Blanca Peak and the rough road to Lake Como

Blanca Peak is one of Colorado’s high fourteeners, standing in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the eastern side of the San Luis Valley. From down on the valley floor near Alamosa, it is the big snowy mass you see to the northeast. It draws climbers, but the way up is harder than the view suggests.

The standard route starts at Lake Como, reached by the Lake Como Road. The Forest Service is blunt about this road: it is an extremely rough, rocky jeep road, and only a very specialized four-wheel drive vehicle can climb the worst of it. Many people park lower down and walk the road instead, which adds a lot of miles and elevation before the real climb even begins. Trying it in an ordinary SUV is a good way to damage a vehicle.

From Lake Como, the Blanca Peak Trail climbs about two and a half miles. The first half is fairly easy, but the upper half turns steep and rocky, the trail fades, and it becomes a scramble over boulders that the agency calls difficult and dangerous. Afternoon thunderstorms can build fast at this altitude.

None of this is meant to discourage anyone, only to set expectations: this is a serious mountain, not a casual hike. For current road and trail conditions, check the Rio Grande National Forest, which manages the Blanca Peak Trailhead.