Little Bear Traverse
Climbing Little Bear's SW Face - Class 4
Traversing to Blanca - Class 5.0
TH: Parked at 10,200 on Lake Como Road
Approach to Lake Como: 2.7 miles / 1700ft / 1 hour 10 minutes
Summits: Little Bear - Blanca - Ellingwood
Climb from Camp: 10 miles / 3650ft / 6 hours including summit time (traverse: 2.5 hours)
Partners: Robby Grace, Jim Griffiths, Mike Poland, Kristi Henes
GPX
Little Bear to Blanca is one of my favorite 14er routes. I have done it 3 times and will hopefully do it again. One strategy for a safe climb of Little Bear is to never have anyone above you in the hourglass.
This gallery contains images from all 3 outings.
![Little bear blanca 00]()
From 10,200ft the approach to Lake Como is 2.7 miles and 1700ft . From camp Little Bear - Blanca - Ellingwood was 10 miles and 3650ft.
![Little bear blanca 01]()
We drove the trusty Tacoma to the parking spot at 10,200.
![Little bear blanca 02c]()
Sunset on Little Bear from Lake Como
![Little bear blanca 04]()
We were up early (hiking at 4am) to insure we were the first one's to the 'Hourglass'
![Little bear blanca 04h]()
Alex starting up the hourglass
![Little bear blanca 05]()
Kristi scrambling in the Hourglass. This section has a reputation for falling rock and terrain steep enough to make it extremely difficult to dodge falling debris.
![Little bear blanca 05c]()
Robby in the hourglass
![Little bear blanca 07]()
Alex and Jim in the Hourglass
![Little bear blanca 08]()
Jim and Mike in the Hourglass
![Little bear blanca 09]()
Kristi approaching Little Bear's summit
![Little bear blanca 09d]()
Robby eyeing "South Little Bear" from Little Bear's summit. Maybe we will go there next time?
![Little bear blanca 09g]()
Alex taking in the views... Crestones way off in the distance
![Little bear blanca 11]()
From Little Bear's summit a view of the 1.5 miles of knife edge ridge that would consume our next 2.5 hours. Jim getting started.
![Little bear blanca 11c]()
Robby starting the traverse
![Little bear blanca 12g]()
Alex down climbing off of Little Bear... definitely one of the cruxes
![Little bear blanca 13]()
Alex on the ridge
![Little bear blanca 15c]()
![Little bear blanca 16]()
Looking back to LIttle Bear
![Little bear blanca 17c]()
Robby scouting routes
![Little bear blanca 18]()
A long way to go
![Little bear blanca 18c]()
![Little bear blanca 22]()
Kristi enjoying a melower section
![Little bear blanca 22c]()
Alex
![Little bear blanca 23]()
Mike and Jim
![Little bear blanca 24]()
Clay (our friend from camp) on a solo mission. This section goes right or left. Left felt less exposed.
![Little bear blanca 25]()
Alex
![Little bear blanca 27c]()
Alex
![Little bear blanca 28]()
Mike and Jim
![Little bear blanca 28c]()
Robby scrambling up Blanca's last tower
![Little bear blanca 29]()
Kristi at the top of the second Blanca tower... about to hop on the knife edge again
![Little bear blanca 31]()
Mike stoked to be wrapping it up!
![Little bear blanca 32]()
L2R: Mike, Alex, Jim
![Little bear blanca 33]()
Kristi displays her work
![Little bear blanca 35]()
Mountain Hunk says "I coulda done that in flip flops"
![Little bear blanca 36]()
Alex stoked after a third trip across the traverse
