Crestone Needle

From South Colony Lakes, climb to Broken Hand Pass at 12,950 feet. Instead of descending, turn north and follow the ridge trail toward the Needle's south face. The route climbs the East Gully, a Class 3 chute of conglomerate, then crosses left at an obvious point about two-thirds of the way up into the West Gully, which leads to the summit ridge. The crossover between gullies is the crux of the route-finding. Total from the upper 4WD trailhead: about 11.5 miles round trip and 4,700 feet of gain; from a camp at the lakes, about 3 miles and 2,700 feet.

The rock is superb, and the climbing is steep but secure Class 3 with occasional Class 4 moves if you stray. The danger is the descent: parties that miss the crossover and continue down the West Gully end up above cliffs, and several deaths have happened that way. Mark the crossover on the way up, and take the same line down. The exposure in the upper gully is real. Broken Hand Pass on the way home is loose and tiring.

South Colony Road from Westcliffe: 2WD to the lower lot at 8,800 feet, high-clearance 4WD 2.5 miles more to the upper lot at 9,900 feet, then 2.5 miles on foot along the closed road to the lakes. No fee or permit.

Dry rock is everything on the Needle, so the season is mid-July through mid-September, with early July possible if the gullies have melted. Wet conglomerate is slick and the gullies funnel any afternoon storm. Start from camp at first light and plan to be back on Broken Hand Pass by noon. Fall days in September are often the best: cold mornings, stable air, and dry rock.

Camp at the designated sites below the lower South Colony Lake, 300 feet from water, no fires. Most parties give the basin three days: Humboldt as a warm-up, then the Needle, then Crestone Peak. Westcliffe is the supply town, about an hour from the upper trailhead. The Needle can also be approached from the Cottonwood Creek side near the town of Crestone, a longer and rougher route.