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North Ridge

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North Ridge

Page Type: Route

Location: Colorado, United States, North America

Lat/Lon: 37.84500°N / 107.983°W

Route Type: Ridge Scramble

Time Required: Most of a day

Difficulty: 4th class

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Page By: nickd

Created/Edited: Sep 17, 2003 / Sep 17, 2003

Object ID: 158842

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Table of Contents

Route Description

Miscellaneous Info

Approach

From Rock of Ages Col, Gladstone and the connecting (North) ridge to Wilson Peak are clearly visible to the southeast. Depending on where you intend to start the ridge climb (closer to Gladstone or Wilson Peak), make a circling traverse of the east end of Navajo Basin. With care, you can lose no more than 300' during the traverse.

There are a number of couloirs that lead to the North Ridge . For a long and fun ridge climb (with some low 5th class passages), start in one to the left (north) of the ridge low point. To avoid the level ridge scramble, traverse all the way over to the last climbable gully on the ridge - just below the point where the ridge rises steeply toward the summit.

Route Description

The ridge climb - whether the entire ridge from north of the low point or just the steep section that leads to the summit - is suprisingly sustained climbing on reasonable rock, mostly 4th class with low 5th class passages here and there if you stay to the ridge. Pass obstacles generally to the east - not too hard unless there is alot of snow collected there. There is a false summit at about 13,800' - pass this to the left (east), and continue to the small and scenic summit.

Essential Gear

When dry, approach shoes are fine. With snow, alpine boots and an ice axe are nice to have.

Miscellaneous Info

While on the summit, take a look down the fantastic Southwest Ridge , toward Mt. Wilson and El Diente. This looks like a great climb. An old friend - George Bell of '53 US K2 Expedition fame - did this route many years ago. I recall him saying it had 3 pitches of 5.6-5.8 climbing on nice rock, followed by the requisite (and inevitable, in the San Juans) ridge scramble. I'll add a first hand description soon.

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