Gorgeous columbine, 6/06.

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All Locations > Colorado > Alpine Rock > RMNP - Rock > Ypsilon Mountain > Blitzen Ridge (5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c)

Gorgeous columbine, 6/06.

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Wade Morris on top of the 2nd (?) Ace in Winter.

Wow! Exposure at its best. 6/06.

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4.6 from 7 votes

Rob Kepley

Jun 22, 2006

“Gorgeous columbine, 6/06.”

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Benjamin Chapman
Small Town, USA

Benjamin Chapman Small Town, USA

Beautiful! Oct 28, 2017

Nearby Photos

Beautiful alpine forget-me-nots found below Donner Ridge. 6/06

Wade Morris on top of the 2nd (?) Ace in Winter.

Gorgeous columbine, 6/06.

Wow! Exposure at its best. 6/06.

Wade Morris near the top of the 3rd Ace, 2017 Winter.

Photo by Avery N.<br>
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The Aces as seen from the Y couloir.<br>
July 3rd, 2004.

The clouds break over the Aces.

Lower Spectacle Lake.

Approaching the First Ace.

Wade Morris and I shouldered 40lb+ training packs and jumped on the Blitzen Ridge in the winter of 2017. It proved to be a very productive, and full-on AK training mission.

The full cirque (with most of the traverse we did).

Easy going so far on Donner.

From First Ace, killer views!

En route to the summit. Spectacular! 6/06.

Meaty part of the Blitzen Ridge.

Kepley on the Blitzen's airy final approach.

'Aces high' and the final approach ridge of the Blitzen.

Donner Ridge (descent we used).

Approach gully from lower Spectacle Lake.

Good view of the Aces.

Just below the summit, on the descent. Blitzen on the left and Donner on the right.

Spectacle Lakes from the approach gully.

Tony M. on Ace 1.

Another view of Spectacle Lakes and Donner Ridge.

Donner Ridge (routefinding was fairly easy; we made a couple of mid-class 5 downclimbing moves).

Progress so far.

Beta shot for posing down hard on the summit of Ypsilon, Sam Flournoy and Ryne Greene.

The Aces, July '04.

The Four Aces and final headwall - the meat of the route

Keen traversing around the Fourth Ace.

Blitzen track with Chapin TH descent.

Back to lower Spectacle Lake.

Looking back at the fouth and third ace from the top of the headwall.

Traversing around The Fourth Ace.

Looking across to Blitzen Ridge as we start the descent down Donner Ridge.

I took this while belaying a climber down the 4th Ace. In background see a lead climber on the final headwall.

Exposure.

Bypassing the tower on the ledge system.

The Blitz.

Ryne Greene about done with the thousand feet of 4th class. Photo taken just before he couldn't take the exposure and asked to be short roped by partner, Sam Flournoy.

The final section of Blitzen Ridge, photo taken 7/4/2018. Minimal snow and blue skies all day for a great day of independence. It was at this point that I was feeling happy to see hikers on the summit - was able to hitch a ride from the Chapin side.

About to start the 4 Aces.

Ypsilon from Chipmunk Lake.

The upper section of Blitzen Ridge.

Hard to see the Aces from this angle.

Keen Butterworth enjoying the smashing view of the lower Ypsilon cirque from atop the Blitzen Ridge headwall.

Looking across the cirque.

Bill Duncan and the Blitzen Ridge.

Sunrise view of the upper cirque, Blitzen on the right, Donner on the left, and the late season Y Couloir central.

Final descent down to the Spectacle Lakes.

Almost past the Aces.

Fast and light afternoon ascent of Blitzen ridge with Stefan Griebel. Downclimbing one of the aces before continuing up.

And the ridge goes on.

The downclimb on the back of the third Ace.

A good 5.5-5.6 option on the 4th ace. Soloists, watch for those loose flakes.

Blitzen meeting the "Y". July '04.

Looking down Blitzen Ridge.

Tony M. with Spectacle Lakes below.

The Third Ace as seen from the fourth.

Most of the rock on the exposed bits was good (for CO).