Como road tour/guide

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OldTrad
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by OldTrad »

Scott P wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:00 am There's always the Gash Ridge or Ormes Buttress. There's no Lake Como Road on that side.
+1

Or any number of other known and/or creative 3rd through 5th class adventure options that will get you from the Huerfano drainage up onto Ellingwood's N. ridge.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by nyker »

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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

Unless you are very experienced with an ATV or UTV, I would not recommend renting one and expecting to just ride up the road. It's a technical ride and if you're not experience, you will likely have a lot of trouble with the machine.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by bdloftin77 »

aksean22 wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:30 am
Scott P wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:00 am There's always the Gash Ridge or Ormes Buttress. There's no Lake Como Road on that side.
Or Zapata Falls. It's a much nicer approach for Ellingwood/Blanca.
+1

Did Blanca via Zapata Falls my first time.
nsaladin wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 7:53 am I’m not aware of any companies that do this, and if there are some, they might not even take you past jaws 1 for liability reasons. Just find someone who has a stock 4WD truck or 4Runner with good AT tires. I have taken both of my stock SUVs up there with just good tires, and didn’t scrape. I parked right before Jaws 1 around 10,200’. Parking here eliminates the worst and hottest part of the hike.
Second time, went with a 14ers.com member and we parked at around 10,200'. Only a couple miles to the first lake, and it wasn't too bad. After I did LB-Blanca-Ellingwood (he did LB only that day), I started the long hike down. Fortunately, some huge clearance rock crawlers passed me right at the 10,200' area, and I was able to hitch a ride down to my car. If you can hitch a ride to about here, I agree that the hike is not too bad at all, relatively speaking.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by mtree »

BillMiddlebrook wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 10:42 am Unless you are very experienced with an ATV or UTV, I would not recommend renting one and expecting to just ride up the road. It's a technical ride and if you're not experience, you will likely have a lot of trouble with the machine.
Oh yeah. You better know what you're doing.

A friend of mine took his dirt bike up there, but he's a pro rider.
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by climbnowworklater »

I wear it as a badge of honor to have never stepped foot on that horrible Como rd. I feel for people who have to hike that crap. There are better options, imho.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by Curve »

I was able to snag a ride with an experienced offroading friend all the way to Lake Como. I did the LB-Blanca traverse and maintain that the scariest part of the trip was the ride up. Taking a lifted jeep over jaws 1 was a horrible experience even as a passenger. We had a four door jeep with 38's and bottomed out twice. My advice is to go from Zapata or stop well before Jaws.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by two lunches »

Curve wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:46 pm Taking a lifted jeep over jaws 1 was a horrible experience even as a passenger. We had a four door jeep with 38's and bottomed out twice.
this makes me want to throw up. ZAPATA, IT IS.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by markf »

I've walked the road twice with overnight gear. What's the big deal? The second time I got to the bottom and met someone who had just done LB, Blanca and Ellingwood from the lower trailhead in one day. That was impressive.
mark
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by SchralpTheGnar »

People on this forum seemly oddly averse to walking. I’ve hike como road from 9k or so no less than 5 times and enjoyed it every time, but always in April or May when the snow keeps the machines to a minimum
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by randalmartin »

two lunches wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:59 pm
Curve wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 12:46 pm Taking a lifted jeep over jaws 1 was a horrible experience even as a passenger. We had a four door jeep with 38's and bottomed out twice.
this makes me want to throw up. ZAPATA, IT IS.
Zapata Creek approach for doing Ellingwood and Blanca was fantastic and how I did it. My recommendation if you do that route is in June or early July when there is enough snow in the C2 couloir.
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Re: Como road tour/guide

Post by nsaladin »

Did the Ellingwood/Blanca combo by starting from Zapata and walking down Como road to 10,200’ to a waiting jeep. Long day, but beats walking up Como road. Requires two vehicles capable of getting to 10,200’ or in my case, a friend that turns back early in the hike and wants to help out and drives around after receiving a Delorme message/text that we are not going back over Ellingwood to get out.

You could do the same thing and walk all the way down the road to ~8,000’ where you leave a less capable car. Still better than going up Como road on foot.
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