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.
Alternate route · East Ridge
Overview
The East Ridge of Mount Bierstadt starts high on the Mount Blue Sky road. You first drop about 800 feet down a rocky gully into the basin between the two peaks, cross it, and then climb a Class 3 ridge to Bierstadt's summit. The round trip is about 5 miles with around 3,000 feet of gain, counting the climb back out.
This route is for hikers with scrambling experience. It is far harder than Bierstadt's standard trail from Guanella Pass. The key section is Point 13,641, where you leave the crest on a grassy ledge and climb steep rock back up. The downclimb off that point is steep and exposed. The route is quiet compared to the crowds on the standard route.
Plan on 5 to 7 hours. Remember that the day ends with an uphill climb back to the road.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m. If you park at the summit lot, you need a reservation and should check gate hours.
Turnaround
If you are not on top of Point 13,641 by 10:30 a.m., or storms are building, turn back. You still have to regain about 1,000 feet to reach your car.
Crux
Point 13,641. A Class 5 step blocks the crest, so you move right along a grassy ledge and then climb a steep Class 3 pitch back to the ridge. The downclimb on the far side is also steep and exposed.
Route-finding
Moderate. Find the correct gully at the saddle, not the shortcut gully near the road corner. On the ridge, look left of the crest for easier ground when coming off Point 13,641.
Water
A small stream runs out of the basin near the base of the ridge. Filter it. Carry at least 2 liters, since the rest of the route is dry.
Take Exit 240 off Interstate 70 at Idaho Springs. Take Colorado 103 south for about 13.5 miles, until you reach Echo Lake. You will need a timed reservation to enter the Mount Blue Sky road (Colorado 5), which starts here.
Drive a little over 11 miles to a corner near 13,300 feet with a small pullout, or continue to the summit parking lot at the top of the road. Parking at the summit lot needs an advance reservation. There are restrooms at the summit lot.
RidgeTundraScramblingExposed 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
Mount Blue Sky road, 13,300-foot corner 13,300' · 0 mi
Walk downhill to the low point between Mount Blue Sky and Epaulet Mountain. Do not take the small path from the corner into the nearest gully.
Watch for: The closer gully is the wrong one. Go all the way to the saddle.
2
Blue Sky-Epaulet saddle 13,100' · 0.4 mi
At the saddle, near 13,100 feet, look on its west edge for the top of a gully that drops west toward Bierstadt. Turn right into it.
3
Base of the gully 12,300' · 0.8 mi
Work carefully down about 800 feet of rock to the bottom of the gully. Go slowly and keep your party close together.
Watch for: Loose rock. Do not knock stones onto people below.
4
Stream crossing 12,250' · 1.2 mi
Head west across the basin. Cross the Abyss trail and then the small stream that drains the basin. Just past the stream, you reach the foot of the east ridge.
Watch for: Last water on the route.
5
East ridge crest 13,050' · 1.5 mi
Pick a line and climb about 800 feet of Class 2 slope to the top of the ridge. Turn right onto the crest.
6
First two points 13,300' · 1.75 mi
Scramble over a small point, then a bigger second one. From the second point you can see Point 13,641 ahead.
7
Grassy ledge bypass 13,450' · 1.9 mi
A Class 5 step blocks the crest of Point 13,641. Drop right onto a grassy ledge and follow it past the cliffs. Then climb a steep pitch back to the ridge. Take your time and it stays Class 3.
Watch for: Steep and exposed. Stay on the easiest rock.
8
Point 13,641 13,641' · 2 mi
Scramble to the top of the point. You can now see Bierstadt's summit, though it is still a fair way off.
9
Downclimb and remaining points 13,500' · 2.2 mi
Coming down off the point, both the crest and the ground to its right are steep and exposed. Look left of the crest for easier ground. Near the bottom, pass some large rocks, then go over the remaining small points.
Watch for: Exposed downclimbing. Face in if needed.
10
Summit of Mount Bierstadt 14,066' · 2.5 mi
Climb about 200 feet over big blocks to the top. The Sawtooth ridge is to the north and Mount Blue Sky is to the east.
Getting down
You have three choices. Reverse the route, traverse the Sawtooth to Mount Blue Sky, or drop to Abyss Lake. For Abyss Lake, head north from the summit a short way on the Sawtooth route, then angle right away from the ridge. Work down through boulders and small ledges, with a few easy Class 3 spots, to the lake below 12,700 feet. Walk along the lake to the flat ground at its south end, then go east back to the gully. Climb the gully to the saddle, turn left, and walk back up to the road.
If things go wrong
Before Point 13,641, you can drop off the ridge back into the basin and return to the gully. Past the point, it is often easier to continue to the summit and descend toward Abyss Lake. Either way you must climb the gully back to the road, so save energy for it. If a storm hits, get off the ridge crest right away. In an emergency, call 911 if you have signal.
Other routes
Every way up Mount Bierstadt we list, with its class.
This describes the route in its usual season. Distances and elevations are close estimates for planning. Snow, ice, rockfall, a washed-out road or an afternoon storm can make it a very different climb. Check recent conditions the week you go and turn around when the day tells you to.
