Welcome to SP!  -   
 
 MbPost.com -- It's SP for Mountain Biking!
Areas & Ranges·Mountains & Rocks·Routes·Images·Articles·Trip Reports·Gear·Other·People·Plans & Partners·What's New·Forum

Jagged Mountain & Leviathan Peak
Trip Report
Jagged Mountain & Leviathan Peak 

Page Type: Trip Report

Location: Colorado, United States, North America

Lat/Lon: 37.65290°N / 107.5746°W

Date Climbed/Hiked: Aug 5, 2007

Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Scrambling

Season: Summer

 

Page By: kalet

Created/Edited: Aug 6, 2007 / Aug 8, 2007

Object ID: 320675

Hits: 830 

Page Score: 86.57% - 2 Votes 

Vote: Log in to vote

 
Peak Name
CO Rank
Elevation
Jagged Mountain
94
13824
Leviathan
237
13528

Distance: 24.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 8458'

Jagged Mountain

I camped at the Beartown Trailhead Friday night. I left the Beartown Trailhead at 11 am on Saturday. Rain was intermittent the whole trip. I decided to put on my sandals for one of the creek crossings on the Vallecito Trail. I left them on because I knew I would want them on again for the ford of Vallecito Creek. This was a good idea, except the sandals were old and I had to revelcro the straps repeatedly. I forded Vallecito Creek, then found a trail leading to the Sunlight Creek Trail. The middle section of the Sunlight Creek Trail was destroyed by recent avalanches. A new route was marked with orange tape, red and blue yarn and cairns. I finally rejoined the old Sunlight Creek Trail, but left it at ~11,100 feet instead of 11,500 feet. This route is not recommended. I traveled cross-country and reached the bow-shaped Lake at 12,700' northeast of Jagged Mountain at 5:41 pm.

Jagged Mountain's East Face
I set up camp, pumped water, ate and went to bed. I was awoken by intense rain in the middle of the night. In the morning, I woke up to the cry of a mountain goat, hung my gear on a nearby rock, ate breakfast and approached Jagged Mountain's north face. I reached the base of the north face (the first fourth class pitch) at 8:06 am. Everything was wet. I climbed the first pitch, staying to the right of the sloping ledge, then continued up the grassy ledges and crossed the notch west of the summit. I continued too far west on the grassy slopes. It began to rain, so I found shelter under an overhanging rock. As soon as the rain stopped, I climbed a ledge system, then realized it was the wrong one. I descended the ledge system, then the grassy ledges and found the correct ledge system. I climbed it, gained the notch, traversed around the south side of Jagged looking for the Class 3 chimney. I spent a lot of time trying more difficult chimneys before realizing I needed to traverse further. I traversed further and easily found it. I climbed the chimney, made the big, exposed step and gained the summit at 9:31 am.

Leviathan Peak from Camp

Leviathan Peak

I ate a snack and unsuccessfully looked for the summit register. I descended my upper ascent route, but took a more easterly descent route above the notch. I continued down grassy slopes and descended the sloping ledge to the first pitch. I got to the base of the climb at 10:12 am. I ate another snack and contoured to Jagged Pass, reaching it at 10:27 am. I contoured further to Leviathan Pass and continued up its southwest ridge, reaching the summit at 11:07 am. I wanted to climb Vallecito, but the rain was quite persistent, so I descended the southwest ridge to my camp, packed up and followed the proper approach route out. I got back to the Beartown Trailhead at 6 pm.

Leviathan Peak from Jagged Mountain's North Face

Images



Comments

No comments posted yet.



Sign in to post!

Don't have an account? Register now.



"Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules."   --Walter Sobchack   

© 2006 SummitPost.org. All Rights Reserved.