Peak Condition Update | Vestal Peak

Peak:	Vestal Peak
Route:	South Face
Range:	San Juan
Posted By:	TravelingMatt
Date of Info:	9/9/2016
Date Posted:	9/10/2016

Details
From the Elk Creek Trail, the Vestal Creek Trail skirts the far (east) end of the big beaver pond. If you pass a large boulder field you have gone too far up the Elk Creek Trail. Vestal Creek Trail is nasty with many blowdowns, but on the way down I never took my pack off, managing to either crawl under or go over every blowdown. The beginning (west end) of the 11,400' meadow has a very nasty marshy stretch, but I stayed dry by skirting 20-30 feet to the left (north) partly on large boulders. The climber's trail for both Arrow and Vestal starts opposite a small stand of trees towards the far (east) end of the meadow; see pic. The final ascent of the south face begins at a location where the cairned route ends near a narrow gully. The route generally follows along the climber's left (west) side of the gully. There are occasional cairns but any route up works; the object is to get to the gap in the summit's east ridge. Once on the east ridge, a few cairns mark a route but on the last ~50' you're on your own and many options are possible. If descending this gully after doing Wham, stay along the gully just to the right of it, then look for a small cairn some 3-400' below the upper ridge on the far right (west) side of the gully. From this cairn a climber's path should be visible.

Details

From the Elk Creek Trail, the Vestal Creek Trail skirts the far (east) end of the big beaver pond. If you pass a large boulder field you have gone too far up the Elk Creek Trail.

Vestal Creek Trail is nasty with many blowdowns, but on the way down I never took my pack off, managing to either crawl under or go over every blowdown. The beginning (west end) of the 11,400' meadow has a very nasty marshy stretch, but I stayed dry by skirting 20-30 feet to the left (north) partly on large boulders.

The climber's trail for both Arrow and Vestal starts opposite a small stand of trees towards the far (east) end of the meadow; see pic.

The final ascent of the south face begins at a location where the cairned route ends near a narrow gully. The route generally follows along the climber's left (west) side of the gully. There are occasional cairns but any route up works; the object is to get to the gap in the summit's east ridge. Once on the east ridge, a few cairns mark a route but on the last ~50' you're on your own and many options are possible. If descending this gully after doing Wham, stay along the gully just to the right of it, then look for a small cairn some 3-400' below the upper ridge on the far right (west) side of the gully. From this cairn a climber's path should be visible.

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