Crestone Needle

Crestone Needle is one of the most aesthetically striking peaks in Colorado, with a sharp spire-shaped summit visible across the San Luis Valley. The standard South Face route is a Class 3 climb on the same grippy conglomerate rock as neighboring Crestone Peak, with two parallel gullies leading up to the summit ridge. The route is shorter than Crestone Peak's at about 11 miles round trip from South Colony Lakes but no less serious — route-finding errors have led to multiple fatal falls. The Crestone Needle–Peak traverse is a classic Class 5 alpine ridge that most parties save for skilled mountaineering days.