Full Climb [CC]: 'Little Bear Peak to Blanca Peak Traverse' in Colorado, Part 2

Colorado fourteener (also "14er"; a mountain that reaches 14,000 feet or higher) enthusiasts have a wide range of challenge levels to enjoy—from straightforward class 1 walk-ups to complex navigational precarious nightmares. But what is there for an experienced hiker to advance further once the hungry mind is satiated by all of those standard routes? Offering an exquisite combination of "copious scrambling, some class 4 climbing at least, bomber holds or rotten rock, wild exposure, and elaborate routefinding," the four great fourteener traverses popularized by climber Jerry Roach are the next logical step up. And, of that group, Little Bear Peak-Blanca Peak Traverse no doubt reigns supreme. On their own, Little Bear Peak ranks as the second most difficult while Blanca Peak is a level above moderate. Both are plagued by the long, hideous Lake Como Road (as known as "the worst road in Colorado) as entry and exit points. A majority of passenger cars stop rather early, while heavily modified/specialized rock crawlers can endure up to the common basecamp at Lake Como. Thus, climbers can expect their own effort ranging overall from around 16 miles gaining 7,000 feet or 5 miles gaining 3,200 feet. It is the traverse proper—the connecting ridge between Little Bear and Blanca—that truly elevates this challenge above any statewide 14er standards routes and even its other three kindreds. An intense, exhausting one-mile-long commitment that must be wholly complete once begun, due to no easy/safe escape options. Losing 350 feet from Little Bear and regaining 650 feet to Blanca. The scary initial 5.1 downclimb immediately gives justified trepidation. Then, countless catwalks, small ledges, and knife edges on not-super-secure rock. Neverending exposure and deadly 1,000-foot-plus drops. Towers, small to humungous, demand scaling or circumventing. A final headwall downclimb to formally leave the ridge and triumphantly summit Blanca Peak. Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/P7cYG6b7LKB... Route: Lake Como Road-Blanca Peak Trail-West Ridge & "Hourglass" (Little Bear Peak)-'Little Bear Peak-Blanca Peak' Traverse Type: Loop (lollipop) Distance: ~16 miles Overall Elevation Gain: ~7,000 feet Climbing Length: ~40 feet Structure: Ridge; towers; slabs; walls Material: Metagabbro; gneiss Rating: 5.1 Pitch: Three Location: Rio Grande National Forest, Colorado, USA Date/Time: 2023-09-28 0743 Chapters, Part 2: 00:00:00 Title; Important; Itinerary; Summit (Little Bear Peak) 01:10:20 Saddle (lowest point on traverse) 02:23:39 Summit (Blanca Peak) 02:27:51 Descending Blanca Peak Trail 03:02:51 Junction with Ellingwood Point south face route 03:57:23 Turn-Off to west ridge and "hourglass" route (Little Bear Peak) 04:06:26 Lake Como 04:22:06 "Jaws 3.5" 05:47:54 End #Hiking #climbing #rockclimbing #LeaveNoTrace