Rocking Horse Ridge

Route:Hike on a well trodden path up to Pitkin Lake. Pass Pitkin Lake on its left side. Follow the creek uphill to another small lake.The wide saddle between West and East Partner seems to be the obvious choice to cross the ridge separating Pitkin Lake from the South Slate Creek Drainage.However, from the saddle you would have to descend very steep and long rubble and snow filled gullies,which are extremely prone to rockfall.A better option is the deep notch in the ridge between West Partner and the saddle, marked by a very obvious upstanding solitary rock (looks remotely like a thumb's up).On the north side of the notch you will have to climb down a pretty steep and most the time (at least partially) snow filled gully, but the gully is comparably short and soon ends in a boulder field.Scramble down the boulder field to the valley bottom and hike up to the end of the valley. Scramble up the rocky/grassy slopes to the saddle between Peak P and Peak Q, which is only 400 ft below the summit.Grassy ledges lead from here almost all the way up the East Ridge to the summit. You can spice up the climb by gaining the crest of the East Ridge ridge,which offers a quick and enjoyable Class 2-3 climb to the summit.From the summit keep on climbing along the crest of the Rocking Horse Ridge connecting Peak P and J.You will have to climb over several towers. The difficulty increases the closer you get to Peak J - but you can keep it to Class 3 even if you stay right on the crest of the ridge.You can hike around the towers,which requires deep descents into gullies - but you did not really hike in for hours just to miss out on the fun, did you?A fun and quick Class 3 climb gets you finally up to the summit of Peak J.

Essential Gear

 Helmet, crampons, ice pick (for the crossing of the Pitkin - South Slate Divide).After climbing down to the South Slate Creek Drainage you will be in the middle of nowhere - you will be completely on your own.Probably only a handful of people visit this isolated corner of the Gore Range per year.