14,015 foot Wetterhorn Peak stands over the San Juan Wilderness like a cobra ready to strike. The impressive rock spire’s name is an homage to the Wetterhorn (translated: Weather Peak), a 12,113 ft. mountain in the heart of the Swiss Alps. For those trying to ascend all of the state’s officially ranked 14,000 foot mountains, Wetterhorn Peak is a fantastic gateway adventure and a good primer for more difficult peaks.
While not technical (ropes aren’t used by most climbers) the class 3 route requires scrambling savvy and good route finding. A few points in the climb are airy and exposed but never desperate.
Access to Wetterhorn starts at the Matterhorn Creek Trailhead. A good, high-clearance 4×4 can make it to the end of the road. If you don’t have an off-road vehicle, passenger cars can park 0.7 miles below and hoof it up. There is limited space for car camping at the trailhead and as is the case with most 14ers, it can get pretty crowded on summer weekends.
The 7.0 mile standard route is done as an out and back. The mileage is modest and for the first 2.6 miles, a pleasant and well worn trail takes you through pine forests that abruptly change to a wide open, scenic alpine bowl. Nearby Matterhorn Peak (13,590 ft.) dominates the skyline until Wetterhorn’s impressive profile is revealed to the west.
A mellow trail traverses grassy meadows and rocky boulder fields, where marmots and pikas are plentiful. Reaching the broad saddle between Wetterhorn and Point 13,117 the fun begins. A steep ramp leads to an exciting network of scrambles, each a little more exposed than the previous. Popping through a prominent notch reveals the final summit scramble, a steep gully with excellent hand and foot holds. The near-vertical push to the top is the crux of the climb.
Atop Wetterhorn’s surprisingly spacious summit, 14,309 ft. Uncompahgre Peak dominates the panorama, with notable peaks such as the aforementioned Matterhorn and Coxcomb Peak (13,656 ft.) decorating the San Juan wilderness. Downclimbing offers some challenges, especially if groups of climbers are trying to ascend at the same time. Start early and save yourself the trouble of bottlenecks!
Once off the scrambling portion of the climb, a pleasant walk to camp finishes off an exciting day in the mountains. Wetterhorn is an excellent class 3 summit. In contrast to Longs Peak, it’s shorter with much less trail slogging. It also has more challenging, unmarked route finding as opposed to Longs and of course, fewer hikers. Along with Wilson Peak, Kit Carson Peak and Mount Lindsey, the advanced scrambling is a wonderful warm up for the most difficult 14ers such as Little Bear Peak, Mount Wilson and the Maroon Bells.
For directions, route descriptions and maps, please visit Wetterhorn Peak at 14ers.com.
