Blanca's standard climb, approaching via the notoriously rough Lake Como Road before a sustained Class 2 ridge ascent to Colorado's fourth-highest summit.
The route begins off Colorado Highway 150, roughly five miles north of the junction with US 160 near the town of Blanca. Lake Como Road (County Road 975) is considered one of the most difficult four-wheel-drive roads in the country; passenger cars must park at its base, and even high-clearance 4x4 vehicles rarely make it past about 8,800 feet without specialized modification. On foot, the road climbs about 5 miles to Lake Como at roughly 11,750 feet, passing several notoriously difficult rock steps in the road. Camping is available east of the lake. From Lake Como, a jeep track continues northeast toward Blue Lakes; stay on the clear trail to its end, then alternate between switchback headwalls and small basins as the route gains the saddle between Blanca and Ellingwood Point. From the saddle, turn right (east) and climb the Northwest Ridge to the summit, staying to the right side of the ridge — the left side cliffs out and has caused real trouble for climbers who drift that way. A faint path appears near the top, but route-finding and steady footing on talus matter here.
Reverse the ridge to the saddle, then retrace the trail back to Lake Como and down the road. Many climbers pair this route with an ascent of neighboring Ellingwood Point on the same day, descending Blanca only partway to the saddle before traversing to Ellingwood rather than returning all the way to Lake Como between peaks.