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After a failed attempt on Mt. Lindsey back in May of 2001, Leah and I finally got a chance to drive up to Colorado the first weekend of July to try Sneffels' South Slopes route. Driving from Durango to Ouray was a bit different than I had expected, involving a multitude of mountain passes and slower driving. Nevertheless, the drive was enjoyable. When arriving in Ouray, we checked out hotel rates and determined that hotels would not be a viable option (4th of July weekend rates weren't so phenomenal). So we drove up Yankee Boy Basin in search of a suitable camping area. This road is narrow in places, though doesn't require quite the navigating skills as a busy day on Mt. Antero. We found a nice spot near the creek, and were surprised to see the amount of marmots around everywhere. After a good night of sleep we donned the boots and gaiters and set out to climb Sneffels.
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It was somewhat tricky figuring out the right starting point to gain 3,000 feet of vertical elevation. After aligning our position corresponding to landmarks on the topographic map, we started from a little below our campsite. The trail was very easy to follow up to Wrights Lake. On the left is the view of Mt. Sneffels from the trailhead near Wrights Lake, at 12,180 ft. From here, there are two trails that split off, one to the north and one to the west. We opted for the west heading trail, which intersects the Blue lakes trail. Upon our return, we noticed the northbound trail is more direct, but doesn't save a very significant amount of time. Right near the trail sign dividing the route over the ridge to Blue Lakes and the route up Mt. Sneffels, we came upon a gregarious marmot (to within 5 feet).
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Upon reaching the trail sign for Mt. Sneffels, the route up Lavender Col becomes very apparent (see the picture above). Initially, the trail continues well through the scree for about the first 300 feet of elevation gain, whereupon the route becomes steeper and looser (still easy class 2). There are two ways to the top of the saddle. On the right there is less consolidated talus while on the left it is a little more solid, and also more direct. It takes considerable time to gain the saddle between Sneffels and Kismet, but it isn't difficult. Once on the saddle, it is pretty obvious that there is no other route to choose but to the north up the couloir. This is also the best descent route as well, as we saw an extremely frightened party trying to finish a mistaken downclimb 200 yards west of the couloir between spires.
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From the picture above, you can see that the route is clear. This section of 2+ climbing is easier than Mt. Lindsey, given that it is a straight shot and easy to place your feet and hands. After climbing to near the top of the couloir, there is a small V-shaped notch to the left (west) that is the key to the remainder of the route. This is probably the most difficult (albeit still easy) move of the whole climb and looks like a lot of exposure on the other side until you cross over it. On the west side of the notch, the ground is actually flat. The rest of the route is farily straight forward, climbing talus and ledges up to the highest point. There are a few class 2+ moves left on this last section, depending on where you ascend from, though I was surprised at the ease of the route.
The views from the summit were spectacular. We saw another marmot on the summit! The Blue Lakes really are a striking blue color from this vantage point. We were also afforded great views of the Wilsons and ...thunderheads. We did manage to get off the summit before noon, steadily picking our way down the talus and scree to the trail (the route down was not particularly enjoyable for Leah in the loose scree). After enduring lightning and rain on the trail most of the way back, we were quite happy to sit in the truck and eat before departing back to New Mexico.
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