| West Ridge via Agnes Lake Route |
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| West Ridge via Agnes Lake   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Colorado, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 40.47000°N / 105.891°W Route Type: Scramble Time Required: Most of a day Difficulty: Class 3
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| Page By: Aaron Johnson Created/Edited: Oct 28, 2002 / Jun 16, 2006 Object ID: 157260 Hits: 1601 Loading... Page Score: 86.66% - 2 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
ApproachSee the GETTING THERE section of this page.
Route DescriptionWEST RIDGE via AGNES LAKE 4 miles round trip, 2700 feet gain.
Proceed south on a well built trail, courtesy of the Colorado State Forest, to the shores of Lake Agnes. Proceed around the east side of the lake. This route is more expedient, plus the west side of the lake has some cliffs that are difficult to find a route through unless you go over them. Once on the south side of the lake, a use trail will lead westward into the trees to continue around the lake. Break off in a clearing and bushwack briefly, emerging in a meadow south of the trees.
Hike up through this meadow due south, Richthofen is dead ahead and looks formidable. Note the false summit to the right of the peak, which you will climb and traverse on this route. To the right is a saddle, your next goal. Climb through this lovely alpine area until you see a rock glacier to your right. Continue up along the left side of this rock glacier through a narrow gully between it and a rock outcropping, or continue up on tundra just to the left. On the tundra, climb to the top of a grassy rib, then exit right just before the slopes steepen. Either route goes and will meet in a brief level spot at approximately 11,400 feet. You are now in a wasteland of rock. Climb directly for the saddle, which involves rock hopping and sections of scree and hard packed dirt.
Altitude is gained quickly on this steep, loose slope. The saddle is at 12,000 feet. From the saddle, make a hard left due east. Richthofen's west slopes appear loose and daunting. The first 200 feet is loose, but more solid rock starts to show up the higher you climb. Stay to your right on this ridge and you'll find solid rock sooner. A gully further right would also go, but it appears loose and not worth the effort. Follow the solid rock all the way to Richthofen's false summit at 12,800 feet. Climbing is steep but does not exceed Class 3.
From the false summit, proceed east along the narrow ridge, losing a few feet and scramble towards Richthofen's well guarded summit block. Stay on top of the ridge. Exposure is minimal and brief in spots. Getting around a pinnacle is done safely by staying on its north side on a ledge system, or climbing about ten feet higher, as you get around it. Rejoin the ridge top on the other side of this fin.
A gully will be evident on the summit block. Climb up this gully, which is the crux of the climb. Difficulty does not exceed Class 3, exposure is brief and minimal. This final scramble is a real kick, but there is loose rock so be careful. Above the gully, it's a 30 foot scramble to the top via a number of routes. A rock shelter, visible from the false summit, will welcome you.
Return the same route. Do not deviate from it when dropping down from the false summit back to the saddle. Other alternatives put you far from your vehicle or steer you into dangerous terrain.
Essential GearStandard hiking gear will do. Boots with good soles are highly recommended, since this route involves more climbing than hiking.
While a full compliment of winter gear and considerable winter climbing experience is recommended for a winter ascent of this mountain, due to extreme dangers inherent with this terrain in the winter, winter ascents of Mount Richthofen are not recommended.
Miscellaneous InfoIf you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
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Rocky Mountain National Park
