Colorado 14ers: Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle and Humbolt Peak

Crestone Needle

Dist: 2.91 mi	Points: 395	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Crestone Peak

Dist: 3.84 mi	Points: 1047	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

Humboldt Peak

Dist: 3.57 mi	Points: 2122	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

CCH001

Location: 37.964500°, -105.546005°
From 4WD parking area, head SW on old road toward the rocky E face of Broken Hand Peak

HUM001

Location: 37.964485°, -105.561066°
Head N between South Colony Lakes; traverse the lower SW slopes of Humboldt

CCH002

Location: 37.961700°, -105.557701°
Continue N into Sangre de Cristo Wilderness. In .2 mi., turn L to climb Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak

HUM002

Location: 37.969471°, -105.567902°
Start switchback climb to Humboldt's W ridge; views of Upper South Colony Lake (to the W) provide a picturesque backdrop

CCH003

Location: 37.963428°, -105.559555°
Keep L @ Y. To climb Humbolt Peak, bear R and head NW

HUM003

Location: 37.970940°, -105.567398°
Continue climb to ridge; more great views of South Colony Lakes and Crestone Needle

CCH004

Location: 37.963791°, -105.562401°
Skirt the S shore of Lower South Colony Lake. Follow climber's trail to begin ascent up small bowl to Broken Hand Pass, which lies between the rising pillars of Broken Hand Peak and Crestone Needle

HUM004

Location: 37.973358°, -105.568199°
Veer R on ridge; follow switchback trail toward false summit

CCH005

Location: 37.959324°, -105.570030°
Scramble up a narrow couloir with seasonal snow to reach Broken Hand Pass

HUM005

Location: 37.975498°, -105.558701°
Continue NE over false summit to reach Humboldt's true summit

CCH006

Location: 37.958759°, -105.571098°
Turn R @ Broken Hand Pass to summit Crestone Needle's S face. To tackle Crestone Peak, continue straight for descent to Cottonwood Lake

HUM006

Location: 37.976189°, -105.555000°
Humboldt Peak (14,064 ft.): Look to the SW for dramatic Crestones skyline, a stark contrast to E views of flat, Wet Mountain Valley

CCH007

Location: 37.959339°, -105.572197°
Traverse the ridge's W side, following climber's trail; great views overlooking Cottonwood Lake

CCH008

Location: 37.961929°, -105.574203°
Turn L on saddle to reach the E and W couloir

CCH009

Location: 37.961800°, -105.575104°
From the E (right) couloir, cross over to W (left) couloir; continue Class 3 climb to summit ridge

CCH010

Location: 37.962872°, -105.575699°
From the top of the couloir, begin NW scramble to the Needle's summit

CCH011

Location: 37.964531°, -105.576500°
Crestone Needle (14,197 ft.): Reward yourself with rare, eye-level views of jagged Crestone Peak to the NW and Humboldt Peak to the NE

CCH012

Location: 37.958111°, -105.576202°
Head W; traverse the grassy banks of Cottonwood Lake under rocky slopes

CCH013

Location: 37.958252°, -105.583107°
Head N to begin ascent of Crestone Peak's S face

CCH014

Location: 37.961929°, -105.584000°
From the bottom of the red couloir, scramble up rocky face on E side of couloir

CCH015

Location: 37.966961°, -105.584503°
From the top of the red couloir, turn L for final scramble to the summit

CCH016

Location: 37.966869°, -105.585297°
Crestone Peak (14,294 ft.): Savor the sky-high perspectives from this rugged summit; stark, barren peaks drop dramatically to the flat San Luis Valley to the W and Wet Mountain Valley to the E