Mt. Sneffels - South Slopes route, with maps and route description
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
- My climb of San Juan 14er Mt. Sneffels on September 8, 2021 along the standard South Slopes route, including maps & route description. The mountain, which has been called "The Queen of the San Juans," is one of Colorado's more prominent and striking fourteeners. This class 3 climb to the summit takes me first to the historic, picturesque, and well-preserved nearby town of Ouray, then along a dramatic drop-off road with overhanging rock, high into Yankee Boy Basin, past high jagged pinnacles and bluffs, and finally up boulder and scree-strewn slopes to be treated with amazing views. In this video, I describe some history of the mountain and of Ouray, and detail each stage of the ascent. For my ascent to the top of nearby San Juan 14er Wetterhorn Peak, go here: • Wetterhorn Peak - Clim... . For other full mountain climbs: • Mountain Hikes and Climbs . Thanks for watching!! Contents are as follows:
0:00 Intro. and history of Mt. Sneffels
2:32 History of Ouray
4:27 Route overview, and directions to the TH
5:15 stretch #1 - the road: ~10,800' to ~12,450'
13:03 stretch #2 - trail approach: ~12,450' to ~12,800'
15:37 stretch #3 - scree slope: ~12,800' to ~13,600'
23:33 last stretch - gully & final stretch: ~13,600' to the summit, 14,150'
34:46 Ascending through the famous V-notch
40:33 reflections at the top
41:27 views from the top
45:05 Descending
45:24 Descending the notch
50:57 thoughts on the day, getting back to the car
51:45 driving along the shelf road underneath rock
52:15 more images of Ouray
52:48 final images of the day's scenery
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music selections:
1) "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" - Liszt (TH-cam audio library)
2) "Swamp Shuffle" - Silent Partner (TH-cam audio library)
3) "Not Forgotten" - Dan Lebowitz (TH-cam audio library)
4) "Gothic Vigilante" - Sir Cubworth (TH-cam audio library)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional sources:
1) For maps: U.S. Geological Survey - USGS
2) "A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners" by Walter R. Borneman and Lyndon J. Lampert. Pruett Publishing, 2nd edition, 1988.
3) "Colorado's Fourteeners - From Hikes to Climbs" by Gerry Roach. Fulcrum Publishing, 3rd edition, 2011.
4) 14ers.com: Mt. Sneffels/routes/south slopes
5) For signs: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA
6) "Colorado's Highest - The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks" by Jeri L. Norgren. John Fielder Publishing, 2020.
7) For Ouray history: westernmininghistory.com
8) Street signs: Ouray National Historic District
![Mount Sneffels | 'Switzerland of America' Ouray CO! | SW Ridge, Class 3 [4K UHD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iU3M7R9LHLU/mqdefault.jpg)
![ไหล่อ่อน (Soft Shoulder) - Atom ชนกันต์ [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HUWl53msBQY/mqdefault.jpg)
The high trailhead makes the approach hike to this iconic and prominent Colorado 14er relatively short. But the remaining climb is a rugged talus and scree adventure. For me, the most trying segment was the scree slope from ~12,800 feet up to ~13,600'. If you have climbed this route (or if not), what do you think? For another 14er climb with a long rugged gully finish, check out Crestone Peak: th-cam.com/video/WV9_0igiyRU/w-d-xo.html. Happy trails & thanks for watching!! -CT
Thank you for your detailed information on this climb and others you have posted. Excellent channel, keep it up!
Thank you! I should be able to start this year's round of climb videos fairly soon.
Im proud to say that I've only made it to the top of 2 fourteeners and it was a true pleasure doing one of them with you my friend "Luke"
That was for sure a memorable occasion!
Thanks for this video. Now I don't necessarily HAVE to climb Sneffels! You've done if for me. The views were amazing.
I too like your decent coverage. It helps me know what not to get into 😂.
Thank you for your detail video. I plan to Visit Mt Sneffels soon and make this my 1st 14th. I will be using a helmet and probably a pole thanks to your video.
This mtn. could be a bit dicey for a first-time 14er attempt, but if you're set on it, then yes, definitely a helmet is advisable, and poles would be a plus too on much of the upper stretches, even though of course I didn't have any.
You must be on the taller side. I had to have someone spot my feet while coming down that stupid notch. I literally couldn't find anywhere to put my foot without someone being my eyes. I love this peak though! Great video!
I am only like 5' 7", or maybe 5' 8" on a good day.🤣 I think I remember trying to get a good visual mentally of where the best foot placement would be for descending out of the notch, and then just kind of going for it. That seemed to work fine. It is a memorable mountain. Thanks for reliving the experience through this video!
I love that you show the down climb so often. I like to know what I’m getting myself into!
Thanks. I usually try to show at least some of the descent if the ascent presents any challenge at all. Plus, the view often shows more.
Did it last week and that down was a real bitch. That loose gravel is hard to deal with. Even the rocks seem to be pretty loose. Amazing views at the summit and thoroughly enjoyed the hike. The road part was meh but that was my only complaint. Really enjoyed the ascent. I took a slightly different path to the summit after that one move and it seemed easier. Was more to the right of the summit and following the "trail" that went to the top. Happy trails!
Yes - I pretty much agree about the highlights and not-as-high lights of this route. I think that lower scree slope was probably the most aggravating slope of its kind I have had to deal with thus far. But the aesthetics of this mtn are some of the more amazing. Thanks for watching & commenting on it!
Would you say that was more difficult than Longs? My friend and I loved your videos for Longs, it helped us prepare and conquer! Just did it this past Monday.
Thanks for watching this and the Long's videos - I'm glad they could be of help to you. If I'm comparing this route to the Keyhole route on Long's, I would definitely say Long's is the harder of the 2. It is a lot longer, and involves much more elevation gain. I imagine it has a similar level of hazard in terms of rock fall, and perhaps more exposure. I would say the climbing difficulty is similar. One thing likely worse on Sneffels (at least for the south slopes route shown in this video) is probably the looseness. But overall, if you made it up and down Long's, you should be well-prepared for this. In terms of the 'amazingness' of the 2 mountains....I'm putting it in as a toss up!
Epic views! And what a cool summit! I always enjoy seeing peaks I have already hiked from the top of new ones. Great job on this video, it was enjoyable to watch CT. :D
All the summit views are spectacular, but yes - this one seemed extra spectacular. Maybe it's the rugged nature of the San Juans. And I hope to some day be able to see this mtn. from the top of Mt. Wilson, but that will be a challenge! Anyway, thanks for watching!!
@@CentennialTreks Yeah, those ridgelines are just so much more beautiful than what you get on some of the wide rounded summits. Well done! Here's to Mt. Wilson! 🍺
The highest mtn. range in the state (and lower 48) is of that variety: gentle, rounded summits seemingly confident in their dominant stature. But then there are those much more rugged, almost-as-high peaks that seem to aspire to the heights in their jagged pinnacles and sharp ridges. These are harder to negotiate!!
@@CentennialTreks Well Said!!
What a rugged and beautiful peak. The notch looked intense. Good climb!
Thanks - it is fairly rugged.
What’s the orchestral work near the beginning which starts with a big low trumpet solo. Sounds Slavic, but I don’t recognize it.
Love the history you add to these amazing views. Bravo!!
Thanks - I love talking about the history, and adding in the music. The piece is "Hungarian Rhapsody #2," by Franz Liszt, an 1800's Hungarian composer.
I did this hike today! My palms still get sweating watching the Notch haha! Really great video, especially appreciated the introduction.
The notch is definitely an awkward move. And I'm glad you appreciate the intro. I do enjoy discussing the history and surroundings, even if it doesn't have anything directly to do with the mtn climb itself. And congrats on making it up this - not an easy mtn, but rewarding!
@@CentennialTreks How difficult would you say Sneffels is compared to the Sawtooth between Bierstadt and Evans?
In addressing a comparison question, I consider that there are a number of different dimensions to be compared. 1) endurance stats: If you do the standard Sawtooth ridge route (Guanella Pass TH up Bierstadt, over the Sawtooth, to Mt. Evans, descent via Evans W ridge) you are looking at ~3,900' of elevation gain. Climbing Mt. Sneffels' S slopes route from the lowest vehicle parking puts the gain for that at ~3,400'. The Sawtooth takes that category. 2) Approach and descent hikes: The approach up Sneffels is just a hike up a road (if you park lower), and an easy rocky trail to the base of the scree slope - both there and back. The approach to the Sawtooth is a straightforward class 1/2 ascent up Bierstadt. The descent for this route, however, is more tedious. If you go down Evans' W ridge route (which is what most everyone does), you're faced with a loose, rocky gully, followed by a hike through the potentially very muddy willows that are easy to get lost in. The Sawtooth takes this category also. 3) Technical difficulty: I imagine this is what you're most interested in. The scree slope up Sneffels is one of the most challenging stretches for its looseness that I have ever negotiated. The upper gully is rugged but more solid, with the somewhat-awkward notch being the singular moment of real challenge. Getting from Bierstadt to the saddle on the Sawtooth ridge is a bit rugged, but not too difficult. To me, it all depends on how you negotiate the crux tower. Going up higher on it (like I did) makes it more of a climbing challenge than anything on Sneffels. However, I hear that going lower on the tower is easier. After the tower, the rest of the way to Evans is no more than class 2 (2+?), though there is some spooky ledge exposure. Overall, I'm going to say this dimension is a toss-up. 4) Route-finding: It can be a challenge to find the least-loose way up the scree slope on Sneffels. Nearly the whole Sawtooth route presents a route-finding challenge aside from the ascent up Bierstadt. Slight edge to the Sawtooth here. SO: while in my estimation these 2 routes pose similar levels of technical challenge, I would consider the Sawtooth the harder experience overall. These are pretty different adventures, but I would say that if you can do one, you can do the other.
@@CentennialTreks I really appreciate your detailed response.
Rock slides are always a possibility in places like that. You're very brave for taking this route.
It is a hazard, and rather unpleasant at times; And if I go up this mtn. again, I will attempt the SW ridge route that people seem fond of. Thanks for watching!
@@CentennialTreks Hope you do!
Great video! Thanks for the detailed description! I'll be there in about 6 weeks attempting this mountain. Will be my first 14er, but I've done a class 2 scramble before and am already addicted. Definitely like the decent video as everyone else said.
Thanks.....Even if you're not entirely new to dealing with this type of terrain, you will likely find the lower slope from ~12,800' to ~13,600' to be aggravating. The upper slope, notch and final stretch are more stable and more fun. This is if you choose the standard route. Some of the feedback I've gotten is that the SW slopes route, while a bit more of a climbing challenge, is more fun and less loose. I hope you enjoy the experience regardless, and please feel free to come back on this thread and let us know how it went.
@@CentennialTreks I saw that feedback about the SW route and will definitely research that before I go. I prefer to keep my feet mostly on the ground, so it will depend on how vertical the climbing really is. Either way I'll definitely come back to let you know how it goes! Thanks again.
Compared with other hiking videos, you always show enough about the descending. I always wonder how I am going to go down things like the v notch if it was me. Good job!
Thanks - The way I see it, descending is part of the trip too, and often trickier.
Agreed! Good to see someone address the descents.
At the v notch here if you fall are you going down that exposure to the right that you show on the down climb? Thanks
I don't imagine the the terrain below the notch is steep enough for a tumble if you fell, but with the drop off it would be a fall of at least several feet - more than enough for injury if you landed bad.
Climbed it early Nov last year. Went up SW ridge and came down standard route. To me SW ridge is much more enjoyable. Views are better and rocks more solid. That scree slope was terrible. Had a couple of spills on my way down that thing and almost broke my tail bone in the process. Despite that I had a great time and summit view can’t be beat
If I'm ever on that mtn. again, I am doing the SW ridge route.
I Haven’t hiked this one yet due to logistics. I’ve stopped by Ouray once on a road trip years ago and it is iconic town. Thanks for the history lesson. How long did the road walk take to the upper TH? Cheers
-G Lenny from denver
Thanks for watching - I do enjoy the history, and would like to have spent longer there; it took about an hour and 15 minutes to get from the car (highest 2WD parking) to the upper TH.