Southwest ridge route from Lake Como Trailhead
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Ellingwood Point (left)
is a really pretty mountain. I came to this area back in 1997 with Scott. We
climbed Blanca Peak in bad weather and, if I would have known, would have climbed
Ellingwood as well. I didn't realize that it was an official Fourteener
though. Some people dispute this but I think it should be. It seems far enough
from Blanca to qualify. Certainly, if Bross and Lincoln are considered separate
fourteeners, Ellingwood and Blanca should.
Kirk and I decided to attempt Ellingwood Point immediately after our successful ascent of Little Bear. However, I could see in Kirk's face that he wasn't into the climb. He was also apprehensive about the weather. I was pretty confident though that these clouds were harmless. They were the low, wet type that swirled around summits. These weren't thunderheads. He ended up hiking up to the alpine lake near the spot where I left the trail and began heading up the talus and the grassy ledges which led to the southwest ridge on Ellingwood. In the photo to the left, you can see the southwest ridge. It's the lefthand ridge in the photo. |
| I hiked up the surprisingly
stable talus and then headed right (north) up the sloping benches which led directly to
the low point of the saddle. The benches or ledges can be seen as the dark
line running from the talus to the low point of the ridge. This route was easy 3rd
class scrambling. It didn't take me long at all to gain the ridge. At the top of the
ridge was a small cairn with a stick in it. This must have been the
"correct" route.
From here, the remainder of the routefinding is easy. All I needed to do was follow the
ridge all the way to the summit. The clouds were still looking pretty good and it
was fairly clear. I could see all the peaks around me clearly.
(right) Here's what the route looks like on the way to Ellingwood. The ridge is fun class 3. There are a couple of tricky spots but nothing bad at all really. The best advice for this route is to always stay on the ridge crest. You only have to drop to one side or the other for only a few feet. If you're below the ridge for more than 50 feet, you're doing something wrong. The ridge seemed to get progressively harder and more narrow, on average, as I progressed. Still, it was nothing to really worry about although if you're not an experienced mountaineer, you might not want to try this route. However, for experienced people, I heartily reccomend the route above the standard talus route which I descended. |
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As I continued along the ridge, I could make out Kirk at the lake far below. At one point, very near the summit, I made the mistake of thinking that it would be easier to drop below the ridge. I dropped into a major couloir below the summit. This was a big mistake. The couloir was very loose and miserable. I took my first fall here too! My feet just slipped right out from under me and I began falling. Somehow, my body helicoptered around to where I was facing out. Then suddenly my feet hit and I stopped instantly. It wasn't a fall really, but the closest I've come to it. The moral of the story is to stay on solid rock. |
| I finally made it to the
top of the couloir and got back on the ridge and finished the final 100 feet or so of the
climb. At this point, however, the clouds had begun swirling around the
summits again and I had no views at all. It was
completely gray around me (above). It was pretty cold up here too with the wind and no
sunlight. I crouched down between the rocks on the summit and finished my lunch and
signed the register. As I was finishing up my lunch, the clouds began to break! I got amazing views of Little Bear, Blanca (right), and even Lindsey. After I took the pictures, I started down the standard route. I never found much of a trail. A few cairns here and there helped guide me, but for the most part I just went straight down the loose, annoying talus. Finally, I made it back down to the bottom, found the trail, and started heading back to camp. |
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I got back to the
campsite about 3 hours after leaving. It was a quick and enjoyable trip. We
spent a few minutes eating and drinking then began the hike back to the jeep. Almost as
soon as we got to the car, it began raining. By the time we were back on pavement,
there was a cloudburst over the peaks. Talk about timing.
As far as favorite fourteeners go, I think the four peaks in this area are my favorite. Every trip I've had down here has been really exciting. The scenery too is some of the best in the state. |
