Crestone Centennial Circuit (CO)

Colorado, US

Distance

32.2 mi

Vertical Gain

19,200 ft

The Sangre de Cristo Range of Colorado offers some of the best rock in the state for scrambling, and the high concentration of Centennial summits in the Crestone Group begs to be completed in a single push by those with sufficient endurance and ability to perform such a route.

While many individuals have summited all of the Crestone Group 14ers (Crestone Pk, Crestone Needle, Kit Carson Pk, Challenger Pt, and Humboldt Pk) (FKT route: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/crestone-14er-group-co) along with a few 13ers along the route (Columbia Pt, “Kitty Kat Carson”, and “Obstruction Pk”), still fewer have summited all of the Centennial peaks in a single day from a high camp at Willow Creek, as did Justin Simoni:

https://justinsimoni.com/2017/10/21/fastpacks-from-hell-the-crestone-centennial-enchainment/

Including Mt Adams A in the mix by way of its Northeast Ridge from Horn Lakes means the Circuit could then be completed by taking the Rainbow Trail north from the East Ridge winter route of Humboldt Pk rather than south to the more common South Colony Lakes road. What seems most exciting about including Mt Adams in such a route would be the ability to keep any back-tracking to a minimum, in addition to the ability to complete of all the Crestone Group Centennial peaks in a single push. Any such combination route to complete the Crestone Group 14ers without venturing north of “Obstruction Pk” would require a tedious doubling of the ridge connecting Challenger Pt to Humboldt Pk in some capacity, which I found less attractive.

This route requires a diverse range of skills, including impressive endurance, an ability to log a large quantity of vertical feet, as well as committed scrambling up the North Buttress of Crestone Pk especially if one chooses to directly ascend the "Northeast Crestone" subsummit en route.