Quandary Peak (West Ridge)- 14,265 ft

Date: 4-14-2005

Climbers: George Barnes and Doug Shaw

Route:  West Ridge, Class 3

RT distance:  ~10 miles?

RT time: 14 hours

Time to summit:  11 hours 10 minutes minutes

Time on summit:  15 minutes

Time to trailhead: 2 hours 35 minutes

Elevation gain:  ~3,500 feet
Coordinates of summit: 39° 23.83'N, 106° 6.38'W

Coordinates of TH: 39° 22.95'N, 106° 3.85'W
USGS Quadrangles: Breckenridge

Topo Map: HERE
 

Trip Report:

This would be our third attempt at the West ridge, so Doug and I were starting to get a bit frustrated.  Our previous attempts would have been calendar winter ascents, but we'd have to settle for winter-like conditions in April.  Our previous trips had given us an idea of what to expect for snow conditions, and how to best change our route to account for avalanche hazards.

We made it to the Monte Cristo trailhead shortly after 9 AM, allowing us to get an early alpine start of 9:20 AM.  The Blue Lakes Road is closed, so 1 hour and 2 miles later we stood on top of the reservoir dam.  It's certainly possible to do this leg in under an hour, but we stopped for 3 feet of WI 4-5 ice climbing.

The usual trail from the dam is fairly snow covered, but we're able to follow it for a good portion of the way up to the hanging valley.

The normal route for the west ridge goes right up the middle of the valley to the saddle, but this is not an option for us given the large snow fields and chutes filled with avy debris.  Instead, we gain the ridge on the west (climber's left) side of the valley and follow this around to the saddle.  Gaining the ridge takes a bit of snow climbing and a few 4th class moves.  We reach our previous turn around point in just over 2 hours (significantly better than previous attempts).  We follow the relatively flat tundra around the ridge to some large snowfields below Fletcher.  I pause to collect images for a panorama of the area.  I'm working on a throbbing altitude headache, so I'm looking for excuses to not move.  We contour around the ridge, with spectacular views of the rugged Wheeler-Fletcher ridge.

At 3 PM we reach the saddle proper and stop to eat and rehydrate.  I snap some more panorama shots of the rugged Fletcher-Atlantic ridge.

The climbing gets serious as soon as we move up the saddle.  A class 2-3 trail is available in the summer, but we're doing our share of snow traverses and rock scrambling to make progress up the west ridge.  The exposure off the north side of the ridge is impressive, and pictures don't do it justice.

Slowly we make our way past the harder rock and again find the climbers trail.  We're able to move more quickly and reach 14,000 feet just after 5 PM.  It's only ~1/4 mile and 265 vertical feet to the summit, but we know this will be the hardest leg of the trip.  It's getting late and retreating via our ascent route is about 3 miles longer (and certainly harder) than a descent of the east ridge, so we're pretty much committed to making it through the crumbling rock.

Doug leads the first snow traverse above an old mining building foundation.  I carefully follow his steps, not eager to explore the valley floor feet below.

After the traverse we're greeted by one of the many towering gendarmes.  The only prudent route across looks to be up the snow/rock gully to the left.

Reaching the top of this tower is pretty disheartening.  It's 6:30 PM, the summit is now visible and separated by at least 4 more gendarmes.

As KC says, you can tell when the climbing gets interesting because people stop taking pictures.  For the next two hours I don't take any pictures, but I do note the setting sun and distance to the summit.  I'd carried a short rope for the trip, and we use this to protect a few snow traverses.  The perceived security of the rope is nice, however roped travel is even slower than our un-roped route finding, and we're still one tower away from the easy ridge to the summit when the sun finally sets.  The one part of the day that sticks in my mind was shuffling across a knife edge with a leg over each side.  I've had my fill of sugar snow on loose rock, so I opt for a low fifth class route directly up the last tower.  From my vantage I can direct Doug to a more prudent snow traverse to the finish.

I pause at the top of the tower to dig out another thermal layer and affix my headlamp to my helmet.  After down climbing the far side of the tower, the summit is an easy ridge run from here, and at 8:30 PM I gain the snowy summit and get off the west ridge.  I'm relieved to to finally summit, but not excited about the 3 miles back to the car (can you tell?).

Ten minutes later Doug arrives and we gear up for the descent down the easy east ridge.  It has cooled off dramatically, and Doug finally has a chance to put a shell on over his single polypro layer.  I call my wife to let her know we're OK and not to expect me anytime soon.

The descent goes quickly, with help from hard packed snow.  We glissade/plunge step our way down to tree line in about an hour.  From here we make a grievous route finding error and lose the main trail.  We'll post hole through waist deep snow for the next 2 hours to reach the road to the car at 11:20 PM.  Doug would later describe this enjoyable experience. "Postholing is one thing, but this was arguably worse - an inch-thick ice crust over 3+ feet of sugar snow. Stand up, take two steps, snow holds and you think maybe it will hold you and then suddenly CRUNCH - you're in up to your thighs, the ice crust scratching and shredding your shins and knees."  If the trip wasn't already epic, this certainly seals the deal.  All in all a memorable outing and I'm looking forward to doing the ridge again in summer conditions.