Huerfano Valley Climbs (Blanca and Ellingwood)

The Huerfano Valley is mostly untouched by climbers as most are heading to Mt. Lindsey or Lake Lily so never get to see the impressive East faces of Blanca Peak and Ellingwood Point.

This wild basin is filled with a variety of amazing snow, ice, and rock routes to suit the time and skills of a variety of climbers.

Choose from one of these awesome routes:
- Ormes Buttress 5.6 (2 or 3 day itinerary): This historic climb follows a rock buttress almost right up the middle of Blanca Peak. While the rock quality isn't quite as stellar as the rest of the Sangres this amazing route will rarely have other parties on it.
- Gash Ridge 5.0 (2 or 3 day itinerary): A wild ridge ride all the way to the top of Blanca Peak. The exposure is palpable and for half a mile that's all you've got until you're relieved by a garage sized summit where you don't have to watch your every step.
- Gash Couloir WI4 (2, or 3 day itinerary): in the late spring a route sometimes forms in the notch to the east of Blanca's summit. This gash runs roughly 1000' with a good section of steep ice near the middel before it meets the ridge for some low 5th class to the summit.