Brain Freeze on Mt. Otis

Looking down the last pitch of Brain Freeze, with Zowie behind. Photo by Dougald MacDonald

In the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, a granite spindle called Zowie protrudes from the convoluted south face of Mt. Otis. Just to Zowie’s left is a zigzagging chimney and gully system that holds an unlikely mixed-climbing gem. Brain Freeze was discovered very recently (early 2008) by Andy Grauch and Chris Sheridan. Several parties quickly repeated the route and confirmed its neoclassic status—it’s perhaps the best of the Park’s recent “it doesn’t have to be in to be in” climbs.

What makes Brain Freeze so good? First is variety: The route climbs face, chimneys, and giant chockstones, and it even has a nearly pure ice pitch (rare for long alpine routes in the Park). The difficulty is continuous but never extreme, protection is adequate, and the views are memorable: intimidating from under the crux chockstone, and simply lovely from the top, down past a snow arête and over Zowie’s summit blade. And Brain Freeze has a surprisingly long season. It’s south-facing, so melt-freeze often keeps the ice pitch in good shape from January through April, and yet much of the route is shaded by Zowie and the deep chimneys. Spindrift is a frequent hazard, however. (The route is called Brain Freeze after the intense ice cream headaches caused by spindrift during the first ascent.) And beware wet-snow avalanches and rockfall on warm spring days. … Continue Reading

Lake Agnes–Seven Utes Loop

No Name from Agnes Meadow. Climb through the trees at right. Photo by Kevin Landolt

Kevin Landolt is a skier/climber/student, based in Fort Collins, who writes the fun Alpine Ambition blog for the Mountain Shop. Here, Kevin describes a favorite midwinter ski tour near Cameron Pass offering a little of everything.

Trailhead: Lake Agnes Road, 2.5 miles west of Cameron Pass

Tour Distance: 7.3 miles

Total Vert: ca. 2,900′

Season: Midwinter to spring; two bowls prone to avalanche danger … Continue Reading

Mr. and Mrs. Mesa

The spectacular Mrs. Mesa in typical November condition. Courtesy of Douglas Lossner

Two of the wildest and most difficult water-ice pitches in the state are in plain view from Highway 50, en route to Ouray and Telluride from points north, plunging down the sheer face of Grand Mesa. Yet few people notice them, and far fewer have climbed them. The routes are tough, to be sure, but the main obstacle is the approach: Once the snow flies, they are at least 8.5 miles from the car.

Douglas Lossner probably did the first ascent of both routes. First up was Mrs. Mesa. “I moved to Delta back in 1997, and I was up exploring the Grand Mesa that summer when I came across that waterfall,” he said in an email. “It can’t be seen from the [Land's End] road even though you are within 100 feet of it. I figured that Coal Creek going under Land’s End Road had to go over the rim, so I checked it out. That November, I drove up there with a coworker of mine [John Rybal] and climbed it…. I’ve done that three times, and it is awsome.” … Continue Reading

East Ridge of Mt. Bancroft

Bancroft's east ridge curving up from the left, as seen from the the slopes of James Peak. The direct start climbs the broken wall in lower left.

Mt. Bancroft’s rocky east ridge is a terrific mountaineering adventure for Front Range climbers, beginning less than an hour from Denver. The 13,250-foot peak is relatively close to the road, and avalanche danger can be easily managed, making this perhaps the most accessible technical winter summit on the entire Front Range. The east ridge offers knife-edge snow ridges, much third-class scrambling, a rappel into a notch, and a very short fifth-class wall to surmount. Superb!

Length: About 8 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 3,000 feet
Season: Year-round
Trailhead: Take the Fall River Road exit off I-70 (toward St. Mary’s Glacier), and turn left into the hamlet of Alice after about 8.25 miles. Drive one mile and look for Stewart Road (aka Loch Lomond Road) on the right. This road is not plowed in winter. … Continue Reading

The Redline

Michael Barton about to drop into Champion Gulch. Courtesy of Mountain Goat Ski Guides

Michael Barton of Mountain Goat Ski Guides in Silverton offers up this classic route off Red Mountain Pass. It’s more of an early-spring route than a midwinter tour, but now you can put it on the hit list. How good is this route? Says Barton: It’s out of my permit boundary, so I don’t even guide it, but it’s one of the best.” Here’s his description:

Length: 7 to 9 miles
Elevation gain: 3,500 feet
Elevation drop: 4,700 feet
Season: Best bet is late March or early April, as you need both stable snow and good coverage down to 9,800 feet.
Shuttle: Stash one car at the south end of Ironton Park, where Corkscrew Gulch meets Red Mountain Creek, or plan to hitch at the end of the day.
Map: Ironton Quadrangle

Tour highlights: Skin on southies, ski on northies; more skiing than skinning; views of Silverton Mountain; neat mining buildings and waterfalls.

Tour hazards: Massive avalanches, cornices, remoteness, sunburn, abandoned mines, nasty death-trap ravines. … Continue Reading