Little Bear Peak West Ridge Class IV 7/16/2001 Up 4h15m Down: 3h30m
I drove down to the San Luis Valley on Sunday afternoon with the intent of doing one or more of the Blanca Massif peaks on monday. I turned off on the Lake Como Rd. (it’s actually signed now) and drove up the sandy track. The road progressed from bumpy to rocky to uncomfortably rocky to steep and uncomfortably rocky to nearly impassably rocky to utterly heinously rocky and impassable by anything but a Jeep with 38s and ARBs. I found a decent campsite at about 9500’ feet and settled in for the night. Actually, I tried to settle in, but it was hard while being eaten alive by mosquitoes.
I set out at 3 a.m. for Little Bear. The road was utterly unpleasant to walk on as it was loose, rocky, and rutted from all of the ORV’s (bastards, stay below timberline!!!). I made it to Lake Como by 5 a.m. and briefly chatted with another climber who was just getting ready to climb. I ascertained that she and her partner would be leaving in 15 minutes. That gave me incentive to haul up the ridge post hastes to avoid being below anyone in the Bowling Alley, and of having anyone below me.
The notch in the ridge is obvious from below the lake, and there is also a cairn marking the turnoff. Above the lake, look for a well intact cabin on the left, the cairn is about 300 yards up the trail on the right, below the notch. The climb to the notch was a typical scree climb and took about 35 minutes. The view on the other side, especially with the sun rising is outstanding.
I climber along the ridge crest over Point 12980’ and descended to the second notch where the trail starts to traverse the face. It is relatively easy to follow the cairns, but completely unnecessary as the crux couloir is obvios at the end of the basin. I trudged up the remainder of the snowfield below the couloir which was littered with debris from above. How delightful. The climbing up the couloir is easy 4th class with some fun 5th class off to the left. I recommend staying to the left and doing some easy 5th class to avoid rubble and the waterfall.
The Hourglass is very apparent about 200’ up the couloir. I watched several rocks come down through this funnel and proceed to accelerate and then to obliterate themselves on the rock below. As many horror stories as there are about the Bowling Alley, it is really not too bad. The climbing is easy, no rope required, and it’s relatively solid. I just wouldn’t want anyone above me. The moral: do it early and avoid weekends.
The climbing relents above the hourglass, but it is very loose which makes it hard to not kick rocks down the Bowling Alley. The summit appears out of nowhere and is quite welcome after the dark confines of the couloir. The summit is very small, but the views are breathtaking. I signed in, and grabbed a quick bite. I surveyed the rige to Blanca, it didn’t look that bad, but I was solo and I remembered how long of a slog the road is and decided to leave the ridge for another day.
I headed back down the Bowling Alley as the two women from the camp were coming up. I let them pass so that I wouldn’t kick any rocks down on them. I made it back to the Hourglass and remembered some advice that I heard that the easiest descent besides rappelling (there are at least three strategically placed slings) was to scoot on one’s ass down the waterfall. As I didn’t mind getting a bit wet, I tried it. It really was quite easy and fast, and the ice cold water was damn refreshing. I highly recommend this means of descent as it is probably the quickest and the couloir is not steep enough to be scary (no exposure).
I passed two more climbers coming up down by the notch and that was it. I boot skiied down the couloir and then I was back to the “road”. It was a long, hot slog back to the truck, but the effort was worth it.
All in all, it was a fun and worthwhile climb that was not nearly as difficult as people had made it out to be. Class IV is easy unless covered in ice. I highly recommend it, and can’t wait to come back and do the full traverse (preferably from a camp at the lake).
-Brendog