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All Locations > Colorado > Alpine Rock

San Juans Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in San Juans

Dallas Peak 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 3
Engineer Pass 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 3
Gilpin Peak 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1
Grand Turk 0 / 2 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 3
Grenadiers, The 15 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 15 / 15
Mount Sneffels 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 5 / 5
Needles, The 11 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 11 / 11
Peak 17 "Little Finger" 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1
Turret Ridge 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1
Twin Peaks 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 2
Uncompahgre/Big Blue Wilderness 2 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 3
Elevation: 12,998 ft
GPS: 37.657, -107.602 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 128,509 total · 1,611/month
Shared By: Matthias Holladay on Mar 5, 2012
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac
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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.

48 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at San Juans

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
Steep Snow
 24
● Snake (Dogleg) Couloir
Trad, Snow, Alpine
Mount Sneffels
Mod. Snow
 6
● Naked Lady Couloir
Trad, Snow, Alpine
Needles > W Needle Mtns > Snowdon Peak
3rd 1- 1 I 1 M 1a
 28
● Southwest Ridge
Trad, Alpine
Mount Sneffels
4th 1 2 I 2 M 1b
 15
● West Buttress
Trad, Alpine
Needles > W Needle Mtns > Snowdon Peak
Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c
 5
● North Face of West Trinity Peak
Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
Grenadiers > W Trinity Peak
5.0 2- 4 I 6 MM 1c
 15
● Normal Route
Trad, Alpine 2 pitches
Needles > Jagged Mtn
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a
 18
● East Face/Dallas Peak
Trad, Alpine
Dallas Peak
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c R
 97
● Wham Ridge
Trad, Alpine 10 pitches
Grenadiers > Vestal Peak
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a
 7
● Southwest Chimney
Trad, Alpine 2 pitches
Uncompahgre/Big… > Coxcomb Peak
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 9
● North Buttress
Trad, Alpine
Mount Sneffels
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b
 5
● North Ridge
Trad, Alpine 10 pitches
Grenadiers > Arrow Peak
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
 26
● Center Shift on Wham Ridge
Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
Grenadiers > Vestal Peak
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 3
● Arrow Spire
Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
Grenadiers > Arrow Peak
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a X
 4
● West Gully
Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
Turret Ridge
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 12
● Standard Route, Sunlight Spire
Trad, Alpine 2 pitches
Needles > Sunlight Spire
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
● Snake (Dogleg) Couloir Mount Sneffels
 24
Steep Snow Trad, Snow, Alpine
● Naked Lady Couloir Needles > W Needle Mtns > Snowdon Peak
 6
Mod. Snow Trad, Snow, Alpine
● Southwest Ridge Mount Sneffels
 28
3rd 1- 1 I 1 M 1a Trad, Alpine
● West Buttress Needles > W Needle Mtns > Snowdon Peak
 15
4th 1 2 I 2 M 1b Trad, Alpine
● North Face of West Trinity… Grenadiers > W Trinity Peak
 5
Easy 5th 1+ 3 I 5 M 1c Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
● Normal Route Needles > Jagged Mtn
 15
5.0 2- 4 I 6 MM 1c Trad, Alpine 2 pitches
● East Face/Dallas Peak Dallas Peak
 18
5.3 3+ 10 III 9 VD 3a Trad, Alpine
● Wham Ridge Grenadiers > Vestal Peak
 97
5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c R Trad, Alpine 10 pitches
● Southwest Chimney Uncompahgre/Big… > Coxcomb Peak
 7
5.5 4b 13 IV+ 11 MS 4a Trad, Alpine 2 pitches
● North Buttress Mount Sneffels
 9
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, Alpine
● North Ridge Grenadiers > Arrow Peak
 5
5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b Trad, Alpine 10 pitches
● Center Shift on Wham Ridge Grenadiers > Vestal Peak
 26
5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R Trad, Alpine 6 pitches
● Arrow Spire Grenadiers > Arrow Peak
 3
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad, Alpine 7 pitches
● West Gully Turret Ridge
 4
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a X Trad, Alpine 5 pitches
● Standard Route, Sunlight Spire Needles > Sunlight Spire
 12
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Trad, Alpine 2 pitches
More Classic Climbs in San Juans »

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Photos

Uncompahgre from Matterhorn, San Juan Mountains.
Uncompahgre from Matterhorn, San Juan Mountains.
 2
If I recall correctly, Monitor, Peak 13, and the ridge of Animas Mt./The Index on the right.
If I recall correctly, Monitor, Peak 13, and th…
 2
From another direction . . . .
From another direction . . . .
 1
Balsam Lake and a few Outward Bound TR areas just above the trees.
Balsam Lake and a few Outward Bound TR areas ju…
 1
Views...Rio Grande Pyramid in the distance.
Views...Rio Grande Pyramid in the distance.
 1
Mmnn....
Mmnn....
 1
The ridge of . . .?
The ridge of . . .?
 1
Sunlight Basin w/ left foto added to note moderate Peak 10 route potential on sound rock. Gray Needle, I think, looks particularly inviting in the background.
Sunlight Basin w/ left foto added to note moder…
 1
Rocks.... Jagged in the distance.
Rocks.... Jagged in the distance.
 0
Upper Lime Creek Conglomorate.
Upper Lime Creek Conglomorate.
 0
Nice....
Nice....
 0

3 Comments

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Matthias Holladay
Shiprock, Navajolands
Matthias Holladay   Shiprock, Navajolands
The Guardian, Animas Mtn., The Index, Jagged, Knifepoint, Sneffels, the numbered peaks, Pigeon, Storm King, Silex, Vestal, West Needles, The Trinities, Sunlight, Windom, etc. all belong here, some with some sub-groups...This area also includes other subranges, not yet mentioned here on MP, like the San Miguels AKA Silverton West, as well as the areas around west of Lake City and the Rio Grande Pyramid. Mar 5, 2012
Nic Harnish
Durango, CO
Nic Harnish   Durango, CO
These mountains certainly deserve their own page. Mar 7, 2012
eggman
Durango, co
eggman   Durango, co
I think we need a little organization here. I've noticed a lot of misinformation and scrabbly writing on these San Juan pages, especially for the grenadiers/needles. The Mount Silex page should be re-done. Jul 19, 2012

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