Crestone Needle (South Face)

Crestone Needle is the spike of conglomerate south of Crestone Peak, 14,197 feet, and its South Face route from Broken Hand Pass is among the cleanest Class 3 climbs on any fourteener in Colorado, with a descent that has to follow the same line because the wrong gully ends in cliffs. The trail version here counts the day from the upper 4WD lot: about 11.5 miles and 4,700 feet, with a camp at South Colony Lakes for most people. 14ers.com now rates the south face as Class 4 rather than Class 3; the moves are short, but the exposure and the route-finding on the descent are real.

From the upper 4WD lot, walk the closed road about 2.5 miles to South Colony Lakes and take the trail to Broken Hand Pass at 12,950 feet, a Class 2+ climb with loose rock near the top. From the pass, follow the ridge trail north toward the Needle's south face and climb the East Gully, Class 3 on knobby conglomerate, to the crossover point about two-thirds of the way up.

Cross left into the West Gully and climb it to the summit ridge and the top at 14,197 feet. Mark the crossover on the way up and take the same line down; the West Gully below the crossover cliffs out. Descend to Broken Hand Pass and the lakes, then walk the road out. The traverse to Crestone Peak along the connecting ridge is Class 5 and not a link-up.

From Westcliffe, take Colorado 69 south 4.5 miles, turn right on Colfax Lane and follow it 5.5 miles to its end, then 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 miles to the upper lot at 9,900 feet, where the listed distance starts. The road above the upper lot is closed to vehicles. No fee or permit; register at the trailhead box. No toilet.

No dogs on this one. Not a kid climb. Helmet without exception, sticky-soled shoes for the rock, and a GPS mark or photo of the gully crossover. Carry three liters; the lakes are the last water. Camp at the designated sites below the lower South Colony Lake, 300 feet from the water, no fires. Westcliffe, an hour from the upper lot, has the grocery and lodging. The Crestone Peak and Needle guide covers the climb in detail, and the Crestone Needle page has the planning. Humboldt Peak across the basin is the warm-up.