Peaks and Summits

  • Named peaks in black have 300′ or more rise and a half a mile of isolation
  • Named peaks in gray have less than 300′ of rise and/or less than a half a mile of isolation.
  • “bonus” peaks are peaks summited, but not located directly on the main ridge.
  • “South Little Bear”, 14,020′
  • Little Bear Peak, 14,037′
  • Blanca Peak, 14,345′
  • Ellingwood Peak, 14042
  • Peak 13656, 13,656′
  • Peak 13577, 13,577′
  • California Peak, 13,849′
  • Peak 12198, 12,198′
  • Carbonate Mountain, 12,313′
  • Mount Zwischen, 12,010′
  • Blizzadine Peak, 11,922′
  • Blueberry Peak, 12022′
  • Snowslide Mountain, 11,672′
  • Marble Mountain, 13,272′
  • Milwaukee Peak, 13,526′ (bonus)
  • Broken Hand Peak, 13,575′
  • Crestone Needle, 14,196′
  • Crestone Peak, 14,299′
  • “Obstruction Peak”, 13,812′ (bonus)
  • Point 13543, 13,543′
  • Point 13533, 13,533′
  • Point 13543, 13,543′
  • Mt. Adams, 13,937′
  • Fluted Peak, 13,576′
  • Comanche Peak, 13,277′
  • Spring Mountain, 12,228′
  • Venable Peak, 13,333′ (bonus)
  • Eureka Mountain, 13,505′
  • “Yahoo Mountain”, 13,001′
  • Hermit Peak, 13,311′
  • Rito Alto Peak, 13,801′
  • “Peak of the Clouds”, 13,495′
  • “Silver Peak”, 13,517′
  • Mount Marcy, 13,504′
  • De Anza Peak, 13,391′
  • Electric Peak, 13,618′
  • Lakes Peak, 13,384′
  • Thirsty Peak, 13,224′
  • Point 13128, 13,128′
  • Cottonwood Peak, 13,597′
  • Peak 12655, 13,655′
  • Nipple Mountain, 12,206′
  • Peak 11662, 11,662′
  • Galena Peak, 12,478′
  • Peak 12676, 12,676′
  • Mt. Otto, 12,865′
  • Bushnell Peak, 13,112′
  • Twin Sisters, South, 12,741′
  • Twin Sisters, North, 13009′
  • Point 12908, 12,908′
  • Red Mountain, 12,975
  • Hunts Peak, 13,061′
  • Point 12395, 12,395′
  • Simmons Peak, 12,060′
  • Methodist Mountain, 11,712′

Map

Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse Peaks and Summits
Sangre de Cristo Range Traverse Peaks and Summits

Cruxes

The southern part of the range holds most of the semi-technical scrambling. Below are some of the more difficult sections. Anything over Class 3, I’ve noted below. Some scrambling sections are difficult to grade with a YDS rock grade, but may contain difficult route finding, loose rock, and snow. I’ve neglected many of the sections that contain beaucoup Class 3 sections, as these are found throughout the range. Staying as close to the ridge crest as possible will up the difficulty significantly. Of particular note, the ridge from “Obstruction Peak” to Mt. Adams is particularly loose.

(South to North)

  • South Little Bear
  • Little Bear/Blanca Traverse, low 5th
  • Ellingwood South Ridtge Direct, low 5th
  • Ellingwood North Ridge (downclimb), low 5th
  • Milwaukee Peak
  • Broken Hand Peak
  • Crestone Needle, 4th
  • Crestone Traverse, low 5th
  • Crestone Peak, NW Couloir, steep snow
  • Obstruction to Mt. Adams
  • Mt. Adams
  • Fluted Peak
Little Bear/Blanca Traverse
Little Bear/Blanca Traverse
Ellingwood Point's North Ridge
Ellingwood Point’s North Ridge.
The Sangres Traverse becomes difficult and complicated in a few places, no more so then when entering into the realm of the Crestones (Needle, and Peak). The ridgeline going north after Marble Mountain becomes serious, with little reprieve - but the views down to South Colony Lakes are some of the best. Milwaukee Peak joins the subsidiary ridgeline that rockets down to the Sand Dunes and features fun scrambling. The extended knife edge to Broken Hand Peak has to be experienced to be believed: both sides of the ridge fall down many hundreds of feet away, leaving you in an incredible position with no bailoff point. Broken Hand Peak is a routefinding puzzle from the south, but once figured out, gives you access to the Needle and the Peak. I decided to bivy on top of the 14,203' Needle overnight, before traversing over to the Peak the next morning. Hard set snow on both sides made it tough work to both ascend and descend. The ridgeline between Obstruction Peak and Mount Adam's features little beta for its 3 highpoints, but I bagged them all - quite spicey. Adam's gives way to Fluted Peak - the last bit of serious scrambling, and the ridgeline tames down, again. Still, it's halfway to the end of the ridge itself.
Broken Hand Peak, Crestone Needle, seen from Marble Mountain