you get out of that gully the better. It was posted here the ropes were placed only two weeks before I was up there so I gave them a shot. I leaned on them more going down after inspecting the anchors going up. I figure they trust fixed ropes on 8000 meter peaks, I can trust them on an, uh, 4500 meter peak. Good luck, it is one of the most rewarding summits. I half collapsed onto the top stressing about the descent, and looked over to the rock next to me upon which a previous climber had stood a tiny golden Gummi Bear. A little bear for Little Bear, thanks to whoever did it, you made me smile :)
"I'll make it." - Jimmy Chitwood
User avatar
SoCool
Posts: 662
Joined: 6/18/2014
14ers: 49  1  5 
13ers: 35 3
Trip Reports (2)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by SoCool »

JChitwood wrote:they trust fixed ropes on 8000 meter peaks
"Fixed ropes" on big mountains are usually brand new and placed by experts at the beginning of an assault. The Hourglass ropes cannot be considered the same thing.
User avatar
GeezerClimber
Posts: 567
Joined: 8/9/2011
14ers: 58 
13ers: 24
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by GeezerClimber »

From a statistical standpoint, more people seem to die on other peaks like Capitol and N Maroon and, of course, Longs, but LB is scary. The loose rock hazard above the hourglass cannot be overstated. I had a small one hit me in the thigh and leave a bruise though not as bad as above. If you can't do it as a snow climb, then I would recommend a weekday in Sept. and, hopefully, after a dry period so the route will be relatively clean and stable. The most dangerous spot is right at the narrow spot where the rope ends. Get over the crux quickly and move away from the rope to the left and you will be mostly out of the fall zone. Same thing going down. The climbing itself is pretty fun. Most people would put Capitol and LB in a class of their own and I agree but whereas Capitol was thrilling, LB is just plain scary.

Dave
User avatar
GeezerClimber
Posts: 567
Joined: 8/9/2011
14ers: 58 
13ers: 24
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by GeezerClimber »

SoCool wrote:
JChitwood wrote:they trust fixed ropes on 8000 meter peaks
"Fixed ropes" on big mountains are usually brand new and placed by experts at the beginning of an assault. The Hourglass ropes cannot be considered the same thing.
Good point, but in those situations the rope must be counted on to handle the full weight of someone falling 50 feet or more. On LB, the rope can serve as just an extra handhold. A freefall wouldn't normally happen and the rope wouldn't help in that event anyway.

Dave
User avatar
Jeff Valliere
Posts: 537
Joined: 2/19/2007
14ers: 58  1  15 
13ers: 9
Trip Reports (8)
 
Contact:

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safetly

Post by Jeff Valliere »

Urban Snowshoer wrote:
Correct me, if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Southwest Ridge route require crossing private property, access to which hasn't been granted (to climbers) in a number of years?
Well yes, but when I was there (2004) it was not signed or enforced, so in my opinion, this was much less of a risk than taking our chances in the Hourglass. Some will argue otherwise and that is fine, there are pros/cons to various routes that have been debated many times here, just do your research, weight them all carefully and make the decision you feel most comfortable with. No matter how you slice it, Little Bear is no gimme.
User avatar
Bean
Posts: 2757
Joined: 11/2/2005
14ers: 45  45  10 
13ers: 9 4
Trip Reports (27)
 
Contact:

Re: Climbing Little Bear Safely

Post by Bean »

Go when it's full of snow and the hourglass is trivial. I don't know why anyone in their right mind would go through that bowling alley on a summer weekend.
"There are no hard 14ers, but some are easier than others." - Scott P
http://throughpolarizedeyes.com
Post Reply