Kit Carson Peak & Challenger Point

Kit Carson Peak and Challenger Point are pretty good climbs with some technical routes available. The Prow on Kit Carson is every bit as challenging as the Ellingwood Arete on Crestone Peak. The two main routes to the summit of Challenger Point are rated 2+ while the routes to the summit of Kit Carson Peak vary from 3 to 5.8.

The southern approaches and the summits of Kit Carson and Challenger are both on the Baca Grande, which is now owned by the National Park Service. The easiest way to the peaks is through the Willow Creek drainage: 5 miles to Willow Lake and the waterfall. Then you are 1 mile north of the true base of Kit Carson and Challenger.

Columbia Point was formerly known as "Kat Carson" and is one of the 100 highest peaks in Colorado. It was renamed for the Space Shuttle that disintegrated on reentry in 2002. There are routes from the west that go to Columbia but the easiest route comes from the east below the north face of the Crestones.