Wetterhorn Peak

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I'll admit that Wetterhorn Peak and its neighbor Uncompahgre Peak are intimidating. At a glance their profiles make it appear that the only way to reach the top would include technical class 5 climbing. Reading up on the routes, I discovered it was only class 3 climbing. Lets do it!

I made the almost six hour drive down to the lower Matterhorn Creek trailhead Friday night and slept in the car at the lower trailhead. Thankfully the lower trailhead is only 3/4 of a mile below the 4WD trailhead, so there isn't much extra hiking. The approach to Wetterhorn is a nice hike, but as you get farther along the ridge after the saddle the route becomes very rocky. Thankfully it's solid rock.

Once you get through the rocky ridge to the base of the summit block, you pass through a notch and see the final pitch—a giant staircase straight up. Fortunatly, it looks much worse than it really is, and was relatively easy to reach the summit.

While talking with some of the other climbers on the summit I found a group that was planning on climbing Uncompahgre Peak the next day like I hoped to. Lamenting having to start at the lower 2WD trailhead, I managed to get an offer of a ride to the upper 4WD trailhead, saving me eight miles of additional hiking!

Pictures

• Wetterhorn Peak
• Wetterhorn Peak
• Uncompahgre Peak to the east
• Wetterhorn Peak
• Wetterhorn Peak from the saddle
• This is class 3?
• Looking back down the final pitch
• On Wetterhorn Peak (14,015') — Uncompahgre Peak is in the background, Matterhorn Peak in the foreground
• Toe picture
• View to the north
• View to the north
• View to the north
• Uncompahgre Peak from the summit
• Group heading down the ridge towards Matterhorn Peak
• Fall color
• Fall color
• Fall color
• Fall color
• Old dam at the ghost town of Henson, Colorado
• Wetterhorn Peak via Southeast Ridge—3635' climb, 8.75 miles