FOREBODING POTOSI PEAK AS SEEN FROM COFFEE POT

This incredible mountain is one of the most beautiful, rugged and dangerously rotten peaks in Colorado. Much of the San Juan range, which Potosi is a member of, is loose and rotten, but Potosi's reputation is well earned as among the worst. Yet the mountain stands tall and mighty, it's unrelenting steep slopes still intact and towering cliffs guarding the summit and much of its ramparts on all sides. Although the route is a circuitous affair, it's a scenic one and surprisingly no more difficult than Class 3 if the route is followed correctly. Though potentially dangerous, if done safely, Potosi Peak is a fun and engaging montain, with views and surprises to stir any climber's heart.

Potosi Peak, San Juan Mountains, Summer, 2007.

Digital photo by Ellen Ritt