When is the best time to avoid avalanche hazard on Stairway to Heaven?

Stairway is one of the earlier ice climbs to form in Colorado. Generally you'll find little enough snow early season in the late November or December time frame where you can get an ascent before things fill in and become more dangerous but ice conditions can be trickier. Closer to the spring time around March you'll find more ice and you can find longer windows of stable snow. We still find good windows during the window but it can be trickier.

Is Stairway to Heaven a crowded ice route?

Climbers tend to congregate on the most popular climbs for a reason and Stairway is no exception. While the San Juan Mountains have plenty of other routes we guide this tends to have a bit of a line at times. If you can climb during weekdays and avoid holidays you can find times where you're alone on the route. Often guides know the conditions well enough to find windows that recreational climbers think might be a bit too spicy.

Are there climbs that are good preparation for Stairway to Heaven?

There are several climbs around the San Juans that are a good step before trying to climb Stairway. Captain Roo's is a shorter route with challenging climbing that can be a good shakedown climb close by while the Sherman Route on the other side of the San Juans near Lake City is another longer climb with a nice steep pitch. Farther away All Mixed Up or Alexander's Chimney in Rocky Mountain National Park are great climbs that are a better approximation of the involved day similar to Stairway