Berthoud Pass Detailed Summit Map – December 7, 2022 at 11:13PM

Hello everyone! This is my first (hopefully) informal post on Reddit, and I’ve had a very hard time deciding whether or not to share this map I created over the years living in Colorado. I moved to the far north to escape crowds 2 years ago and now want to share this. I hope it helps any/all backcountry enthusiasts, especially those just getting into the backcountry. This map covers the popular zone on the north side of the pass summit parking lot. This is not a comprehensive map of the zone, simply my favorite areas.

The red polygon areas are dangerous avy zones, be very careful if you explore there.

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!!PLEASE PLEASE COMPLETE BACKCOUNTRY SAFETY TRAINING AND CARRY SHOVEL/BEACON/PROBE (and know how to use them), EVERY TIME YOU GO INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY REGARDLESS OF THE OBJECTIVE OR AVY FORECAST!!

No need to push the envelope on risky days – the mountains will be there another day, but you might not if you make a poor decision.

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Beware the cirque above the main gut approach is very avalanche prone. I have witnessed multiple natural and skier-triggered slides on the cirque. Luckily nobody died. I also encountered a solo skier who triggered a slide in the Fingers area on the other side of the pass – he was very lucky to survive. Horrendously dangerous over there, please do not go solo and do extensive snow assessments before dropping into the Fingers (or anywhere in the backcountry, regardless of the avy reports you should check daily). The Fingers run out onto a flat catwalk in thick trees, with a very long hike out.

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https://preview.redd.it/p5lnwb4vll4a1.jpg?width=1216&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd90f82bfa483a1f0dcae4f90214c09443938068

If you find this map useful, please comment/upvote/whatever to get my attention and I might share some other maps for different zones. If you hate it, please let me know what should be improved.

PM me if you want more info, GPX, Caltopo, other maps, or general backcountry advice.