Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Standard route · South Face
Overview
Crestone Peak is a big, rugged mountain in the Sangre de Cristo Range, built of knobby conglomerate rock that gives great grip. The standard route from South Colony Lakes is long and tiring. You climb over Broken Hand Pass, drop to Cottonwood Lake on the far side, then scramble up the Red Gully, a long reddish gully that ends at a notch just below the summit. You must climb back over Broken Hand Pass on the way out.
The gully is steady Class 3 scrambling for about 1,000 feet on mostly solid rock, with some exposure in the last few moves from the notch to the top. It suits people who are already comfortable scrambling and moving on steep rock. It is a poor choice for a first Class 3 peak. Rockfall from other parties in the gully is the main danger, and getting off route on the traverse to the gully or on the descent is the next.
From the 4WD trailhead the day is about 14 miles and 6,200 feet of gain, and most people need 11 to 14 hours. Many parties backpack to South Colony Lakes and climb from there, which cuts the summit day to about 5 miles round trip.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 3 or 4 a.m. from the trailhead, or 5 a.m. from a camp at South Colony Lakes. You cross a 12,900-foot pass twice and spend most of the day above treeline.
Turnaround
Be at the base of the Red Gully (about 13,100 feet) by 9:30 a.m. and on the summit by 11 a.m. If you are not at the gully by 10 a.m., turn back; you still have to climb back over Broken Hand Pass.
Crux
The steeper pitches in the Red Gully, one soon after the entrance and another near 13,500 feet, and the exposed ledges on the short scramble from the notch to the summit.
Route-finding
Moderate. The trail to Broken Hand Pass and down to Cottonwood Lake is mostly clear. Past the lake, stay on the trail that heads northeast then west on a bench; heading straight for the gully puts you in cliffs. In the gully, many lines work, but the notch at the top is obvious.
Water
Water is available from the creek and lakes in South Colony, from Cottonwood Lake, and usually from a small stream running out of the Red Gully. Filter or treat all of it.
From Westcliffe, drive south on Colorado 69 for about 4.5 miles and turn right on Colfax Lane. Follow Colfax about 5.5 miles to its end, turn right onto a dirt road, and go about 1 mile to a junction. Continue straight on County Road 120. The 2WD trailhead is about 0.3 mile farther, near 8,800 feet.
Past the 2WD parking, the road climbs about 2.7 miles to the 4WD trailhead, where a gate closes the old road near 9,900 feet. This upper road is rough and rocky and needs a high-clearance 4WD vehicle. If you park at the 2WD lot, add roughly 5 miles and 1,200 feet of gain to the day. The trail starts by the kiosk in the upper parking area. The route enters the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness, so follow wilderness rules on group size, camping and dogs.
Trail in the treesRidgeScramblingTundraExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
South Colony 4WD trailhead 9,900' · 0 mi
Start at the kiosk by the gate at the end of the drivable road. Walk up the closed road into the South Colony valley through forest.
2
Up the South Colony valley 11,000' · 2.5 mi
The old road climbs steadily beside South Colony Creek and then becomes a trail. As the trees thin, the Crestone Needle and Broken Hand Peak rise ahead on the left.
3
Broken Hand Pass turnoff 11,650' · 4.1 mi
Before you reach Lower South Colony Lake, turn left onto the trail toward Broken Hand Pass. It climbs south up a slope and then bends west into rough, rocky ground.
Watch for: Easy to miss in the dark. It comes just before the lower lake.
4
Below Broken Hand Pass 12,600' · 4.7 mi
The trail traverses right, then climbs steep, loose dirt and rock. It pinches into a narrow rocky spot just below the pass where you need your hands for a few Class 3 moves.
Watch for: Loose rock. Do not climb directly below other people.
5
Broken Hand Pass 12,900' · 4.9 mi
Hike the last couple hundred feet to the pass. From the top you look west down to Cottonwood Lake and the Crestone group.
Watch for: Remember you will climb back up this pass on the way out.
6
Cottonwood Lake 12,300' · 5.4 mi
Follow a trail down the steep west side of the pass and then west to Cottonwood Lake. Walk past the lake and keep going west.
Watch for: Good place to refill water.
7
View of Crestone Peak 12,500' · 5.6 mi
Just past the lake the view opens up. Crestone Peak and the reddish Red Gully are visible to the north. Cliffs guard the bottom of the gully.
Watch for: Do not head straight for the gully. The cliffs below it are not the route.
8
Rocky area and bench 12,900' · 6 mi
Follow the worn trail northeast through a rocky area near 12,800 feet and up onto the east end of a grassy and rocky bench. Then follow the trail west along the bench.
9
Red Gully entrance 13,100' · 6.2 mi
The trail meets the Red Gully near 13,100 feet. Water usually runs down from it. Cross the water, go a few steps, and turn right. The way into the gully is on its left side as you look up, and gets clearer as you climb a bit higher.
Watch for: Put your helmet on here.
10
Lower gully pitches 13,300' · 6.35 mi
Climb smooth red rock on the left side of the gully. Soon you hit a steeper pitch; there are several ways up it. After that the rock is smoother and easier for a stretch.
Watch for: Wet or icy rock in the gully is slick. Stay out of the water line.
11
Harder section 13,500' · 6.5 mi
Near 13,500 feet the climbing gets steeper again. Look for the easiest line and test holds before you trust them.
12
Jumbled rock 13,600' · 6.6 mi
The gully lays back a little and fills with a jumble of broken rock. Above it you can see a red pitch leading up to a notch.
Watch for: Loose rock here is easy to knock down on people below.
Rough conglomerate rock high on Crestone Peak · Photo: Adam Ginsburg
13
Red pitch to the notch 13,800' · 6.7 mi
At the base of the red pitch, climb straight up toward the notch at the top of the gully. The rock is solid but steep.
14
The notch 14,150' · 6.9 mi
At the notch the view opens to the north. The high point to your right is East Crestone, a sub-summit. The main summit is to the left.
Watch for: Mark this notch in your mind. It is where you drop back into the gully on the way down.
15
Summit of Crestone Peak 14,299' · 7 mi
Turn left (west) and scramble up ledges of knobby conglomerate rock for a short distance to the summit. There is a big drop on your left, to the south, so move carefully.
Watch for: Exposure on the left side on the final ledges.
Here Cottonwood Creek Trail goes off to the left. Keep going straight on Broken Hand Pass Trail.
Coming down: Keep going straight on Broken Hand Pass Trail. Don’t take Cottonwood Creek Trail.
Landmarks to know
Turnoff to Broken Hand Pass just before Lower South Colony Lake.
Narrow rocky spot with a few scrambling moves just below Broken Hand Pass.
Cottonwood Lake on the west side of the pass.
The long red streak of the Red Gully on the south face of Crestone Peak.
The bench above 12,900 feet that leads west to the gully, avoiding the cliffs below.
Water running out of the base of the gully near 13,100 feet.
The red pitch leading up to the notch at 14,150 feet.
East Crestone on the right and the main summit on the left at the notch.
Getting down
Scramble back down to the notch and turn down into the Red Gully. Downclimb facing in on the steeper pitches. Move one at a time where the gully narrows, and keep the group close so any rock that gets knocked loose does not have time to pick up speed.
The key mistake on the way down is leaving the gully too early or too late. Exit near 13,100 feet where the water runs out, and follow the bench east, then down through the rocky area and back southwest to Cottonwood Lake. Do not try to drop straight down toward the lake from the gully, because there are cliffs. Then climb the 600 feet back up to Broken Hand Pass, and downclimb the narrow Class 3 spot on the east side with care. It is loose, and many people are tired by this point.
If things go wrong
Once you are in the Red Gully, the fastest safe ground is back down the gully to the bench and Cottonwood Lake. There is no easy way off the gully to the sides. If a storm builds before the gully, turn around at Cottonwood Lake. If you are caught high, get out of the gully quickly because it channels water and rockfall in a storm. Waiting out a storm near Cottonwood Lake is safer than crossing Broken Hand Pass in lightning. If someone is hurt, stay together, keep them warm, and send for help. Cell signal is unreliable in this area, and rescue from the gully can take a very long time. Call 911 if you can get through.
3D flyover
Press play to fly the South Face. The graph shows elevation along the way and how much you gain each mile. Open full screen.
For planning only. The line is traced from open map data, not walked in the field, and off-trail parts are drawn straight. Load it in your GPS app to see the route, but navigate with your eyes, a map and the route description.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
All 3 routes up Crestone Peak, with the class and round-trip distance for each.
Class 3 means sustained scrambling with your hands, on terrain where a fall has real consequence. Build up on easier scrambles first, wear a helmet, go with someone who has led this kind of ground, and remember that downclimbing is harder than going up.
