Blanca Peak

Lake Como Road leaves Colorado 150 north of the town of Blanca at about 8,000 feet. Most people park within the first mile or two, where the road turns from sand to boulders, and walk about 5 miles and 3,700 feet up the road to Lake Como at 11,750 feet. From the lake, the trail continues northeast past Blue Lakes and Crater Lake into the upper basin, then climbs a steep, cairned Class 2 slope of talus to the Blanca-Ellingwood saddle and follows Blanca's northwest ridge to the summit at 14,345 feet. From a low car camp the route is 16.5 miles round trip with 6,600 feet of gain; from Lake Como it is about 7 miles and 2,700 feet.

The road walk is the physical crux, an unrelenting grade on loose rock in full sun. Above the lakes the route is well cairned but steep, with loose talus that rolls underfoot near the saddle. The summit ridge is Class 2 with mild exposure. Ellingwood Point is a 1-mile Class 2 traverse from the saddle and is nearly always added. Little Bear Peak rises across the basin and shares the camp but not the difficulty; its Hourglass is Class 4.

From Alamosa, drive east on US 160 to Colorado 150, north 3 miles, and turn right onto Lake Como Road. Passenger cars can drive the first mile or so of sand; high-clearance 4WD vehicles get to roughly 9,500 or 10,000 feet before the road's famous obstacles, which are for built rigs only. Do not attempt the upper road in a stock vehicle. No fee or permit is required.

The upper basin holds snow into early July, and the couloirs above the lakes stay icy later than the ridges. Mid-July through September is the reliable window. The Sangres sit in a rain shadow and see fewer afternoon storms than the San Juans, but the wind on the ridge is constant and the sand road is an oven by noon in August. Walk the road in the evening or before dawn.

In fall the road is drier and cooler and the crowds are gone; early October can be the best week of the year here if the first snows hold off.

Camp at Lake Como, where established sites sit among the trees near the outlet, or lower on the road at any flat spot. Water is available at the lake and the creek below it; carry a filter. Dispersed camping along the road is free and unregulated, and there are no toilets. The town of Blanca has a gas station and not much else; Alamosa, 30 minutes west, has groceries, motels, and restaurants. Great Sand Dunes National Park is 30 minutes north and makes a good rest day.