Blanca Peak

🏔️ Blanca Peak via Lake Como — Overnight 14er Adventure

Lake Como Approach • Friday Camp • Saturday Summit Push • Potentially add Ellingwood Point

Overview:
Join us for a big alpine weekend on Blanca Peak, one of Colorado’s most impressive 14ers. The plan is to hike up the Lake Como Road / approach on Friday afternoon, camp near Lake Como, then make an early summit push on Saturday morning.

This route breaks into two major efforts:

• Friday: Backpack/hike approximately ~6 miles up to Lake Como
• Saturday: Summit push from Lake Como toward Blanca Peak, with approximately 6 miles remaining for the summit day effort

Depending on where vehicles can reasonably park on Lake Como Road, expect Friday’s approach to include roughly 4,000+ ft of climbing before camp. This is a serious uphill effort with overnight gear.

The primary objective is Blanca Peak. If conditions, weather, group pace, and energy allow, we may discuss adding Ellingwood Point, but Blanca is the main goal.

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🎯 What to Expect

• Friday afternoon backpack / hike toward Lake Como
• Roughly 6 miles to camp depending on parking location
• Significant climbing with overnight gear
• Overnight camp near Lake Como
• Early Saturday alpine start for Blanca Peak
• Approximately 6 miles remaining for the summit day effort
• High-altitude hiking, loose rock, and rugged alpine terrain
• Weather-dependent decisions and possible turnaround
• Supportive, no-ego mountain crew

This is not a casual hike or summit-at-all-costs event. The goal is to move together, make good decisions, and use the buddy system on a big alpine route.

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🏕️ Friday Approach Plan

We’ll plan to meet Friday afternoon/evening and hike up toward Lake Como to establish camp. Its a 2.5 hour drive to the trailhead from COS.

Lake Como Road is famously rough, so the final parking location will depend on vehicle capability and group logistics. The lower we park, the more road we hike. Expect the Friday approach to be a real effort, not just a short stroll to camp. Plan is to leave by 1 pm so we can make camp before dark.

Please plan to be self-sufficient for an overnight mountain camp.

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⏰ Saturday Summit Plan

We’ll start early Saturday morning from camp NLT 7am and head for Blanca Peak.

Final summit timing will depend on weather, group pace, and conditions. Afternoon storms are common in the high mountains, so we’ll use conservative timing and turnaround judgment.

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🎒 Bring / Gear

Required or strongly expected, since we will be sleeping at 11,700 ft:

• Overnight backpacking setup
• Tent / shelter
• Sleeping bag and pad
• Stove / food / water treatment
• Headlamp + backup batteries
• 2–3L water capacity
• High-calorie snacks / lunch
• Rain shell / wind shell
• Warm layers, hat, and gloves
• Sturdy hiking shoes or boots with good traction
• Navigation app / GPX downloaded offline
• Personal first aid / emergency basics

Recommended:

• Trekking poles
• Helmet for upper mountain / loose rock sections (REQUIRED if planning on the Blanca - Ellingwood Traverse)
• Sunglasses / sunscreen
• Extra socks
• Small emergency layer or bivy
• Personal wag bag / waste bag

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🧭 Who This Is Good For

This trip is a good fit for people who:

• Have prior 14er experience
• Are comfortable backpacking to a high camp
• Can manage a long approach with overnight gear
• Are comfortable with loose rock and high-altitude terrain
• Can manage themselves physically and mentally for a full mountain weekend
• Understand that turning around is part of good mountain judgment

This is not recommended as a first 14er or first backpacking trip.

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⚠️ Weather / Go-No-Go

Final decisions will depend on:

• Weather forecast
• Thunderstorm timing
• Wind
• Route conditions
• Group pace and readiness

This is not a summit-at-all-costs event. If weather, pace, group condition, or route conditions are not favorable, we turn around or adjust the objective.

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Disclaimer

Pikes Peak Mountaineers is a group of friends organizing shared outdoor activities. We are not professional guides or instructors, and this is not a guided trip.

All participants are responsible for their own decisions, preparation, gear, fitness, and safety. Mountain travel involves inherent risks, including weather, exposure, rockfall, altitude, injury, or worse.

By attending, you accept full responsibility for your participation. Organizers and group members assume no liability for accidents, injuries, loss of property, or personal decisions made during the event.