Crestone Peak

From the South Colony Lakes basin, follow the trail up to Broken Hand Pass at 12,950 feet, a Class 2+ climb with loose rock near the top. Descend the far side about 700 feet to Cottonwood Lake, then contour northwest under the south face to the base of the Red Gully, the obvious reddish couloir. Climb the gully about 1,500 feet on Class 3 conglomerate, staying on the rock rather than the loose center where possible, to the notch between the summit and the east summit. Turn left and scramble a short distance to the true summit at 14,294 feet. From the upper 4WD trailhead the day runs about 13 miles round trip with 5,800 feet of gain; from a camp at the lakes it is roughly 5 miles and 4,200 feet.

Crestone conglomerate, cobbles set in a hard matrix, is the best rock on any Colorado fourteener when dry: the knobs make hand and footholds everywhere. Wet, they are treacherous. The Red Gully is long and sustained rather than hard, with loose rock in the center that parties above you can send down; a helmet is not optional. The descent back over Broken Hand Pass at the end of the day is the part people underestimate. The traverse to Crestone Needle along the connecting ridge is Class 5 and one of the four great fourteener traverses, not a shortcut.

From Westcliffe, drive 4.5 miles south on Colorado 69, turn right on Colfax Lane for 5.5 miles, and continue on the South Colony Road. Passenger cars reach the lower 2WD lot at about 8,800 feet; high-clearance 4WD vehicles continue 2.5 rough miles to the upper lot at 9,900 feet. The road above the upper lot has been closed to vehicles since 2009, and everyone walks the old road about 2.5 miles to the wilderness boundary and the lakes. No fee or permit for day use or camping.

The Red Gully holds snow into July and can be a snow climb in June. Mid-July through mid-September is the season for a dry scramble. Because the gully faces south it dries faster than the north-side routes, but it also catches the afternoon sun and any storm that crosses the range. Be off the summit and back over Broken Hand Pass before early afternoon in the monsoon months.

South Colony Lakes has designated campsites below the lower lake with a self-issued wilderness registration; camp 300 feet from the water and skip the fire. The basin is the usual base for Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, and Humboldt Peak over three days. Westcliffe, an hour from the upper lot, has a grocery, a few restaurants, and lodging, and is a certified dark-sky community. Read the Crestone Peak and Needle traverse guide on this site before considering the connecting ridge.