Mystery of the Head Crack pitch....

All Locations > Colorado > Alpine Rock > Sangre de Crist… > Crestones > Ellingwood Ledges (5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b)

Mystery of the Head Crack pitch....

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View of Ellingwood Ledges in the morning. The full route is visible. Picture taken from Humboldt's saddle.

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Steph Abegg

Jul 13, 2019

“Mystery of the Head Crack pitch....”

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Nearby Photos

Ellingwood Arete (aka Ledges) routes.

Fun in the Winter, too.<br>
March, 1975.

Sun on the headwall of The Needle.

Don't step on the flowers.

On the summit with clouds circling in.

Here are some ways to start [[105748714]]. I have not done the starts labeled "Direct" and "Most-Ledges".
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The "Full-Ledges" start - after a little up climbing and a little down climbing - passes just above a large slung horn with old rap rope as of July 2016. The old rap rope was knotted off for a two-stranded rap, and it was a little sun-bleached with some sheath damage visible in one strand about 15 feet down from the anchor.
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In July 2017, the rap station was gone.

Ellingwood Ledges as seen from the summit of Humboldt.

View of Ellingwood Ledges in the morning. The full route is visible. Picture taken from Humboldt's saddle.

Mystery of the Head Crack pitch....

Summit view - Sandunes!

Crestone Needle

Looks good.

Ellingwood Arete...and me thinking 'I should have been at the base of the climb about an hour ago....'

Shiny bolt anchors on the 3 pitch direct start. (We simulclimbed the direct start in one pitch, using a microtraxion as pictured in the photo.)

Starting up the final (crux) pitch. <br>
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Photo by Dan Perry.

Options for the final headwall pitch. Option A or B must be the Head Crack pitch. We climbed option C, which seemed to fit the descriptions of other climbers who recommended climbing a steep right-facing dihedral, but the move over the overhang was strenuous, feeling more like 5.9 than 5.7. The cracks to the right were lower angle and appeared easier, but we weren't sure if they ended on a ledge. Option F looked like it was the easiest.

Interesting chimney exit sequence on the left final pitch(es) variation, which is the gift that keeps on giving.

First hard headwall pitch.

Looking down the 5.7 pitch.

The upper section of Ellingwood Arete. We took the left variation, which our topo called 5.7, and I call B.S., but it was memorable!

Crestone Needle approach map.

Getting to the trailhead for South Colony Lakes entails 2.6 miles of rough road. We had a Highlander and stopped 1 mile short and walked to the trailhead, only to be humbled by a couple of "lesser" vehicles in the parking lot!

The direct start. 3 pitches of 5.6.

Sunrise on the one of the namesake ledges.

The start of the first headwall pitch.

Topping out on the crux pitch.

Mike Schillaci on the arete, 1990.

Looking up the technical headwall pitches higher up on the route.

The start of the climb can accessed via the diagonalling ramp through the black cliff.

Grassy ledges start.

The crux pitch.

Ellingwood Ledges as seen from near the end of the 4WD road.

Me on one of the belay ledge immediately after the crux pitch.

Carol about halfway up Ellingwood Ledges. August 26, 2000.

A friendly Marmot poses a few feet below the summit of Crestone Needle in the early morning. Humbolt Peak is silhouetted in the background.

On the final 3rd class pitch, only 100 feet below the summit. This is a very exposed pitch, but the rock is excellent.

Another angle on the start of the first headwall pitch.

Resting before the final push and the crux.

Cully just feet below the summit.

Looking down the first crux pitch, Ellingwood Ledges, 2002 - Jay Evans photo.

Pulling tough moves halfway up instead of walking around the mini-headwall.

Looking down at the 5.7 crux.

Sunrise looking back toward campsites from the approach to The Needle.

One of the interesting inhabitants of Ellingwood Ledges, taken on a pre-climb day exploring the "Full-Ledges" start (native? invasive?).

Josh Hobgood following the first hard headwall pitch.

After a successful ascent of Ellingwood Ledges, September 2010.

John Bissel on the 5.9 variation.

1st ledges after simul-climbing past the Direct. Note the mackerel sky! Photo of Josh Hobgood.

Success! Now if we can only get down before dark....

Descent gully. Follow the cairns.

The Crestone Needle and Peak massif. Photo by Anna Thomas.

Marcello leading the 2nd hard pitch, near the crux.

Charlotte following me up the left exit, which is way harder than the topo's 5.7 claim. This section is overhanging about 5-10 degrees, protected by a single piton after the traverse (a draw is on it in the photo). The wide crack did not take pro - only a chickenwing for rest.

Early on the arête - Photo of Greg & Marcello.

A climber taking a direct variation to the start, with the first piece of pro visible. I placed gear in a similar spot but found the climbing easier and better protected doing the undercling to traverse left.

Starting up the easy 3rd class at the beginning of the route.

Fun climbing below the final crux headwall.

A route overlay of the Ellingwood Arete/Ledges route as seen from approach to the direct start.