Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 160 of the 13ers
South Slopes from Herman Gulch
Pettingell Peak, 13,559'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip8.75 mi
Elevation gain3,300'
TrailheadHerman Gulch
Trailhead elevation10,300'
Conditions on the summit
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—Summit temp now
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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.
Colorado 13er · South Slopes from Herman Gulch
Overview
Pettingell Peak rises above Herman Lake, just east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. The Herman Gulch Trail, a popular wildflower hike, takes you to the lake. From there, a gully and a broad grassy ramp lead west to a saddle and a short ridge to the top.
It is Class 2, with about a mile of off-trail grass and talus above the lake.
The round trip is about 8.75 miles with 3,300 feet of gain.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.; the lot fills early.
Turnaround
Be at Herman Lake by 9:30 a.m.
Crux
Nothing hard. Talus in the gully above the lake.
Route-finding
Easy. From the north end of Herman Lake, climb the left side of the prominent gully and ramp, then head west to the saddle between Point 13,418 and Pettingell.
Take I-70 to exit 218, about 3 miles east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. The dirt trailhead lot is on the north side of the interstate and fills early on weekends.
Trail in the treesTundraTalus and screeRidgeExposed 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
Herman Gulch trailhead 10,300' · 0 mi
Start up the trail near the kiosk.
2
Herman Gulch 10,400' · 0.2 mi
Turn left toward Herman Gulch and Herman Lake.
3
Junction 11,900' · 3 mi
Follow the excellent trail up the gulch. Near 11,900 feet, stay left.
4
Herman Lake 12,000' · 3.3 mi
Leave the trail here and follow the lake's east side to its north end.
5
Gully and ramp 12,500' · 3.7 mi
Climb the left side of the rocks in a prominent gully on grass and talus.
6
Broad ramp 12,900' · 4 mi
Walk west up a broad grassy, rocky ramp until you can see the saddle between Point 13,418 and Pettingell.
7
Saddle 13,300' · 4.2 mi
Climb easy scree and talus to the saddle and turn north.
8
Summit 13,559' · 4.4 mi
Climb about 200 feet up the ridge to the summit.
Getting down
Return the same way.
If things go wrong
Herman Lake and its trail are below.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above Herman Lake the route is about a mile of trailless slopes. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up Pettingell Peak we list, with its class.
South Slopesthis routeClass 2 8.75 mi
Pettingell SE Flank from Herman LakeClass 2 8.4 mi
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.