Grizzly Peak Couloir

Now that warmer days are here, it’s time to get up into the high peaks and enjoy the freedom of summer mountaineering in Colorado. I love how efficient travel over snow covered mountains on skis is, but there’s something to be said for heading off into the peaks with a jacket, water, some food and maybe an ice axe. Add to that abundant sunshine, and climbing mountains in the summer is all about being free to go wherever your legs can take you.

A good friend from New York got into town Tuesday night, and we decided to kick start his acclimatization by heading up Grizzly Peak off Independence Pass. At 13,988, Grizzly is the highest 13er in the state, and at one point was considered a 14er before more accurate measurements were made. Regardless, it offers some interesting snow climbing options, and we chose to head up the classic Grizzly Couloir on the north face.

After a quick and easy 3.2 miles to the lake, the climbing begins. About 1000′ or so of kicking steps takes you up the couloir, which is pretty mellow except for a few steeper spots near the top. The snow was a great consistency, just soft enough we didn’t need crampons but not so soft that moving up was difficult. The views got better and better, until we stood on top and had an incredible panorama of peaks before us. Grizzly stands isolated from other mountains of its size, and the view is well worth the effort. To the west, the Elks basked in the July sun, still holding on to quite a lot of snow. In our immediate vicinity, the other Sawatch peaks rose up to greet the sky, La Plata and the Collegiates to the east and south, Massive and Elbert to the north. The San Juans were even visible way south, still covered with sparkling white snow.

After what always feels like too little time on the summit, we made our way back across the ridge to the entrance of the couloir. The glissade down was fun, but would have been a little less rough on the bum if the snow had softened up more. The rest of the walk back to the car was mellow, and as we enjoyed some thick slices of pizza in Aspen, we relished the great adventures we have been on and those we look forward to in the future.