Gash Ridge

Gash Ridge is an excellent way to summit Blanca via climbing that is more exciting the normal hike of most 14'ers. Once ascending out of the Huerfano River valley onto the ridge, you encounter increasingly more difficult terrain until you are near the summit of Blanca Peak While the climbing is never difficult by rock standards, the exposure will excite most who attempt the route. Passing the gash and the climbing immediately afterward makes the crux of the route. As with many routes of this nature, you can make it more or less difficult by your route finding abilities.

Use the same approach and descent as Ormes Buttress for Blanc Peak. I did this route twice by reversing the route fairly easily. Reversing the gash goes at a short (20 to 30 feet of 5.6 to 5.7 climbing).

Most climbers will free solo the route and use a mountaineer's rope to rappel into the gash. However, a climbing rope, single set of nuts, and cams to #5 will give confidence to those not comfortable free soloing. If protecting the route, I recommend using a running belay to speed the half-mile or so of near to low fifth-class climbing.