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.

South Face of Mt. Otis. Both gullies to the right of Brain Freeze have now been climbed. Photo by Dougald MacDonald

Keep in mind that “good” is relative—this is a route that only will appeal to fans of scratching on snowed-up granite, and such climbers are fairly uncommon. The climbing can feel grovelly and insecure. But it is guaranteed to be memorable.

Length: 5 to 7 pitches

Difficulty: WI3 M5+

Season: January to April

Approach: Snowshoe or ski from the Glacier Gorge trailhead to the Loch, then follow the Andrews Glacier Trail until it’s obvious to head up right toward the Zowie spire. Skirt the base far to the left, past the first big chimney system, to reach a gully that dead-ends in a steep headwall. 2–3 hours.

Gear: 2 or 3 short screws, several pitons, and a healthy rack of nuts and cams up to #3. A #10 or #11 hexentric protects the big roof on pitch 5. Don’t leave home without it.

The beautiful Changing Gullies Pitch. Photo by Dougald MacDonald

1. Diagonal up and right under a large roof (M4) to the foot of a snow gully. Or start about 50 feet to the right, climb a short snowy wall, and traverse left on a ledge system to the snow (M3).

2. Easy snow for more than a rope length. Belay at the mouth of an ice-filled slot/gully that diagonals left.

3. Climb the icy slot, the superb Changing Gullies Pitch, to reach a hidden chimney system. Continue up, passing the foot of a vertical ice pillar, to a stance. WI3 M4+.

4. Continue up the narrow, sketchy chimney to a great cave belay below the big chockstone. M5.

Jack Roberts relaxes at the lip of the big chockstone cave. Photo by Dougald MacDonald

5. Climb the right wall of the cave (looking in), find good gear near the top, and pull the wild lip. Continue up the steep gully slot to a stance below another chockstone. M5+

6. Bridge up over the chockstone and continue straight up to a rock band with a slot that can be climbed on its left or right; the right side is steep but has good pro. M5+

Some pitches might be combined. The first-ascent party angled left above the upper chockstone and climbed a bigger headwall (M5+), but subsequent teams have climbed straight up as described.

Rappel the route with double ropes, starting from a boulder above the final rock band.

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

Live map: Tinyurl.com/yknxd57

The Route: This tour offers up good low-angle skiing and incredible views of the Never Summers and surrounding ranges. Start at the Lake Agnes trailhead along Highway 14. Follow the trail, cross the Michigan River, and tour up to big meadow below Lake Agnes. From here, skin up the obvious glade to reach the north ridge of No Name Peak (Peak 11,972′). The upper portion of this glade reaches a large bowl; if avalanche conditions are threatening, stick to the old growth on climber’s right.

Once at the saddle, follow the long, low-angle north ridge to the summit. This ridge is often bare due to wind, but even if you have to hike it’s worth it. At the summit, take a few minutes to admire the view of the Nokhu Crags, Medicine Bows, Mummy Range, Zirkels, Flattops, and even the Gore Range on a clear day. Continue along the ridge for about half a mile until you’re on the northwest ridge of Mt. Mahler. A long 20° slope leads west, down to the saddle below Seven Utes. Snow conditions vary widely on this slope—if you catch it at the right time, you may enjoy seemingly endless perfect turns (Canadian Rockies–style) down to the wooded saddle. If not, you’ll find a wind-pummeled crust and enjoy seemingly endless survival turns.

Seven Utes from the east. The route follows the wooded saddle into the summit bowl. Photo by Kevin Landolt

Ski through the old growth and up to the beautiful summit bowl of Seven Utes Mountain (11,407′). Skin onto the large, flat summit and enjoy more views. There are a number of decent options for the descent I prefer to ski back down the little bowl and then break skier’s left down the broad, open slope that leads to the drainage between No Name and Seven Utes. This is a great run, and the standard approach trail for Seven Utes greets you at the bottom. A long, very enjoyable trail will funnel you down through the trees all the way to the highway. Don’t put your skins back on! A few short rises exist, but they’re easy to negotiate. At the road, hitch a ride back to your car, walk a mile along the road, or follow the snowmobile trail back to the Lake Agnes trailhead. All options are pretty painless.

Landolt skiing below Seven Utes Mountain. Photo by Derek Ruth

Special Notes: Bring a map and compass, and know how to use them. On a clear day this route is super-straightforward, but low visibility can easily lead to an epic. Cameron Pass is a remote destination, and cell service (even on summits) is rare.

Map: Mount Richthofen Quadrangle (7.5 Series)

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.”

Fatter midwinter conditions on Mrs. Mesa. Courtesy of Douglas Lossner

Yes it is. Mrs. Mesa is about 175 feet of dead-vertical ice (WI5+/6), with possible roofs to surmount, usually climbed in one long pitch. The ideal time to catch it is in November, when the road may still be drivable to within 100 feet of the rappels, but at that time of year it will be at its thinnest and steepest. Later in the winter, it fattens up considerably, but then it’s a 17-mile round trip by skis or snowshoes. Or snowmobile—the road is open to snow machines, making it a no-brainer if you have one.

Rarely formed Mr. Mesa, about 200 feet high. There's a climber on the right, at one-third height. Courtesy of Douglas Lossner

Mr. Mesa is even farther from the car—and even more daunting. The 200-foot route (WI5/6) forms where Whitewater Creek pours over the rim, two miles from Land’s End, and about three miles from the car—if the road is open. If not, it’s about 11 miles in. Mr. Mesa may only have been climbed once, in 2005, when Lossner and Brad Winters caught the route in climbable condition in October. “As soon as we saw it, in we went back the next day and climbed it,” Lossner said. “Extremely hard climb. I followed the Whitewater Creek back to its source and found it to be dam-controlled. I’ve been told they turn off the water on October 15th, so if it’s not in  by then it’s not going to come in.”

Giddayap. Courtesy of Douglas Lossner

Both climbs are found by following Land’s End Road (Forest Road 100) from Highway 65 (get a good map!). If the ice is in, rappel to the base with two 60-meter ropes and climb back out. You can see more photos at Mountain Project.

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.

Heading toward the first difficulties on the east ridge.

Route: Follow Stewart Road west and then north toward Loch Lomond, about 2.25 miles from the car. In summer or fall, you may be able to drive part or all of the way to the lake (high clearance). In winter, the road is often hard-packed or blown clear for first mile, but then there’s likely to be some deep snow in the woods. You can leave snowshoes or skis at the foot of the ridge. From Loch Lomond, climb onto a spur that angles to the southeast, just above Lake Caroline, avoiding any potentially dangerous snow slopes.

Once on the ridge, the way is obvious. Most of the climb is pleasant snow hiking and short Class 3 and 4 rock steps. At around 12,300 feet, a prominent notch splits the ridge. A 75-foot rappel from slings gains the notch.

Paul Gagner climbing the crux step.

On the far side is a near-vertical cliff about 25 feet high, with solid rock and good cracks for protection—somewhere around 5.2 or 5.3 in difficulty. (In summer the rappel and step can easily be avoided by Class 4 scrambling, and strong climbers may not bother with the rope.) Above, more snow and scrambling gain tundra slopes at about 13,000 feet, leaving a final plod up Bancroft’s summit cone.

Descend by the southeast ridge (often snow-free much of the way). In safe snow conditions, you can plunge-step or glissade down the bowl between the ridges. Either route eventually brings you back to the south end of Loch Lomond, where you can pick up the road (and your skis) and return to the car.

You can add three pitches of technical climbing by crossing Loch Lomond and continuing toward Reynolds Lake. Above this is a large, broken wall at the very foot of the ridge, to the right of the normal start.

The classic snow arête above the crux.

Three long pitches (with a bit of simul-climbing) on good rock, snowy ledges, and frozen turf gain the normal route. It’s impossible to rate this kind of climbing accurately, but each pitch has a step or two that is at least as hard as the crux of the normal route. See more details here.

Gear: A single 50m rope is fine for the normal route; a longer rope is useful for the direct start. The fifth-class step takes small to medium nuts and/or finger-size cams. Snowshoes or skis for the approach if there’s been recent snow.
Map: Empire 7.5′
Guidebook: Colorado Snow Climbs, by Dave Cooper

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.

Route: Start at the summit of Red Mountain Pass, and head east and then south up San Juan County Road 14 for the first mile. When this road turns abruptly south toward the St. Paul ski lodge, proceed northeast, aiming for an ascent of Red Mountain No. 3. The 12,890-foot peak is visible from this junction and has radio equipment towers on top. The best ascent is from the south side.

Champion Gulch, the first of three bowls on the full Redline tour. Courtesy of Mountain Goat Ski Guides

Ski north from the summit into Champion Gulch. If you are tired, escape is possible down Champion Gulch, staying skiers’ left out of the ravine. If you have it in you to go big, proceed up the southwest side of Peak 12,596′, along the ridge between Red Mountain No. 3 and No. 2. Ski northeast from this summit into Corkscrew Gulch. Now skin up the southwest side of Red Mountain No. 1. From the 12,529-foot summit, ski northeast again into Gray Copper Gulch.

Descend Gray Copper on skier’s left of the creek until you’re past Gray Copper Falls, then move across the creek and stay on the right or north side of Gray Copper Creek all the way down. You’ll eventually hit a mining road that leads out to the Ironton Park cross country-skiing area and a large mining reclamation project.

"Straight down the gut of the mountain." CrestedButteGuides.com photo

Jayson Simons-Jones, owner and lead guide of Crested Butte Mountain Guides, sent us this description of a favorite local stash: the Red Lady Bowl. “You can see tracks on it from anywhere in town, so it’s no secret,” Simons-Jones said. However, he added, “There are a half-dozen other, lesser-known routes up there that I won’t divulge unless I’m hired as a guide.”

If you visit Crested Butte and only have time for one backcountry ski tour, this is the one to do. A locals’ favorite for decades now, 12,392-foot Mt. Emmons, with its broad, flat summit and eye-catching, southeast-facing bowl, towers above this tiny ski town. A fiercely special peak in the hearts of this small local mountain community, Red Lady has been the target of one of the longest-running mining vs. preservation battles in the country.

A five-minute drive west of town on a paved 2WD road deposits you at the trailhead by the winter closure of the road to Kebler Pass. From here it is a 3,200-foot skin (approximately two hours) up either ridge flanking the large avalanche path below the bowl, following mellow, lower-angle aspen glades and open alpine meadows to the summit. The views from the skin track are incredible—once you break treeline you are staring straight at the bowl’s upper 700-foot pitch, at an average angle of 38°—alluring skiing, to say the least.

Hmmm, where should we ski today? CrestedButteGuides.com photo

If avalanche conditions allow, it is a stunning straight shot off the summit down the gut of the mountain right back to your car, and five minutes from there to the heart of town for an après beverage of your choice. If avalanche conditions are a tad sketchy, dozens of lower-angle, open-glade runs are available on either side of the main bowl, taking you to various landing zones out on the Kebler Pass Road, where the car is a quick skate away on the frozen road.

The main bowl is usually skiable from December to early May, but the bottom fills in late and melts out early. For local avalanche conditions, visit the Crested Butte Avalanche Center. For backcountry ski conditions, check out Crested Butte Mountain Guides’ conditions page.

Why do you think they call it Jagged Mountain?

As one of Colorado’s few high peaks with mandatory technical climbing, plus a splendid setting deep in the Weminuche Wilderness, 13,824-foot Jagged Mountain is as coveted as they get—it’s even a centennial (100 highest) 13er. Jagged’s isolation is part of the appeal. Most aspirants take the Durango & Silverton Railroad to Needleton ($89 round-trip, including a $10 charge for loading your pack into a boxcar). From there, it’s about 7.5 miles up a faint, often rugged trail along the Animas River and No Name Creek to reach high camp.

Jagged's north face.

In the morning, you climb to 13,020-foot Jagged Pass, with superb views of the surrounding 13ers and 14ers, and then the real fun begins. Jagged’s eponymous summit ridge is a 500-foot-high turreted fin, cresting on one spire at 13,824 feet. After traversing steep, grassy slopes to the base of the north face, you wind up a circuitous route along ledges, gullies, and chimneys. The rock climbing on this route is rated 5.0 to 5.2, but in dry conditions many experienced scramblers don’t bother with a rope for the short boulder-problem cruxes.

Easy rock climbing just below Jagged's summit.

If you’d feel more comfortable tied in, a 120-foot length of rope (much lighter than a full climbing rope) and a small selection of wired nuts and hexes is plenty; a 120-foot rope also is perfectly fine for the three short rappels that bypass the crux  sections on the way down.

Short rappels bypass cruxes during the descent. Jagged Pass in background.

Near the top, the route crosses to Jagged’s south side and then climbs a steep chimney to an airy summit perch with extraordinary views, including the nearby fourteeners Sunlight, Windom, and Eolus. For a bonus wilderness adventure, return to Needleton by crossing the high pass into the Ruby Creek drainage, one of Colorado’s most beautiful spots.

Guidebook: Colorado’s Thirteeners, by Gerry and Jennifer Roach

On the web: Summit Post

Psycho Tower

Most of the famous sandstone towers of the Colorado Plateau are in Utah, but one of the very best moderate towers is found in a little-traveled canyon in far southwestern Colorado. Psycho Tower is a 200-foot, seldom-climbed beauty in Big Gypsum Canyon, above the Dolores River. From some angles, it looks a bit like the GEICO lizard standing up on its hind legs.

Stephen Venables follows the Psycho-Path.

The normal route (Psycho-Path, 5.9+) spirals around the tower in three short pitches—you can add a somewhat sporty bolted face pitch (5.11-) at the bottom, but this is easily avoided. After a fun pitch with a couple of bolts and easy crack and flake climbing, you arrive at the business: A heart-stopping traverse over space above a huge roof. This lead is extremely well-protected, with closely spaced bolts, but your feet are on small holds just inches above the lip, with a drop of several hundred feet below. A final bolt-protected pitch, with the route’s crux moves, gains the summit.

Highly recommended! Find more photos and info on the route here.