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Elevation: 14,152 ft
GPS: 39.5886, -105.643
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 53,810 total · 182/month
Shared By: ClimbandMine on Nov 29, 1999 · Updates
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

Description Suggest change

The Summit Lake bowl offers some fine alpine ice and rock routes topping out at or near 14,000'. Summer T-storms are the biggest danger. Easy access is limited to June-September by the closure of the Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) highway. It's a long hike up the road or Chicago Lakes basin the rest of the year.

There are some other options up in the Chicago Lakes basin which are accessed from Echo Lake.

Getting There Suggest change

Drive up I-70 to Idaho Springs. Take the Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) highway to the Echo Lake. Take a right at the Echo Lake Lodge, and follow the summit road to Summit Lake. The main bowl just below the summit offers easy ice/snow climbs and has the potential for some mixed routes just below the summit if conditions are right. This is accessed by hiking around the south side of Summit Lake and up the slope into the bowl. The Aprons are west of the Lake - The First Apron is northwest, The Second is due west, and The Third is southwest just right of the bowl. Mt. Spaulding is accessed by dropping down to upper Chicago Lakes basin, north of Summit Lake.

For the Chicago Lake basin options, park at Echo Lake, take a trail off the I-70 side of the lake dropping down into the drainage of Chicago Lakes and go up the valley past the Idaho Springs Reservoir and higher up.

28 Total Climbs

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Location: Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) - mixed, couloirs Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) - mixed, couloirs

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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