Stats
| 8.25 miles | Standard Route – Southwest Ridge | Company: Jeff Sanders and Nicole Nugent Wildlife: rodents |
| 3800 feet | Start: 5:05 am Stop: 2:30 pm | Weather: Clear/cool – 6:00 am Cloud formation – no Thunder/rain – no |
What this climb provided is simple to describe: fun. While Jeff and I have spent hours dissolved in laughter, tears streaming, telling pirate jokes when we should be sleeping, adding another element to the mix certainly brings something. Our something is Nicole and from the onset, we had fun. From playing ninja at the trail head to worrying about the “bear in the vestibule” and playing Frisbee after two small glasses of wine (can you say limited coordination?), Nicole contributed to the good times. Opting to take a short cut up to the Rock of Ages saddle, Nicole’s good times may not have been too good as she picked her way across the intermittent snow fields and straight up the scree chute I led her into. But all day, she kept the fun alive – mostly through non stop discourse with me (we needed to catch up on lost time) and at times through conversation with herself!
From the Rock of Ages, the prospect of climbing the gnarly ridge to the treacherous summit (the wreckage of a plane crash from 2006 is scattered there) became more real. The rocks are narrow geometric things, stacked up to look like skyscrapers cemented together. The scramble before the ridge was loose but conversation made it go quickly and we stopped to put on helmets and get ready for our photo shoot. With the two of us climbing first, Jeff had time to capture the climbing beauties in a variety of very flattering poses from behind. While the climbing itself wasn’t hard, there was just enough vertical and just enough exposure to make it feel exciting. Over the false summit and up to the actual summit, plane debris started to be visible. While the exhilaration of the summit can’t be entirely quashed – the memorial plaque and large amount of personal effects still remaining was sobering. At times, each of us stopped to take pictures and reflect, with gratitude, at the time we still have to explore these high places.
Snacking and picture taking abounded – along with conversation with a climbing guide from Telluride and his client who were getting ropes and harnesses ready to down climb! Ropes and harnesses oh my! Negotiating the “hard” parts smoothly passed and while Jeff anteloped his way ahead of us, I took a faulty step. From upright to bouncing off a rock with my left hip to rolling back onto my feet all in one motion, I managed to avoid serious injury. Nicole said her heart stopped- which would’ve been much more serious than my fall. Undaunted but more conscientious, we picked through the wobbly rocks to be greeted by dogs barking and picnickers on the saddle. We avoided the temptation of screeing down (straight down is so much faster!), we found trail through the snow and rock. I lent my pole to the client of the climbing pair we had lunched with as he was struggling but the pitch was gentle enough on the trail not to feel the knees too much.
Rather than walking the 4WD road that swung back and forth the width of the basin, we found an intermittent trail through shrub and tree and stream. The day was one of those that sticks in the memory for me because of the good company and the good climbing and the good weather and all else that was good. And the day continued, good food in Ouray and then more good friends to hike with showed up!
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