Book Review: Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains

(Last Updated On: June 28, 2014)

People always ask us if we’re working on any projects ever since we finished skiing the fourteeners. Our answer is always, “not really”. Which isn’t to say we don’t have goals- we always do, they’re just more fluid these days. If we see something that looks interesting, it’s always in the back of our heads and if the conditions seem right for it, we’ll probably try to ski it. A few more routes are now dancing in the back of my head, thanks to the newly published Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains.

climbing and skiing colorado's mountains

With 50 routes, there is something in this book for nearly every Colorado ski mountaineer. We’ve skied many of the routes in this book, but there are routes such as Arkansas’ Northeast Couloir and Potosi’s North Couloir that have been on our list for years, but that we have not yet skied. Other routes in this book, such as Stony Mountain’s Northwest Couloir, or Chiquita’s Banana Couloir, weren’t on my list, but they are now.

page example climbing and skiing colorado's mountains
Mount Aetna, seen from Monarch Pass, should be on every local skier’s tick list.

And that’s what guidebooks are for these days- to inspire. After all, the internet has routes all over it, but that isn’t the same as flipping through a well-worn book looking for a weekend objective. Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains has all the info you would expect from a guidebook, from trailhead directions to photos to maps of all the routes. Reading through the routes I know well, the descriptions appear to be clear and concise.

My only complaint would be the subjective one of which routes were included and which routes were not. For instance, I would consider the Elks and San Juans to harbor the best skiing in Colorado, yet the Sawatch chapter of the book has nearly as many routes as the Elks and San Juans combined. Then again, the Sawatch is much closer to the population centers of Colorado, so it makes sense to have it highlighted. That said, it would be fun to see someone with a copy of this book in their hands at the bar after a successful descent of a Crested Butte classic like Teocalli or Gothic.

Who should buy this book? Anyone who hasn’t skied every route in this book. If you haven’t, Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains is sure to spark your interest in a route or 50. The book is available at you favorite local bookstore or gear store.

Frank Konsella

Frank loves snow more than anything... except his wife.  He ensures his food is digested properly by chewing it 32 times before swallowing.He is a full-time real estate agent serving Crested Butte and Gunnison and would be honored to send you his monthly newsletter.

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Frank Konsella

Frank loves snow more than anything... except his wife.    He ensures his food is digested properly by chewing it 32 times before swallowing. He is a full-time real estate agent serving Crested Butte and Gunnison and would be honored to send you his monthly newsletter.

7 thoughts on “Book Review: Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains

  • March 25, 2014 at 3:35 pm
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    Potosi 2nd week in April? I’ll be in Silverton for a week with a bunch of knuckledraggers……

  • March 25, 2014 at 4:30 pm
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    Could be perfect timing. Lots of other worthwhile objectives down that way as well…

  • March 25, 2014 at 5:25 pm
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    If you’re doing Potosi, or other yankee boy lines, also check the La Chapelle (west) couloir on Gilpin. its a good’n.

  • March 25, 2014 at 6:06 pm
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    Uh, don’t mean to butt in, but if you need a partner and a place to stay, I’m in S-town and would be STOKED!! 🙂

  • March 25, 2014 at 6:10 pm
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    Tamara- I suspect that we will be down in the Silverton/Ouray area in just a couple of weeks to tackle some of our goals. We will be in touch!

  • March 26, 2014 at 11:51 am
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    Thank you for the review guys. We definitely appreciate you taking the time to provide some honest feedback. I definitely hear ya on the number of Sawatch lines vs. Elk and San Juan. I wish we could have gotten down to CB to get at least one peak from your area in there, we just ran out of time. I’m sure most CB locals don’t mind that we didn’t though 🙂

    Thanks again, have a great spring!

  • April 2, 2014 at 7:46 am
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    Just checked that line out, Dan. Looks like a good one, thanks for the heads-up!

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