Overview

Climbing Half Peak's East Face parallels the East Ridge Route
Digital photo by Ellen Ritt

This route requires a full day to execute. Previous experience in climbing loose San Juan terrain is strongly recommended. Expect mildly exposed Class 3 climbing conditions. The presence of ice or snow on this route increases the difficulty to Class 4 or 5, depending on your route choices, conditions, ability and equipment. Route finding skills will assist you in the execution of this route.

The best time to climb this route is summer or fall, preferably when conditions are dry.

Normal vehicles can make it to the trailhead.

Getting There

Route Description

Cataract Creek Waterfall
Great camp spots are well positioned just above these falls

Start your climb by crossing Cottonwood Creek. A nice bridge has been placed here for this purpose. Another log crossing is then required. You’ll then arrive at a register station. Make your entry and proceed up the trail. Folks have been cutting the switchbacks. Please stay on the trail. There are only seven switchbacks and they do not take an excessive amount of time. The first five switchbacks will return you to the Cataract Creek drainage. Two more are in the drainage, otherwise the trail climbs directly up the draw, crossing the stream several times. You will encounter a spectacular waterfall just before entering the higher basin.

Stay on the trail, which eventually enters a field of talus and boulders. At a second field of talus and boulders, there will (hopefully) be a large cairn with a stick protruding from it. At this point, depart the trail and make a hard right. Your objective is to follow a scrubby ridge line due west up a steep slope, staying north of the extensive willows to your left. Climb high enough to get above the willows, then contour south over talus slopes.

A buttress ridge extending from the mountain to the west will eventually block your progress. There is a steep tundra and rock slope that breaches this ridge of cliffs that you can ascend to tundra slopes above. Ascend the slopes due southwest until Half Peak becomes visible to the west. This should place you into a wide draw, which you can follow directly toward the mountain. At the west end of the draw, the tundra gets steep. Climb out of the draw northwest to a saddle, then angle southwest toward the mountain.

Half Peak is seen at the end of a wide draw-head straight for the mountain!
Class 3 climbing with plenty of loose rock is encountered below the summit plateau

The slope becomes loose scree and talus sprinkled on tundra. Aim for the end of a rock rib on your left. Go around the bottom of this rock rib, then contour and ascend loose terrain across a wide and shallow gully over another rock rib. Scramble up ever looser material to a gully on your right. Engage in Class 3 climbing at this point, climbing the gully for about forty feet, then angling left up steep Class 3 rock. Watch your step through here. You’ll have a myriad of route choices and much loose rock is present. Test your holds before committing. Several cairns mark possible route choices.

Top out on the broad summit plateau. Stroll across packed scree to the summit cairn and enjoy your very large, solitary perch. Needless to say, but the view will knock your socks off.

Return the same route.

ROUND TRIP DISTANCE: 10.5 miles
GAIN: 4,434 feet

Looking northwest toward Half Peak from high in Cataract Creek basin

ALTERNATE ROUTE

Stay on the trail well into the higher basin. Just before you reach Cataract Lake, leave the trail and angle right, crossing a stream and then angling northwest toward the mountain, making an effort to contour above the extensive willows that occupy most of the basin. Aim for the black hump, and go around it on the left when you reach it and then follow the route as described above from the saddle. This is a nice round trip option if you have the time, but it also adds about two miles and the tedious task of avoiding the willows.

Essential Gear

Images