Post by antonkrupicka on Jan 7, 2013 2:39:37 GMT -5
There are three major routes on La Plata:
1) Northwest Ridge (standard, from Highway 82)
2) Southwest Ridge (from Winfield)
3) Ellingwood Ridge (Class 3-4, from Highway 82)
I've run the NW Ridge many times, but never in a focused roundtrip effort. My fastest ascent from Highway 82 to La Plata's summit has been a 1:19:50 I ran on 6/4/2012. Splits that day were 8:00 at the stream crossing and 52:05 at the NW ridge.
I've only ever descended the SW Ridge, never run up it.
La Plata's toothy Ellingwood Ridge, as seen looking NE from the NW Ridge.
I have, however, run the Ellingwood Ridge route car-to-car in a focused effort. On 6/21/2012 I ran up the Ellingwood Ridge to the summit, and down the NW Ridge in 2:57:46. The Ellingwood Ridge is one of the very few technical ridges in the Sawatch Range 14ers, and Roach christens it a "classic" route. Very aesthetic, complex line. Run Report
Splits:
La Plata Gulch log bridge – 8:00
Start of the talus – 32:40
Grass ridge – 54:00
First rock tower on ridge – 1:01:35
La Plata summit – 2:21:33
Left summit – 2:22:00
NW ridge drop (~12,750′) – 2:33:30
Big square rock – 2:38:30
Last rocks (~11k’) – 2:43:00
La Plata Gulch log bridge – 2:51:25
Road – 2:56:00
Parking Lot – 2:57:46
This was a pretty solid effort, especially the descent. This shows a car-to-car time on the NW Ridge could easily go sub-2hr.
Please, feel free to contribute to this thread with additional information/updates.
1) Northwest Ridge (standard, from Highway 82)
2) Southwest Ridge (from Winfield)
3) Ellingwood Ridge (Class 3-4, from Highway 82)
I've run the NW Ridge many times, but never in a focused roundtrip effort. My fastest ascent from Highway 82 to La Plata's summit has been a 1:19:50 I ran on 6/4/2012. Splits that day were 8:00 at the stream crossing and 52:05 at the NW ridge.
I've only ever descended the SW Ridge, never run up it.
La Plata's toothy Ellingwood Ridge, as seen looking NE from the NW Ridge.
I have, however, run the Ellingwood Ridge route car-to-car in a focused effort. On 6/21/2012 I ran up the Ellingwood Ridge to the summit, and down the NW Ridge in 2:57:46. The Ellingwood Ridge is one of the very few technical ridges in the Sawatch Range 14ers, and Roach christens it a "classic" route. Very aesthetic, complex line. Run Report
Splits:
La Plata Gulch log bridge – 8:00
Start of the talus – 32:40
Grass ridge – 54:00
First rock tower on ridge – 1:01:35
La Plata summit – 2:21:33
Left summit – 2:22:00
NW ridge drop (~12,750′) – 2:33:30
Big square rock – 2:38:30
Last rocks (~11k’) – 2:43:00
La Plata Gulch log bridge – 2:51:25
Road – 2:56:00
Parking Lot – 2:57:46
This was a pretty solid effort, especially the descent. This shows a car-to-car time on the NW Ridge could easily go sub-2hr.
Please, feel free to contribute to this thread with additional information/updates.