South Face
Crestone Needle · 14,197' · Rank #22
Class 4 Standard Route
12
miles RT
4,400
ft gain
Class 4
difficulty
10-14
hours
Trail Map
No trail data yet
Be the first to contribute a GPS trace for this route.
Log in to upload a GPX file.
Route Details
- Distance
- 12 miles RT
- Elevation Gain
- 4,400'
- Difficulty
- Class 4
- Exposure
- High
- Typical Time
- 10-14 hours
Trailhead
- Name
- South Colony Lakes Trailhead
- Starting Elevation
- 8,800'
- Coordinates
- 37.9670°N, 105.5853°W
Parking & Access
- Parking
- Free Lot 20-50 spots
- Fee
- Free
- Vehicle
- 4WD/High Clearance
No Service
Same as Crestone Peak - South Colony Lakes. 4WD for upper TH. Sangre de Cristo Wilderness regulations.
Route Description
The standard route climbs the south face via a complex system of ledges and gullies. Solid Class 3 climbing with good holds on mostly solid rock. The summit spire is dramatic. Most parties camp at South Colony Lakes.
Gear & Preparation
Helmet mandatory. Routefinding is key - the face has many variations. The rock is solid granite unlike the neighboring Crestone Peak. A memorable climb on one of Colorado's finest peaks.