Climbed Vestal Peak via the Wham Ridge with Pat from El Paso, TX this week. We did the trip as a 2 day climb, riding the train to Elk Park and hiking into Vestal Basin on Day 1. An alpine start on Day 2 got us up and down the Wham Ridge and back to…
Ed from Omaha came out to Durango for a few days in Chicago Basin with training for Rainier in mind. Ed will start climbing Rainier on Saturday, and wanted to get a little more elevation under his belt than the 900′ that is Omaha. Colorado is perfect for gaining altitude experience. We slept at about…
After what seemed like some unusually wet weather in June, we have been having perfect blue skies. Making the temperature in Durango hot and the weather in the mountains great. So Thursday we headed out and climbed Snowdon Peak which was the first peak ever for the two texans! A proud summit for a first…
It was recently reported by NOAA that an El Nino weather pattern is forming in the Pacific Ocean, and is expected to strengthen and continue through the 2009 – 2010 winter season. As stated by NOAA, an El Nino weather pattern “typically brings beneficial winter precipitation to the arid Southwest”. The so-called “negative” impacts of…
After a quick flight 2/3 of the way across of the US, Dave from New York and I, hopped the Durango – Silverton Railroad with our heart set on Vestal’s North facing Wham Ridge. The train offered a great introduction of the views to come of the San Juan Mountains and a time to eat donuts and coffee.…
Last Friday, Aaron, Bill and I ran in for a 1 day ascent of Vestal Peak’s Wham Ridge. Without the aid of the train, this is accomplished by accessing the Colorado Trail on top of Molas Pass, and descending to the Animas River for about 3.5 miles and 2000 vertical feet. Then it’s 5.5 miles…
As the Animas starts to recede, our rock climbing adventures in Durango always pick up. It’s an absolutely great time of year to climb in Durango, and the mornings are perfect for a couple of hours at either X-Rock or East Animas, two of Durango’s best rock climbing crags. We specialize in working with participants…
Climbed Snowdon Peak via the West Buttress with Max today. No matter how many times I do this climb, I always enjoy the combination of aesthetics and relatively good rock quality (for the San Juans anyway). One of the best weather days of the summer so far with barely a hint of the typical afternoon…