NoCo ASC - Optional Scrambling Trip – Tour de Abyss

Students from the Northern Colorado Scrambling Course 2025 can request trip leader permission to join this scramble starting on July 31st at 5 pm. Participants will be accepted on a first come basis and please include screening questions in your request. 

Please include: 3 most recent hikes / scrambles with date, mileage, vertical gain, and class rating.

This trip will be open to all CMC members as of August 4th, 2025 @ 5 pm.

TOUR DE ABYSS - Class 3

This is a long a day, 14 miles and 5,700 feet of vertical gain as it ascends Mt Bierstadt twice. Expect it to take ~ 12 hours. Please only request permission to join this trip if you have done trips of similar difficulty recently. As the road up Mount Blue Sky is closed this summer, our day will start on the standard trail ascending Mt Bierstadt. We'll cross the class 3 sawtooth traverse to Mt Blue Sky. We'll walk down Mt Blue Sky until we drop down a class 2 gully into the basin to then ascend the class 3 east ridge (unmaintained trail) of Bierstadt. From the summit we'll descend on the standard route back to our cars. The trip leaders will bring a rope to provide a belay a hip belay in exposed areas if desired by any participant. You can see a more detailed description under "route / place" tab.

This is an elective scrambling trip for the NoCo Alpine Scrambling Course.  Students must complete three elective scrambling trips in order to graduate and earn the appropriate Badge.

Trailhead: Guanella Pass TH - Take the Georgetown exit off of Interstate 70. Drive through Georgetown and follow the signs for the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway. Drive 12 miles to the top of Guanella Pass (11,700') and park in one of the two large, paved parking areas on either side of the road. The Bierstadt trail starts near the parking area on the east side of the road. The upper parking area (on the west side of the pass) has restrooms.

Start Time: 5:30am (dependent on weather) - arrive 10-15 minutes before to gear up