Rachael and I camped near No Fish Lake after backpacking in from Santa Barbara CG, climbed the east ridge of Truchas, then traversed the remaining Truchas Peaks and Chimayosos before heading back to camp. The ridge from Medio to North had some good scrambling, maybe a little 4th class for a couple of moves but mostly reasonable 3rd with pretty straight forward route finding.
seano - May 7, 2016 5:32 pm Date Climbed: May 5, 2016
Santa Barbara
After getting shut down on skis last winter, I came back in spring with snowshoes. Perfect weather on a somewhat long day. Trip report.
Climbed again on August 21, 2020, along with Medio and Middle Truchas from Trampas Lakes trailhead.
Ascended one of the grassy chutes right between the two Trampas Lakes to the ridge between UN 12,900 and Sheepshead. Hiked over UN 12,900 to the head wall and climbed a ~20 foot "chimney" section on the right side of the head wall until an obvious ramp angled up and left to the grassy slopes above. In my opinion, the scrambling is very easy class 3 and not really exposed at all.
strudolyubov - Aug 30, 2009 11:43 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2009
North Truchas from Las Trampas
Climbed North Truchas Peak from Trampas TH (my third summit: did SW and E ridges before). Hiked to Trampas Lakes and ascended one of the gullies to gain the ridge between Sheepshead and UN 12,900. Went to the North Truchas over UN 12,900 and returned the same way. It took ~4 hours from the TH to the summit and 3.5 hours to return back to the car. This was a second attempt: last year we were doing ridge traverse from Jicarilla Peak, but were chased down by thunderstorms after reaching a headwall. Good weather, fun scramble, incredible views!
06/26/2010 Ascended south face directly from our campsite near Truchas Lake, then traversed to Medio Truchas. Nice weather, good hiking/scrambling, incredible views!
Came in from the North as dusk. The 6 mile hike in the dark was diminished ever so slightly by deep snow and several blow down areas. We crawled and climbed as necessary and eventually made it to the Trampas lakes (1am). The snow higher on the peak was much easier to negotiate and we enjoyed a great summit day.
jfrishmanIII - Nov 6, 2006 1:07 am Date Climbed: Nov 4, 2006
From Las Trampas
I backpacked about halfway to Trampas Lakes on Friday night. Starting at 3:30 am, I hiked to the lakes, then struck out west through the trees and straight up to the ridge. I made it above treeline right at sunrise. I went over "Sheepshead Peak" and Pt. 12,900, then straight across the north ridge of N. Truchas, which involved a fun 4th class climb up a 30' headwall. Headig back, I explored a ways down the ridge on the east side of Trampas drainage, which turned into harrowing terrain. I gave up, not a moment too soon, and went back the way I came.
markhyams - Jun 12, 2006 3:09 pm Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2006
SW Ridge
Fantastic summit. We camped at Trampas Lakes, headed south over the pass and dropped into Rio Quemado basin, up the trail to the pass south of North Truchas and then along the ridge to the summit. On the way down we followed a trail that took us across the west face of the mountain at the 12,700-foot level, hoping for a shortcut back to the Trampas Lakes basin, but it totally cliffed us out and we had a hair-raising descent back to the Rio Quemado basin. Lesson learned!
Route Climbed: From the Truchas side it was 9 miles to the base of the peaks Date Climbed: July 1998
I did all three with Bill Herbert in 1998 , I think. We were both living in Las Vegas , New Mexico at the time.
I believe we started at the Rio Quemado, there was an acequia that we walked along for a few miles. Doing all three from there took 12 hours.
At one of the summits we could both feel electricity on our fingertips so we descended a valley we did not come up. It added a couple of hours to our hike.
Bill said it was the best day hike he had ever done.
Route Climbed: Rio Quemado Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2004
Thanks for adding North Truchas. I've now moved my summit log entry from South Truchas. Weather held up and the views were spectacular. See trip report.
chicagotransplant - Jul 7, 2016 6:59 pm Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2016
Tour de TruchasRachael and I camped near No Fish Lake after backpacking in from Santa Barbara CG, climbed the east ridge of Truchas, then traversed the remaining Truchas Peaks and Chimayosos before heading back to camp. The ridge from Medio to North had some good scrambling, maybe a little 4th class for a couple of moves but mostly reasonable 3rd with pretty straight forward route finding.
seano - May 7, 2016 5:32 pm Date Climbed: May 5, 2016
Santa BarbaraAfter getting shut down on skis last winter, I came back in spring with snowshoes. Perfect weather on a somewhat long day. Trip report.
birdhead - Sep 28, 2014 8:40 pm Date Climbed: Sep 28, 2014
North RidgeClimbed again on August 21, 2020, along with Medio and Middle Truchas from Trampas Lakes trailhead.
Ascended one of the grassy chutes right between the two Trampas Lakes to the ridge between UN 12,900 and Sheepshead. Hiked over UN 12,900 to the head wall and climbed a ~20 foot "chimney" section on the right side of the head wall until an obvious ramp angled up and left to the grassy slopes above. In my opinion, the scrambling is very easy class 3 and not really exposed at all.
strudolyubov - Aug 30, 2009 11:43 pm Date Climbed: Aug 30, 2009
North Truchas from Las TrampasClimbed North Truchas Peak from Trampas TH (my third summit: did SW and E ridges before). Hiked to Trampas Lakes and ascended one of the gullies to gain the ridge between Sheepshead and UN 12,900. Went to the North Truchas over UN 12,900 and returned the same way. It took ~4 hours from the TH to the summit and 3.5 hours to return back to the car. This was a second attempt: last year we were doing ridge traverse from Jicarilla Peak, but were chased down by thunderstorms after reaching a headwall. Good weather, fun scramble, incredible views!
06/26/2010 Ascended south face directly from our campsite near Truchas Lake, then traversed to Medio Truchas. Nice weather, good hiking/scrambling, incredible views!
lizrdboy - Feb 23, 2007 3:45 am
Ton of snowCame in from the North as dusk. The 6 mile hike in the dark was diminished ever so slightly by deep snow and several blow down areas. We crawled and climbed as necessary and eventually made it to the Trampas lakes (1am). The snow higher on the peak was much easier to negotiate and we enjoyed a great summit day.
jfrishmanIII - Nov 6, 2006 1:07 am Date Climbed: Nov 4, 2006
From Las TrampasI backpacked about halfway to Trampas Lakes on Friday night. Starting at 3:30 am, I hiked to the lakes, then struck out west through the trees and straight up to the ridge. I made it above treeline right at sunrise. I went over "Sheepshead Peak" and Pt. 12,900, then straight across the north ridge of N. Truchas, which involved a fun 4th class climb up a 30' headwall. Headig back, I explored a ways down the ridge on the east side of Trampas drainage, which turned into harrowing terrain. I gave up, not a moment too soon, and went back the way I came.
markhyams - Jun 12, 2006 3:09 pm Date Climbed: Jun 11, 2006
SW RidgeFantastic summit. We camped at Trampas Lakes, headed south over the pass and dropped into Rio Quemado basin, up the trail to the pass south of North Truchas and then along the ridge to the summit. On the way down we followed a trail that took us across the west face of the mountain at the 12,700-foot level, hoping for a shortcut back to the Trampas Lakes basin, but it totally cliffed us out and we had a hair-raising descent back to the Rio Quemado basin. Lesson learned!
skorpeo - Oct 18, 2005 11:09 am
Route Climbed: From the Truchas side it was 9 miles to the base of the peaks Date Climbed: July 1998I did all three with Bill Herbert in 1998 , I think. We were both living in Las Vegas , New Mexico at the time.
I believe we started at the Rio Quemado, there was an acequia that we walked along for a few miles. Doing all three from there took 12 hours.
At one of the summits we could both feel electricity on our fingertips so we descended a valley we did not come up. It added a couple of hours to our hike.
Bill said it was the best day hike he had ever done.
wbass - Jun 21, 2005 10:33 am
Route Climbed: Rio Quemado Date Climbed: Aug 29, 2004Thanks for adding North Truchas. I've now moved my summit log entry from South Truchas. Weather held up and the views were spectacular. See trip report.