I have spent the last 6 months or so acquiring all the necessary gear for backcountry camping and winter mountaineering. I plan to finish the US State Highpoints in the next 2-3 years, and many of the peaks I have left require days to weeks on the mountain in intense conditions. Luckily, I live in one of the best places in the world to train for such objectives.
I plan to hone my tactics and gear on some classic Colorado snow climbs – there are countless couloir routes up 14ers that are the perfect training ground. One of the “easiest” of these is the classic snowfield route up Mount Shavano – The Angel. Aptly named because it resembled an angel with outstretched arms, this route requires about 4600 ft of climbing in 4 miles to the summit.
I signed off at work on Friday evening, packed up my car and drove 3 hours south to the road to the trailhead in Salida, CO. I found a camping spot and set up my tent. I needed to be on trail by 4am to ensure the snow was still solid enough climb. The road was very rough – and I had no business driving it in my very low clearance Impreza hatchback. The drive ripped two plastic splash shiels off the bottom of my car! But I woke up at 3am and somehow made it 5 miles more down the road to the trailhead.
The climb was tough – rotten snow and mud down low which made it very slow going to the base of the angel. My pack was heavy and while the climb up the angel was thrilling, it was much harder than anticipated. I finally summited around 11am – about 6 hours after I started. I had planned to carry on to Tabeguache Peak – another 14er about a mile away on the ridgeline – but I didn’t have it in me. Regardless, it was an absolutely stunning and difficult day in the wilderness.
