|
| | | |
| |
|
| Hike & Climb | 28.60 Miles |
6,924 AEG |
| | Hike & Climb | 28.60 Miles | | | |
| 6,924 ft AEG | | | | |
|
|
|
| Solo • 5.4 Quartzite Good | | |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Vestal Peak via Wham Ridge had been on my radar since I started visiting Colorado each summer to do 14ers. I used the Molas Lake TH approach which is correctly listed as 18.6 miles round trip. Well, after getting to Vestal Basin at 8pm to set up my tent, I realized I did not have my tent poles. I knew exactly where they must have fallen out of my pack, but the bad news was that was 5 trail miles back. And about 3000 feet of elevation down, including the rough approach after leaving the Colorado Trail. I wasn't about to be stopped, so I left all my gear, and decided to trail run the 10 miles round trip to go get them (and pray no one took them!) Not the way I wanted to start this trip, especially since I had been battling horrible IT band pain months before, and really hadn't built up my endurance to handle this many miles so fast.
I did Wham Ridge the next morning solo (rated as 5.4 and true to grade) and had a perfectly clear day so weather wasn't an issue. The scramble is awesome. The exposure was real and the adrenaline was too! This was truly a classic! Met some other climbers near the top and we crested and descended the 3rd class route on the back side of the peak together. All in all an amazing day in the Grenadiers. Such a beautiful, special place that I would love to get back to and probably will. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
Route Editor
Route Scout
