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.
Centennial 13er · North Face
Overview
Jagged Mountain is one of the most remote and difficult peaks in Colorado. It sits among the steep, rugged summits at the head of Sunlight Creek in the Weminuche Wilderness, and it is one of the few high 13ers that needs fifth-class climbing. Any route to it is a multi-day backpack. This approach starts at the Hunchback Pass trailhead above the old Beartown site, crosses Hunchback Pass, follows the Vallecito trail down the valley, fords Vallecito Creek, and climbs the rough Sunlight Creek trail to a camp near treeline.
From camp, you climb into the basin on the north side of Jagged and up its north face. The climbing is a mix of ledges, gullies and short, steep rock with severe exposure, and it includes some low fifth-class moves. Skilled climbers sometimes do it without a rope, but most parties bring one for protection on the harder steps and for rappels on the way down. Route-finding on the face is difficult.
Plan on at least four days: one or two days in, a climb day, and one or two days out. The climb day from the Sunlight Creek camp is about 4 miles round trip with around 2,300 feet of gain, but it can take 8 to 12 hours. Only experienced rock climbers who are also strong backpackers should try this peak. You are very far from help.
Plan of the day
Start by
Leave camp by 4:30 or 5 a.m. The technical climbing is slow, rappels take time, and you do not want to be on the face when afternoon storms arrive.
Turnaround
If you have not started the technical climbing on the upper north face by 9:30 a.m., turn around. Set a hard summit time of 11 a.m. and leave enough daylight and weather for the descent.
Crux
The upper north face, with steep, exposed rock, chimneys and ledges that include low fifth-class moves. Finding the right line and descending it safely are as hard as the climbing.
Route-finding
Difficult. The Vallecito trail is easy, but the Vallecito ford, the Sunlight trail junction, and the faint, cairned Sunlight Creek trail are easy to miss. The side trail into the basin north of Jagged cannot be seen from the Sunlight Lake trail. On the face, many ledges look alike.
Water
Abundant on the approach: creeks along the Vallecito trail, Vallecito and Sunlight creeks, and streams near the Sunlight Creek camp. Filter all of it. Carry what you need from camp for the climb.
This trailhead needs a high-clearance 4WD, and the drive from Silverton can take up to 2.5 hours. From the northeast end of Silverton, take County Road 2 up the Animas about 4.2 miles to Howardsville. Turn right up Cunningham Gulch, then take the left fork onto the Stony Pass road. It climbs steeply over the pass and down the far side. You will ford Pole Creek, then turn right at a fork and ford the Rio Grande. Both fords are harder early in the summer. Then follow the Beartown road about 4 slow, rough miles past the old Beartown site and up a rocky, rutted stretch. The Hunchback Pass trailhead is about half a mile below Kite Lake, at roughly 11,800 feet, with limited parking.
You can also reach this area from Creede or Lake City by driving to Rio Grande Reservoir, but the road west of the reservoir has very rough sections. There is some camping near the trailhead and near the old Beartown site.
RidgeTrail in the treesScramblingTalus 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
Hunchback Pass trailhead 11,800' · 0 mi
Walk south on the trail from the trailhead. It is part of the Continental Divide Trail here. The grade is easy through open terrain and willows.
2
Hunchback Pass 12,500' · 0.9 mi
The trail curves southeast, then southwest to a wide, tundra-covered pass. You now enter the San Juan National Forest and the trail becomes the Vallecito trail.
3
Nebo Creek junction 11,400' · 2.75 mi
Drop south down a willowy drainage, staying on its west side. Near the trees the trail turns southeast to a junction. The Continental Divide Trail goes east up Nebo Creek. Stay on the Vallecito trail heading south and west. A large camp sits on a knoll near here.
Watch for: Wet willows soak you after rain.
4
Nebo Creek crossing 10,900' · 3.5 mi
The trail winds west through forest, crosses a small fork, then switchbacks down to Nebo Creek. The crossing is swift and close to the top of a waterfall. Use logs if there are any, or look upstream for a rock-hop.
Watch for: Swift water above a waterfall. Cross with great care.
5
Trinity Creek meadow 10,560' · 4 mi
Switchback down to an open meadow on the right side of the trail, where a side trail heads toward Vallecito Creek near Trinity Creek. Keep going south on the main trail.
6
Rock Creek crossing 9,970' · 5.75 mi
The trail crosses open valley and forest, then switchbacks down to Rock Creek. Expect a long, wide wade. The Rock Lake trail turns off here on the north side; do not take it.
7
Vallecito Creek ford 9,722' · 7.85 mi
About 2 miles past Rock Creek, as the trail leaves the forest into a meadow, look for a small cairn and a faint trail heading west toward Vallecito Creek. Good campsites are near the east bank. Ford the creek where it widens, below where it splits and rejoins. Look for a trail on the far bank.
Watch for: Swift, thigh-deep water in early summer. Unbuckle your pack and use poles or an axe.
8
Sunlight trail junction 9,800' · 8 mi
On the west side, walk upstream and wade Sunlight Creek to its north side. The trail climbs a bank and levels out in the forest. Within about 5 minutes, look for a couple of cairns and turn left onto the Sunlight trail. The trail straight ahead goes toward Leviathan Creek.
Watch for: Easy to miss this left turn.
9
Lower Sunlight trail 10,300' · 8.8 mi
The trail climbs steeply with fallen logs, small cairns and new growth. It is easy to lose. In two places it pulls away from the creek to the north to get up steeper sections.
Watch for: Watch for cairns. Backtrack if the trail vanishes.
10
Crossing to the south side 10,800' · 9.5 mi
Where the valley narrows, near 10,800 feet, the trail crosses to the south side of Sunlight Creek. You will likely have to wade. The trail leads right to this spot.
Watch for: This crossing is key to staying on the trail.
11
Bench and switchbacks 11,200' · 10.3 mi
The trail pushes through tall plants, climbs onto a bench above the creek, and then drops back near it. Where a large side stream comes in from the south, the trail gets lost in willows and several channels. Head west to a steep, brushy slope where the trail switchbacks up, then rounds the mountain past tall dead trees.
Watch for: Easy to lose the trail in the willows.
12
Sunlight Creek camp 11,550' · 11.1 mi
The trail drops back to the creek and crosses to the north side in a flat, willowy area. Just past it are the last trees and a couple of small campsites near water. Jagged's sharp outline is visible from here.
13
Jagged basin turnoff 11,750' · 11.5 mi
Follow the Sunlight Lake trail up a side drainage. As it turns southwest to cross a small stream, look for a trail heading up into the basin north of Jagged. You may need to walk uphill a bit to find it; it cannot be seen from below.
Watch for: Hidden turnoff. Check your GPS here.
14
Basin north of Jagged 12,200' · 12.3 mi
Climb into the high, rocky basin below the north face of Jagged. There is tundra and some flat ground for camping. The north face towers above with its jumble of towers, ledges and gullies.
15
Base of the north face 12,800' · 12.8 mi
Climb talus and snow toward the north face. Early in the season, expect steep snow here. Study the face and pick out your line before you start up.
Watch for: Snow early in the season. Ice axe needed.
16
Summit 13,833' · 13.1 mi
Climb the north face on ledges, gullies and short, steep rock steps with severe exposure, including some low fifth-class moves. The summit is small and airy, with views over the Needle Mountains, the Grenadiers and Sunlight Basin.
Watch for: Fifth-class climbing with severe exposure. Rope and protection advised.
Here Continental Divide NST goes off straight ahead. Turn right to follow Vallecito Creek Trail.
Coming down: Turn left to stay on Vallecito Creek Trail. Don’t take Continental Divide NST.
2Mile 6.0 · 9,940'
Turn right onto Vallecito Creek Trail (529)
Here Rock Creek Trail goes off to the left. Turn right to follow Vallecito Creek Trail (529).
Coming down: Turn left to stay on Vallecito Creek Trail. Don’t take Rock Creek Trail.
3Mile 8.2 · 9,920'
Turn right onto Sunlight Creek Route
Here Vallecito Trail goes off to the left. Turn right to follow Sunlight Creek Route.
Coming down: Turn left to stay on Vallecito Creek Trail (529). Don’t take Vallecito Trail.
4Mile 11.8 · 11,920'
Turn sharp right onto Leviathan Lake Route
Here Sunlight Lake Route goes off straight ahead. Turn sharp right to follow Leviathan Lake Route.
Coming down: Turn sharp left to stay on Sunlight Creek Route. Don’t take Sunlight Lake Route.
Landmarks to know
Wide, grassy Hunchback Pass about a mile from the trailhead.
The Continental Divide Trail junction at Nebo Creek.
The Nebo Creek crossing near the top of a waterfall.
A small cairn in a meadow marking the turnoff to the Vallecito Creek ford.
Cairns marking the left turn onto the Sunlight trail just past Sunlight Creek.
The narrow spot near 10,800 feet where the trail crosses to the south side of Sunlight Creek.
The last trees and small campsites at about 11,550 feet.
The hidden side trail into the basin below the north face.
Getting down
Descend the north face the way you climbed it. Most parties rappel the steepest steps. Check every anchor, back up old slings, and make sure your rope reaches the next ledge. Many ledges look alike from above, so note your line and key features on the way up. Downclimbing on the easier sections still has severe exposure; move carefully and stay roped where you need to.
Once off the face, return through the basin and back down the side trail to the Sunlight Lake trail. Going down Sunlight Creek, the trail is easy to lose in the willows and new growth; look for cairns at each creek crossing. Allow plenty of time for the fords of Sunlight Creek and Vallecito Creek, which can rise in the afternoon, and remember the long climb back over Hunchback Pass.
If things go wrong
The basin north of Jagged is the nearest safer ground. If weather builds before you reach the technical section, turn around there and go back to camp. Once on the upper face, retreat by rappel is the only way down, so leave early enough to do it. This is one of the most remote places in Colorado. Rescue can take a day or more, and cell service is not reliable. Carry a satellite messenger, and if someone is hurt, stabilize them, keep them warm, and call for help. Call 911 if you can get through. Do not try to cross high creeks in a hurry or after dark.
3D flyover
Press play to fly the North Face. The graph shows elevation along the way and how much you gain each mile. Open full screen.
For planning only. The line is traced from open map data, not walked in the field, and off-trail parts are drawn straight. Load it in your GPS app to see the route, but navigate with your eyes, a map and the route description.
See the trail on video
A climb of this route filmed by Wyatt Tanner Hughes. The video belongs to them and only plays when you press play.
Jump to
Other routes
Every way up Jagged Mountain we list, with its class.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Snow, ice, 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.