The NW couloir of Crestone peak is easily the most obvious feature on the mountain, maybe the range, and one of the most discernible in the state. If you are of a certain disposition, it begs to be climbed (or ridden, depending on your fancy and competence). It is the opposite side of the current normal route on the mountain, the south couloir, both of which are the result of a bed of relatively weaker red sandstone that finds itself between two much more resistant conglomeritic beds, which rise to form the Peak’s main summits.
The route is accessible from either Spanish creek to the west or South Colony creek to the east. From either one, you will approach and gain the Bear’s playground, a large grassy saddle between the Peak and Obstruction peak, and traverse across the NW face of Crestone peak until you come to the slanting base of the couloir.
I have only been up there in late summer conditions, which offered pretty phenomenal and solid scrambling, despite the chossy reputation of the route. The rock was surprisingly better than I was expecting. The last few feet below the top kick up in steepness. Overall the climbing was mostly 3rd class with probably some 4th at the top. It’s alpine, be careful yo, a fall at any point would be consequential and it is a remote area.
I had traversed from Challenger over Kit, Columbia, and Obstruction, and as it was later in the day I started getting rained on on the summit, and so scratched the idea of also traversing to the needle. The descent of the normal route south couloir was slow because of the wetness but definitely mellower than the north coulie. Fantastic tour of the Peak.
