South Diamond Ascent

Name: South Diamond Ascent
Rating: 2.0

2.0 ( 1 )

Navigate on-trail with our free app

Trail

1.5 mile 2.4 kilometer point to point
Ascent
Difficult

Elevation

Ascent: 1,272' 388 m
Descent: 0' 0 m
High: 11,582' 3,530 m
Low: 10,310' 3,142 m

Grade

Avg Slope: 16% (9°)
Max Slope: 35% (19°)

Driving directions Take a virtual tour

Zoom in to see details

Map Key

To-Do's
Check-Ins

Trail shared by garrett knorr

Avalanche risk for May 17, 2019: Moderate

Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features. Evaluate snow and terrain carefully; identify features of concern. Natural avalanches unlikely; human-triggered avalanches possible.

Full forecast for CAIC: Front Range Zone — Brought to you by CO Avalanche Information Center

Avy tweets from @CAICfrontrange

Navigate on-trail with our free app

Weather

Getting forecast...

Current ascent conditions

Unknown See History

Popular ski lines nearby

Breakfast Couloir

0.1 mi 0.2 km • -364 ft Descent • -110.85 m Descent

Singletrack Walden, CO

( 1 )

Montgomery Pass Trees

0.5 mi 0.7 km • -533 ft Descent • -162.5 m Descent

Singletrack Grand Lake, CO

( 2 )

Rocky Mountain National Park looks beautiful from the summit of Fairchild Mountain. Longs Peak is on the far left. Ypsilon Mountain (and its beautiful Blitzen Ridge) can be seen on the right.

Fairchild Mountain South Face

1.1 mi 1.7 km • -2,447 ft Descent • -745.89 m Descent

Singletrack Estes Park, CO

( 1 )

Lower T-Bar (a.k.a. Lift Line)

0.5 mi 0.9 km • -739 ft Descent • -225.28 m Descent

Singletrack Estes Park, CO

( 6 )

Aspen

0.7 mi 1.1 km • -712 ft Descent • -216.97 m Descent

Singletrack Estes Park, CO

( 3 )

Skied this ascent?

Add details to help others plan their adventure.

“The typical skin track up the South Diamond.”

— garrett knorr

GPX File

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Description

Park in the large pull off and follow the largest drainage up to about treeline. While in the drainage, try to stay left of the stream even if it means going into the trees for short sections.

Once you reach treeline(ish), traverse looker's right to the less steep section, just a little bit right of where most of the small trees are. The skin track usually does a number of switchbacks before arriving at the top. The angle finally flattens out right at the top.
The switchbacks have been known to give people trouble, hence my "difficult" rating.

From here, choose your line down the South Diamond; the lowest angle is furthest skier's left.

My trail map is not perfect but it does show the drainage used for the approach, how far right to traverse before starting the switchbacks, and about where to make the switchbacks which appear a lot longer online than in reality.