Little Bear Peak

From Lake Como at 11,750 feet, the route leaves the road just past the lake and climbs a steep, loose gully south to the west ridge at about 12,900 feet. Follow the ridge east, mostly on its south side on ledges and talus, to a broad bowl below the Hourglass at roughly 13,100 feet. The Hourglass is the obvious narrowing chute above: about 300 feet of Class 4 climbing on smooth, often wet rock, with the narrowest point the crux. Above it, the route zigzags up Class 3 and short Class 4 ledges to the summit. From the 2WD parking on Lake Como Road the round trip is about 14 miles and 6,200 feet; from the lake it is roughly 3.5 miles and 2,300 feet.

Rockfall in the Hourglass is the killer. Be the first party in the gully, or wait until the party above has cleared the top, and never climb below another group. Old fixed ropes hang in the Hourglass; their condition is unknown, and treating them as a handline rather than protection is the common practice. The rock is polished and runs with water until midsummer. Above the Hourglass the ledges are loose and the summit ridge is exposed. The descent back down the Hourglass is slower and more nervous than the climb. This is not a first Class 4 peak.

Lake Como Road from Colorado 150 north of the town of Blanca. Passenger cars stop in the first mile or two; capable 4WD vehicles reach roughly 9,500 to 10,000 feet; the upper road is a rock-crawling course. Everyone walks the rest to the lake. No fee or permit.

Late July through September, once the Hourglass has stopped running and the rock is dry. Even then, start before dawn to be through the crux before other parties arrive and before any afternoon weather. A wet Hourglass is a reason to turn around, not a reason to go slower.

Camp at Lake Como; the established sites near the outlet are the base for all three peaks. Blanca and Ellingwood share the camp and make a good first day. Alamosa is the supply town, 45 minutes from the road's start, and Great Sand Dunes National Park is a half hour north. The Little Bear to Blanca traverse along the connecting ridge is Class 5 and counts as one of the four great fourteener traverses; it is a serious technical outing and not a way to link the peaks.