South Kismet

1 Sep 2001 - by Paul Wilson

This summit is the crag SW of Mount Sneffles (look at Mount Sneffles 7.5' quad circa 1967). It is curious as to why so many climbers did this summit. The answer is clear. The available map in the early days was Montrose 15' quad but the quad maps were not generally available so most peak baggers just followed the hints described in the guidebook "Guide to the Colorado Mountains" by Ormes which said "From Wrights Lake climb N 1.5 mi. to ESE ridge saddle via gulley just E of SSW ridge. Finish in the main couloir running NW".running NW."

However as one gets to Yankee Boy basin the obvious mountain is not Sneffles but is really the eastern shoulder of S Kismet. Thus S Kismet ended up as the destination for the unwary.

However with careful review there are some very experienced climbers on the list who frequently climb craigs like this, just for fun.

S Kismet has some hard class 3 in the obvious couloir and finishes at the summit block with about a 10-15 foot class 5.2-3 effort with much air. The top has enough of one person with some extra room. A rope is usually not necessary, but careful climbing is required.

My first inadvertent solo ascent was Aug 69. The second time was for fun with my buddies Aug 87 when I retrieved the full register and left a new one in the iron pipe.

This is a worthy climb as the view of Sneffles and other high peaks is great. See Rosenbough's book "The San Juan Mountains" page 75 for the Sneffles view.

The register info below is from a copy I made before I turned the register in to the CMC office. Many of the entries are very hard to read but I will do my best to transcribe them for your reading.

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South Kismet 13694' Register placed by H M Walters, Aug. 6 1934

Aug 6 34, Mary Briggs Madison WI H R Briggs Betty Timin Denver Bob Lennox Colo Sprs H M Walters Boulder

Aug 25 35 O M Bishop Tucson AZ Kenneth Segerstrom USGS Albuquerque NM Charles H Chage? Silverton

Setp 26 37 Herman Johnson Montrose

Sept 26 37 Olin Woods Montrose JCMC Outing

Aug 31 49 John ...CMC Bob Melzer JCMC Denver Bob Steele JCMC

Jul 13 48 Buzzy Cooper Denver Ted S Cooper Denver

July 23 50 R R Empel Minn.

Sept 13 52 Donald Monk Los Alamos NM George Bell Los Alamos NM ... Devaney Los Alamos NM

Sept 15 52 Harry Foreman Los Alamos NM

Aug 9 54 E Milt Boone Columbas Ohio via E ridge E C Hayden Urbana Ill via E ridge

Sept 1 55 Daniel Wolfe Denver JCMC Mark Booturen? Denver JCMC Dave ... Denver JCMC

Aug 57 Joyce Jose..son Ouray Charles Bruce Camp Bird

Aug 10 58 Wila or Wile Paulson Ridgeway CO Roger E Paulson Del Norte CO CU 61

May 30 59 Gene Tate Los Alamos NM HelenGates? Los Alamos NM

Aug 16 59 Clarie Weber Denver CMC Walt Gore Holden Mass

Aug 22 59 John F ... Telluride

July 28 62 Joe Golden Grand Jct Lt. Stephens,J. L. Colo Nat Guard

Aug 14 62 D Schmidt Lincoln Illinois

May 31 63 Frank E Prozat Los Alamos NM E Ridge Tom Doyle Los Alamos NM E Ridge Bruce Blanks Los Alamos NM E Ridge Milo Conrad Los Alamos NM E Ridge

July 13 63 Ken McClatchy Ouray

Aug 8 65 James F Taylor Los Alamos wt 235# Donald W Wirth Logans... BLM Nioloa ... Sally Hart Delta CO Peter Hart Delta CO Robt E Doyle Madison Wis Mike ...

June 25 66 Nancy Ewing Ridgeway CO Sam Ewing Ridgeway CO

Aug 17 66 Lew Bicking Baltimore MD

July 1 67 Peter Williamson UCHC, RMR, Boulder May Whitley

Aug 7 67 Dave Lyman Estes Park

Nov 25 67 Gil Harder CSU Mountain Club Ft Collins

July 16 68 Bryan Woodfin Dallas TX Debs Woodfin Frederick...

Aug 17 69 Paul Wilson Littleton CO

Aug 18 69 Under the leadership of George McLoud, Scottish ice climber etc etc Harry Frshmann Wilson WY Ray Jardine G McLoud Dick Rosenow Denver ... G Vr....

June 21 70 Donald G Davis Fairplay

July 3 70 (A repeat of a July 18 69 climb they admitted they were on the wrong summit) S Face climb of S Kismet; Ray Jardine Chard Paul Barker Chuck Bond Ted Beaman Brian Bakke Kirk Corter

July 3 70 David Malcolm Manchester MO Clinton Bonebrake Edmond OK ... D.. Gloster Mass

Sept 20 70 Marcus Honnecke Denver

Aug 18 71 Karen Cole CMC Harriet Coulson Portola Valley CA Lynn McKnight Stockton CA James Byron Nichols Kathy Campbell Lakewood Lynn Wellmerling Los Altos CA

Aug 71 ... Elvis Guin Denver Kent Simmons Denver

8/29/71 Barb Evert Engelwood

Oct 7 71 Gil Hansen Pueblo Doc Ellis Moscow ID

Aug 13 72 Dick Stutzke Colo Spr George Frederiks Austin TX Ben Harding Boulder

Sept 9 72 Leon Clcar? Canon City Lenard V Clear Canon City Mary R Clear Canon City

May 11 74 jerry Farmer Lakewood James Bond California

May 15 74 R Sievers Montrose Greg Hixson Gary Wilson Denver

July 23 74 Art Tauchen Falls City NE CMC

July 24 74 Carl Craig Almont CO Emiol? Almont CO Aemr? Almont CO

July 28 74 Ken Lawson Cortez Jack adams Log Hill Mesa CO Phil Schaefer Oak Creek CO

June 11 75 Charles Pitts Gunnison

Aug 2 75 Wadell F Smith Jr San Rafael CA Joshua

Aug 15 75 John Evans Conifer CO

Sept 1 75 Donald Janes Beulah CO El Pueblo CMC

Oct 76 76 Kimberley a Schappert Gunnison Roger B..

Aug 15 79 Jerry

July 20 80 Kirstai Tem... Silverton

July 27 80 Alan J Talbert Silver Springs MD

Sept 24 80 Ward Hobert Beth Schlicter

Oct 12 80 David Bennett Durango

May 10 81 J Miller Hastings Mesa CO

June 11 81 Rusty Mc Comas Telluride

July 5 81 Rich Riefenberg Idledale COCMC Purple Mtn Gang Doug Beaman Midland MI Dave Riefenberg Kittridge CO Terry Haske Blue Springs MO

July 17 82 Kent Beverly Grand Jct Robert Rosenberg Grand Jct Russell g Wilhamn

July 25 82 Mike Garratt Conifer CO

Aug 29 82 Stan Laidlaw Ouray CO

Sept 10 84 John Sutton Odessa TX

July 4 85 Ike Weaver Bloomfield NM Bob Rosebrough Gallup NM Ernie Stomeyer Farmington NM

July 12 86 party of three

July 29 87 party of two

Aug 12 87 Looking for Sneffles? Dan Ratliffe Cleaveland OH Stuntman (T. Terito) NYC Brian Pappas Cleveland OH Craig Pnozzi Steve Pnozzi

Aug 17 87 Steve Goodman Denver Martin MCGonnan Highlands Ranch CO Vernon Lundsford Littleton CO Paul Wilson Highlands Ranch


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