Description of Colorado's Mount Bancroft East Ridge Route as a Climber's 1st Technical Alpine Climb

So, I took my 17 year old nephew up Mount Bancroft’s East Ridge route as summer turned into fall. It was windy and with low hanging clouds. Nonetheless, we had a great time, and my nephew got pushed just beyond his comfort zone… which is just what you want when you are trying to learn new skills: far enough beyond your experience to grow not so far as to create problems or even become dangerous.

After the climb, it occurred to me that this route is such a fabulous introduction to technical climbing in the alpine that there are probably plenty of other people who would like it similarly. It’s not too long, not too high, not without escapes if weather moves in. But it does have that one rappel and class 5 climb as well as being sustained in its scrambling in the other sections. So, it kind of eases you into the commitment that alpine routes demand. It exercises new skills, but is likely to end up in a positive and successful experience.

For the more risk-averse climber, however, going pushing a new limit can sometimes be pretty intimidating. Hence, a fairly detailed route description in the video. That knowledge can produce a bit of comfort that might otherwise not be there.

Sure, there will always be people who just dive right into new climbs and routes; and there a a long tradition of being bold in climbing by taking those types of risks. After all, we didn’t have internet and pin-point weather forecasts until very recently. And guide books are comparatively new when looking at the history of mountaineering, too. So, climbers had to push into the unknown.

But one of my goals with this whole video channel and blog is to make the outdoors accessible. If I can do something to help remove or lessen a barrier that is keeping someone from experiencing the joy Great Nature, of finding out what they are capable of, then I will try to do that.

So, for those who are a bit more risk averse, here is the “beta” on Bancroft’s East Ridge. May you find the same joy that my nephew and I found.