Crestone Peak - Northwest Couloir

[glodder]

Agree with doggler and Kiefer, loose rock and watch out closely for your exit point. I climbed and descended that couloir in early August 2004, and there was a snow slope crossing that was unavoidable. I would plan on bringing equipment anticipating a traverse across a steep snow slope about 150 feet wide. We crossed that slope using just footprints with no spikes or ice axe, and I thought it was nerve-racking and dangerous. One slip and you're going down that slope all the way to the bottom, probably with a bunch of rock collisions on your way.

[pctjeff23]

Car camping is indeed allowed at the road pullouts going toward the Willow Creek Trailhead? Seems like starting at Willow Creek might be a better option, since it does not appear that car camping is possible at Cottonwood Creek Trailhead, according to the Trailhead Info page.

[jdorje]

There's no room at the cottonwood trailhead, which is on private property. The willow trailhead has a few spots.

http://osm.org/go/TzSilx1vV-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[semitrueskerm]

Anyone who ascends or descends the NW Couloir without snow has my total respect (well, with snow too). Good luck and be safe. That thing scared the heck out of me looking down it from the saddle when I did the Red Gully route.

[pctjeff23]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm leaning toward ascending Northwest Couloir and descending the South Face, based on people's responses on this thread.

[bking14ers]

Anyone who ascends or descends the NW Couloir without snow has my total respect (well, with snow too). Good luck and be safe. That thing scared the heck out of me looking down it from the saddle when I did the Red Gully route.

I agree. We also went up the South Face and at the top of it, you look sraight down the NW Coulier. It looked super narrow, steep and loose. Good luck. At one time I've read it used to be the standard route up.

[Presto]

by bking14ers » Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:40 pm
At one time I've read it used to be the standard route up.

It was (up and down). In the late 1980's we did the traverse from Needle to Peak (in the fog) and descended that route. Very steep and loose. To say that I could feel the wind flying up my ... well, you know what I mean ... is an understatement.

[SchralpTheGnar]

what about backpack to south colony lakes, camp, climb crestone needle -> traverse to Peak -> descend NW couloir, then east ridge to summit of KC, then reverse to bears playground back to south colony lakes.

[pctjeff23]

That would be a direct route, but the traverse from Needle to Peak is a class 4, which I have never done. I wanted to keep it to class 3 climbing, since I do not have any technical experience with ropes.

[screeman57]

Car camping is indeed allowed at the road pullouts going toward the Willow Creek Trailhead? Seems like starting at Willow Creek might be a better option, since it does not appear that car camping is possible at Cottonwood Creek Trailhead, according to the Trailhead Info page.

True, but there is excellent camping a few miles in.

[Brian C]

I did the NW Couloir for my first route on the Peak as well when it was in dry conditions. Sounded like a great idea until we were in it. The middle was wet/icy so we were forced onto harder terrain on the right side. It was scary and made worse by copious amounts of rock fall coming down from a herd of sheep above us. I went back and did the North Buttress and felt that although it was technically harder, it was an overall safer route (no rockfall). Here are two photos from when we did it...

[Presto]

This view (from this website) is pretty much spot on. You go directly down (about 2/3 of the way) the cut/gully and then branch off to viewer's left angling down to the bear's playground.

http://www.14ers.com/photos/peakphoto.p ... 2&start=88" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;