13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

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TravelingMatt
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13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by TravelingMatt »

Thought this would make a useful topic. I mean ridges that you might think go from actually attempting them, looking at maps or just assuming based on the surrounding terrain or even their names, but are in fact 5th class at best.

Gore:
East Partner/West Partner
Rain/Silverthorne

San Juan:
Kendall Mountain/Kendall Peak
Gudy/Music (13566/13691 above Cooper Creek drainage)
Wood/Gravel
Handies/13795

Elk:
Treasure/Treasury

Sawatch:
Independence Pass south to 13198
13460/Middle (can drop down north side)
13140A/Grizzly E
13295/13232B
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by mike offerman »

TravelingMatt wrote: Handies/13795

I don't remember that traverse being all that bad, though it has been a few years. Just to verify what I remember, I found the following link:
http://www.summitpost.org/handies-and-p ... mbo/230907" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by TravelingMatt »

mike offerman wrote:
I don't remember that traverse being all that bad, though it has been a few years. Just to verify what I remember, I found the following link:
http://www.summitpost.org/handies-and-p ... mbo/230907" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Of all the ridges I listed above that's the only one I didn't directly inspect or try. Shows me. When I was researching 13795 it seemed people were going up Campbell Creek to get it. Handies/Whitecross definitely goes and the ridge looked iffy from the summit of Whitecross.
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by bergsteigen »

Only one I can remember off-hand, that you haven't covered. I'm sure I can find more looking through my list

Sawatch:
Red Mtn B to Garfield Peak A
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by AyeYo »

awilbur77 wrote:Atlantic to Fletcher
Isn't that right in the Colorado Scrambles book? I think that one's the opposite - it looks like it won't go, but does.
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by Jon Frohlich »

AyeYo wrote:
awilbur77 wrote:Atlantic to Fletcher
Isn't that right in the Colorado Scrambles book? I think that one's the opposite - it looks like it won't go, but does.
No, that one is definitely 5th class.
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by Monster5 »

AyeYo wrote:Isn't that right in the Colorado Scrambles book? I think that one's the opposite - it looks like it won't go, but does.
Phrasing the post another way, assuming no major ridge bypasses, which 5th class 13er ridges do not look 5th class? Tricky question. Missouri East Ridge seems like a good example on the non-13er side. Looks like it goes at less than 5th.

Tellurium group? Storm/E Storm? I like the Kendalls as the notch doesn't look that bad. 13472 to 13517 (south of Huron) fits the bill - major E side bypass.

Of the mentioned, I don't think some fit the criteria as they do in fact look 5th.
-Silverthorne to Rain is 5.4
-Atlantic to Fletcher is 4th (loose bypass) to 5.7
-Middle to 13463 is around 5.0. One big notch DCed on N side, but this might actually fit the criteria.
-Partners goes around 5.4, but most bypass at 3rd.
-Indy Pass to 13198 goes around 4th, but the move is incredibly loose. I'd say this one fits the criteria.
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by vandy »

Whenever I look at the Pettingell Peak to the Citadel traverse I always think there must be a 3rd class bypass somewhere, but I haven't heard of one.
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by Chicago Transplant »

Some of those do go, but maybe not directly on the ridge. There are several others like that where the direct has some notch but you can still combine the peaks if you drop enough. Its part of the "fun" of 13er chasing, finding these crazy traverses you think will work, then having to figure it out on the fly when they don't! My friend Scot and I have found a few notches that don't go in our adventures, and it has become a running theme for us!

Grizzly E and 13140 A: I was able to traverse below the difficulties

13295 and 13232B: I actually have a TR on that, the notch was doable but stiff 4th at best, I did have to hop off a ledge so maybe its 5th. Better to bypass it, which is possible.

Handies and 13795: Not a problem, but you have to bypass a section if you go on to Campbell Creek Peak.

Gudy and Music (which I have as "Every"?): I don't remember that one being an issue. It was the east ridge of 13540 after CT peak that caught me off guard that day.

Wood and Gravel do not go, but you can climb them in the same day if you traverse way out towards the 13250 point on the map and find an angling ramp, then drop and cross Horseshoe Basin. It actually worked quite well, and the rock was not too loose.

Some others you might think the ridge crest works on but you have to drop:

13337 to 13244 in the Elks, maybe even drop significantly for that pair or scrap it and do two trips!

"T7" to "T8", only cost me about 200' of mostly grassy reclimb to avoid the loose stuff on the ridge.

13580 to 13581 (SJs), drop 100-200' off the ridge for a notch.

Snowdon and South Snowdon (aka "N2"), I think there are actually 2 notches that don't go on this one, but we found traverses for them.

Proposal to Emery, drop off the east side.

Truro to West Truro, the towers don't show up on the topo and you have to go around them.

Billy Traverse has a section you have to drop way down to avoid towers between Williams and 13203.

FYI to respond to above, the Telluriums go fine together, but Tabor to Tellurium is harder, I just descended back to Tabor Lake and wrapped all the way around, the north ridge on Tellurium is fun though.

Better to split and do separate trips:

US Grant to "V3"

Storm and East Storm

Sneffels to Kismet, Kismet is easier to combine with Cirque.

Chicago to "T5"


I could probably go through photos from some of my other trips and come up with more, but I guess I should stop procrastinating and get some work done this morning. :lol:
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by polar »

vandy wrote:Whenever I look at the Pettingell Peak to the Citadel traverse I always think there must be a 3rd class bypass somewhere, but I haven't heard of one.
I have read about a bypass, but apparently you need to have the right friends to show you the way...
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by TravelingMatt »

I'm thinking in rather broad terms here, where you might try a ridge without thinking twice, and run into enough difficulty that you have to significantly alter your route or abandon altogether. A few of them I have in fact connected by dropping down.

Yes, I did mean Every, not Music, for Gudy/13691 in the San Juans. Near the bottom of the ridge I ran into a knife-edge of choss with angle-of-repose gravel on both sides. I was going west to east (from Gudy) and figured it might be doable in the other direction. This was in fact the traverse that gave me the idea for the topic, that and the Kendalls ("they have the same name; why shouldn't they go?")

Another one in the SJs is 13201/13300C, west of Wetterhorn. Nothing north or east down from 13201 offered anything reasonable, and I remember reading something saying it was supposed to be Class 2. I got down 13201 by retracing my ascent route.

I did East Storm via Tower and it wasn't fun. La Junta to 13145A requires dropping to the west and still was loose.
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Re: 13er ridges you might think go but actually don't

Post by Chicago Transplant »

On 13201, we ended up descending the south ridge for a bit then dropping to Mary Alice basin and hiking back up the road. We had parked at the 2WD Wetterhorn TH anyway so it worked well for us. I do remember that the north side of that peak coming from 13300 had to be traversed around to find a better ascent gully on the NW side.

I did upclimb that part on Gudy, I'll have to look at my pics. I just don't remember that sticking out as too difficult. Like I said, the ridge up 13540 later that day got my attention, so maybe I forgot about Gudy :lol:

I do remember some loose class 3 ledges on the East Storm-Tower combo, but have to say, its probably the easiest way to combine that peak with anything. You bringing that up reminded me that between Tower and Dome there is a gash, however, and you have to drop and completely bypass the 13321 point on the map to combine Dome and Tower. Bypass to the south.
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