Peak of the week No. 9: Crestone Needle
Elevation rank: 19th of 54
Location: Sangre de Cristo Range
Directions: Take Highway 115 south to Florence and turn left onto Highway 67. Drive for 11 miles and turn right onto Highway 96. Go 26 miles and turn left onto Highway 69. Drive 4.6 miles and turn right onto County Road 119. Go 5.6 miles and turn right onto County Road 120. Follow to trailhead.
Crestone Needle was the last fourteener in Colorado to be climbed. Few are surprised by this, as any mountain with the word “needle” in its name is likely to be at least a little difficult.
The summit remained untouched until 1916, when Eleanor Davis and Albert Ellingwood reached it together. They returned in 1925 and climbed using a route now named Ellingwood Arete.
Davis’ accomplishments are quite impressive, but she (as well as most early female mountaineers) generally has been ignored by history. “The Magnificent Mountain Women: Adventures in the Colorado Rockies” is a great book that offers a quality perspective on what some of these early mountaineering women accomplished.
Crestone Needle has the most-enjoyable climbing of the class 4 peaks. The conglomerate rock that is common on the route provides copious amounts of solid handholds and footholds. The mountain is made of small multicolored rocks protruding from what I can only describe as a gray geologic mortar.
At times, the climbing almost feels like you are using a climbing wall instead of natural rock — that is, until you take a look around you.
On some of the class 4 fourteeners, only a brief section is actually class 4 climbing. Crestone Needle offers nearly 700 feet of it. While at first this might seem intimidating, it’s really part of what makes this a great mountain. You have the time to get comfortable with the climbing.
Anyone can manage their way through 30 feet of class 4, but after 700 feet you’ll become so used to the climbing you won’t have to think about every handhold and foothold. You’ll feel connected to the mountain as the texture of the rock becomes familiar to your hands. The initial fear wears off and you can simply climb.
However, don’t let the Crestone Needle’s magnificent climbing and beauty lull you into letting your guard down. This is the Needle’s siren song. There are no escape routes once you’ve committed to climbing the class 4 section, and a light rain can turn the pleasant rock into a slippery and possibly icy mess.
Crestone Needle is as dangerous as it is beautiful.
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Friesema is a Colorado native who’s scaled each of the state’s 14,000-foot peaks. He’s been a member of Teller County Search and Rescue since 2003. Read about his high-country adventures at hikingintherockies.com.
