San Juans  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Lat, Long:  37.6566, -107.6015 Map Page Views:  79,634. Good page?    Administrators:  Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Matthias Holladay on Mar 5, 2012 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

Sunlight Basin w/ left foto added to note moderate...

Description 

It is hard to find, at least for many of us here in the Four Corners, such a concentration of mountaineering splendor as in the San Juans. This range is comprised of the Needles and Grenadiers and these two areas form the core of true backcountry mountaineering; the other sub-ranges are the North San Juans and the West Needles. The Grenadiers, a row of proud sentinels, are also known as the Quartzite Peaks, while the Needles are a haphazard mix of peaks and passes, culminating in the Sunlight-Windom massif.

Getting There 

The easiest and quickest way to get into the heart of these peaks is to take the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge railroad from either Silverton or Durango to Elk Park or Needleton. Alternately, and depending on which areas one intends to visit, one could approach from Beartown, American Basin, Andrews Lake, Molas Switchbacks, Vallecito, Purgatory Flats, etc.

The Classics

Featured Route For San Juans

Standard Route, Sunlight Spire 5.10  CO : Alpine Rock : ... : Sunlight Spire

From the standard route on Sunlight Peak leave the trail at about 13,700' and head up a steep slope to the base of the summit block. This approach is 3rd class but rather loose and steep for about 300 feet.A short 5.7 pitch leads to the base of the overhanging crack. This crack is a perfect size for jamming but is rather sustained and made more difficult by the altitude. The start is made easier by a ramp you can work your feet along, but the ramp eventually is too far left. The crack remind...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO

Photos of San Juans Slideshow

Add Photo

If I recall correctly, Monitor, Peak 13, and the r...	The ridge of . . .?	Balsam Lake and a few Outward Bound TR areas just ...
Nice....	From another direction . . . .	Upper Lime Creek Conglomorate.