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.
Alternate route · East Ridge
Overview
The East Ridge of Pacific Peak is a long, off-trail ridge scramble that starts from a small, unmarked trailhead in McCullough Gulch. There is no trail. You begin with a steep push through thick aspen, climb open slopes to treeline, and then spend over a mile on a narrow, rocky ridge with several points and notches. It rates Easy Class 3, with plenty of hard Class 2 and some optional harder moves.
It suits climbers who are comfortable with routefinding and steady scrambling on exposed rock. It is much more involved than the standard route from the Spruce Creek side, which it joins only for the last few hundred feet. The ridge takes time, and turning around in the middle of it is slow.
Plan on 8 to 11 hours round trip for about 7 miles and 3,500 feet of gain. Start in the dark with a good headlamp and a map you have studied.
Plan of the day
Start by
Before 5 a.m. The forest section is slow and the ridge takes hours, so give yourself a long margin before afternoon storms.
Turnaround
If you are not at the start of the narrow ridge near 13,000 feet by about 9 a.m., or storms are building, turn back. Once you are out on the ridge, retreat is slow in either direction.
Crux
The second half of the ridge. You downclimb a steep step, pass through a couple of notches and scramble along narrow, exposed sections before the ridge eases.
Route-finding
Hard. There is no trail in the trees, so pick a line between the road cliffs and aim north uphill. On the ridge, stay on or near the crest. Once the ridge runs out, head down to the northwest over flat ground until you join Pacific's upper east ridge.
Water
None on the route once you leave the road. Carry 3 liters or more.
Head south from Breckenridge on Colorado 9 for about 8 miles, then make a right onto the Blue Lakes road, then soon turn right again onto the McCullough Gulch road. After about 1.5 miles you reach a fork. The main McCullough Gulch trailhead is to the left. Go right instead.
Another 0.8 mile or so brings you to the North McCullough Gulch trailhead, which has no sign and sits beside the south end of a water tunnel. Parking is limited. Do not block the road or any water works gates.
Trail in the treesRidgeScramblingTalus and screeExposed 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
North McCullough Gulch trailhead 10,950' · 0 mi
Leave the road where you can find a gap between the cliffs above it. Start climbing north straight up the slope. There is no trail.
Watch for: Look at the route on a map before you start. It is easy to drift off line in the dark.
2
Clearing in the aspens 11,200' · 0.4 mi
Push up through dense aspen until you find a small open spot a little above 11,200 feet. If you miss it, just keep going north until the trees thin.
Watch for: The bushwhack is steep and slow. Expect scratches and deadfall.
3
Large open meadows 11,400' · 0.7 mi
Once out of the thick trees, bear northwest. You cross big clearings near 11,400 feet. Keep heading northwest toward the ridge.
4
Treeline on the ridge 11,600' · 0.9 mi
Reach treeline near 11,600 feet on a clear ridge. Follow it west and then northwest up open slopes. The walking is steady and not difficult.
Watch for: You are exposed from here to the summit. Watch the sky.
5
Ridge narrows 13,000' · 1.8 mi
Near 13,000 feet the ridge tightens. This is where the scrambling begins. About a mile and a quarter of Class 2+ and Class 3 terrain lies ahead.
Watch for: This is the last easy place to decide whether to go on.
6
Point 13,238 13,238' · 2.1 mi
Follow the narrowing crest to the first big high point. The views open up in every direction. Continue west toward a more rugged point ahead.
7
Rugged middle point 13,300' · 2.4 mi
Climb on the crest, or just to its left, to the top of this second point. You are now more than halfway across the ridge.
Watch for: Test holds. Some blocks are loose.
8
Downclimb and notches 13,250' · 2.7 mi
The ridge gets harder here. Downclimb a steep section, then go through a notch and up onto the next point. Scramble along a narrow stretch, then drop into another notch and climb out.
Watch for: This is the crux. Move slowly and keep three points of contact on the steep downclimbs.
9
End of the ridge 13,300' · 3 mi
The ridge eases near its west end. Leave the crest and head northwest across flat ground.
10
Pacific's upper east ridge 13,500' · 3.2 mi
You now meet the last part of Pacific's standard route from the Spruce Creek side. Turn uphill and follow this ridge toward the summit.
Watch for: The rock on this final ridge is somewhat loose.
11
Summit of Pacific Peak 13,965' · 3.5 mi
Climb about 450 feet of loose, rocky ridge to the top. From the summit you can look back along the whole ridge you just crossed.
Getting down
The shortest way back is to reverse the East Ridge, which means doing all the scrambling a second time. If you want to avoid the ridge, or want to add Atlantic Peak, you can go down Pacific's Southeast Slopes instead. You come out at the main McCullough Gulch trailhead, leaving about 1.25 miles of road walking back to your car.
If things go wrong
Before the ridge narrows at 13,000 feet, bailing is simple: go back down the open ridge to treeline and retrace your line south through the trees. Once on the narrow ridge, there are few safe ways off, so it is often just as fast to continue to the flat ground at the west end and descend by the Southeast Slopes route. Do not try to drop off the side of the ridge into steep, loose gullies. In an emergency, call 911 if you have signal.
Other routes
Every way up Pacific Peak 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.