East Face

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 38.06060°N / 107.5103°W
Additional Information Route Type: Mountaineering, Scrambling, Skiing
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Winter
Additional Information Time Required: Most of a day
Additional Information Difficulty: Advanced Snow Climb; Extreme Ski Descent, D13
Additional Information Rock Difficulty: Class 3
Additional Information Grade: III
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Wetterhorn Peak's East Face is a classic snow climb and ski descent as well as a beautiful snow face. The snow climb is aesthetically pleasing and the skiing is even better! Below the steep face, 2,000 vertical feet of moderately angled bowls can be enjoyed on the way back to the trailhead. If planning on skiing the east face, you should go earlier in the season; usually no later than May. The ski descent is rated as a D13 on the D Scale. If only climbing, you can probably climb into the summer and can descend the Southeast Ridge.


Wetterhorn Peak's East Face

Getting There

Matterhorn Creek Trailhead:
Follow Henson Creek/Engineer Pass Road 9.1 miles from Lake City.
Take a right onto the North Fork Henson Creek Road for 2 miles.
Take a right onto the Matterhorn Creek Road for 1 mile to the TH or as far as possible due to snow closure.

Statistics with a start from the Matterhorn Creek Trailhead:
Distance: ~6.5 miles
Elevation Gain: ~3,420'

Wetterhorn Peak's East Face from Matterhorn Creek Trailhead

Route Description

Follow the old Jeep Trail into Matterhorn Basin until you are below Wetterhorn's East Face. Climb it to the base of the summit block. Traverse left on snow to the base of the summit block pitch. Drop your skis and climb the summit block.


Wetterhorn Peak's East Face

Essential Gear

Crampons. Ice axe if uncomfortable on steep, frozen snow.

External Links

http://www.gb4mfg.com/mtn/Wetterhorn_05-20-06.html
http://skithe14ers.com/p-wetterhorn-peak.php
http://www.wildsnow.com/biography/lou_fourteeners.htm

Guide Book

Dawson's Guide to Colorado Fourteeners Vol. 2: The Southern Peaks


Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.