Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Combo route · Fletcher + Drift Traverse
Overview
This link-up climbs Fletcher Mountain and then follows the connecting ridge southwest to the unofficial summit known as "Drift" Peak. It starts at Blue Lakes, south of Breckenridge. Fletcher itself is a walk-up by its southeast ridge. The traverse to Drift is where the real work is. The ridge starts easy and gets harder as you go, with a steep notch about halfway across that you skirt on the north side with Class 3 scrambling.
It suits hikers who are comfortable on loose rock and have done some Class 3 before. It is short for a two-summit day, about 5.5 miles round trip with roughly 2,800 feet of gain, but the ridge takes time. Expect route-finding on the bypass and some steep rock where a fall would hurt.
Plan on 6 to 8 hours car to car, more if you have to walk the upper road from a closed gate. A harder variation climbs straight over the point that the main route bypasses. It has a few Class 5.2 moves and a Class 4 ledge and is only for climbers who are sure of themselves on exposed rock.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5:30 a.m. You are above treeline almost from the car, and the ridge between the two summits is slow going.
Turnaround
If you are not on top of Fletcher by 10 a.m., skip the traverse. If clouds are building while you are on the ridge, head back to the Fletcher-Drift saddle and go down from there.
Crux
The steep notch about halfway along the ridge. You leave the crest at a patch of rust-colored rock, drop into a gully on the north side, and climb steep, light-colored rock (Class 3) to get back onto the ridge.
Route-finding
Moderate. Fletcher's ridge is simple. On the traverse, the key is finding where to leave the crest before the big point and where to regain it after the gully. Take your time and look ahead.
Water
Blue Lakes and the streams below Fletcher are the only water. There is none on the ridge. Carry 2 to 3 liters and filter anything you collect.
Drive south from Breckenridge on Colorado 9 for about 8 miles. Where the highway makes a sharp bend, turn west onto the Blue Lakes road (road 850). The road climbs west up the valley.
About 1.4 miles in, you may find a closed gate. The water utility that owns the dam has shut the upper road at times. If the gate is closed, park nearby without blocking it and walk the last three-quarters of a mile or so of road to the dam. The lot at the top is small and fills early on summer weekends.
Talus and screeTundraRidgeScramblingExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Blue Lakes dam 11,700' · 0 mi
Start at the parking area by the dam. Follow the approach for Fletcher's southeast ridge route up into the basin north of the lake.
Watch for: If the gate was closed, add the road walk to your time.
2
Upper basin below Fletcher 12,400' · 0.8 mi
Climb through the open basin toward the base of Fletcher's southeast ridge. The terrain is grass and talus. Keep an eye on the ridge you will traverse later, off to the southwest.
3
Flat bench near 13,300 feet 13,300' · 1.7 mi
You reach a broad, flat area below the upper mountain. Note this spot. It is where you will return if you come down from the saddle later.
Watch for: Remember this area for the descent.
4
Summit of Fletcher Mountain 13,943' · 2.3 mi
Finish Fletcher's ridge to the top. Drift sits to the southwest from this spot, though its tougher ridge sections are tricky to size up from here. Check the weather and your time before going on.
Watch for: Decide here whether to do the traverse.
5
Fletcher-Drift saddle 13,700' · 2.5 mi
Descend Fletcher's southwest ridge for roughly 0.2 mile until you reach the saddle that separates the two peaks. This saddle is also your best exit if you need to cut the day short.
6
Ridge bump with summit view 13,820' · 2.7 mi
Head southwest along the ridge. It starts easy and slowly gets rougher. Climb over a bump and Drift's summit comes into view ahead.
7
Rust-colored rock 13,850' · 2.85 mi
Scramble along the crest to a small band of reddish rock. Just past it is a large point with a sheer drop on its far side. Do not try to go straight over it on this route.
Watch for: The far side of the big point is a cliff. Go around it on the right (north).
8
Gully bypass on the north side 13,750' · 2.95 mi
Turn right and traverse a short way north, dropping a little. Find a good place to get down into the gully beyond the point. You may see an old mining bolt in the rock near the drop-in spot. Enter that gully and work over to its far side.
Watch for: Rock in the gully is loose. Keep your group close so no one is below someone else.
9
Light-colored rock back to the crest 13,860' · 3.05 mi
On the ridge's north side, scramble up the paler rock. It gets steeper as you go up. Pick a line that keeps it at Class 3 and work back up to the ridge crest.
Watch for: This is the steepest scrambling on the route. Test holds before you weight them.
10
Summit of Drift Peak 13,900' · 3.2 mi
Once back on the crest, turn right (west) and follow the ridge to the summit. Look back along the ridge to see what you just crossed.
Getting down
The best way back is to reverse the ridge to the Fletcher-Drift saddle. That means climbing back down the light rock and crossing the gully again, so go slowly. From the saddle you can either go back over Fletcher or drop southeast off the saddle. If you drop from the saddle, walk east across a big flat area to meet your approach line near 13,300 feet, then follow it back to the dam. Climbers wanting the Class 5.2 variation can take it on the way back. Leaving Drift, stick right on the crest; a steep Class 3 step then drops you down into the notch. Turn right into a passage facing south, climb a pair of large blocks with a couple of low fifth-class moves, then go up a narrow Class 4 ledge to the right. It eases as you scramble left onto the point. Only do this if you are solid on exposed rock.
If things go wrong
Before the traverse, the summit of Fletcher is your decision point. Once on the ridge, the Fletcher-Drift saddle is the quickest way off. From there, go southeast and then east across the flat bench to your approach route. If a storm hits past the notch, it may be faster to finish to Drift and come back carefully than to rush the bypass in the rain. Wet rock on the bypass is much harder. In an emergency, call 911 if you have signal.
Other routes
Every way up Fletcher Mountain we list, with its class.
This describes the route in its usual season. Distances and elevations are close estimates for planning. Snow, ice, rockfall, a washed-out road or an afternoon storm can make it a very different climb. Check recent conditions the week you go and turn around when the day tells you to.