Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 352 of the 13ers
Southeast Ridge from Dry Gulch
The Citadel, 13,295'
Class 3, with a low Class 4 move
The Citadel has two summits split by a notch. Reaching the notch means a steep, narrow gully that may hold hard snow. The east summit needs one low Class 4 move up a 15-foot wall; the west summit is a Class 3 ramp to a small, exposed block.
DifficultyClass 3
Round trip6.6 mi
Elevation gain2,700'
TrailheadDry Gulch (I-70)
Trailhead elevation10,630'
Conditions on the summit
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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 · Southeast Ridge from Dry Gulch
Overview
The Citadel is the castle-like summit between Herman Gulch and Dry Gulch, right above I-70. From the Dry Gulch trailhead you follow an old road and trail up the gulch, climb tundra to a saddle east of the peak, traverse below the summit block, and climb a steep gully to the notch between the two summits.
Most of it is Class 2; the finish is Class 3 with one low Class 4 move to the east summit. It is a great peak for newer mountaineers to build skills, and full of wildflowers.
The round trip is about 6.6 miles with 2,700 feet of gain. It can also be approached from Herman Gulch.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.; parking gets crowded on weekends.
Turnaround
Be at the 12,020-foot saddle by 10 a.m.
Crux
The steep gully to the notch and the short wall to the east summit.
Route-finding
Moderate. At the summit block, follow a faint path down and northwest below the cliffs on the south and west side to the gully.
Heading west on I-70, drive two miles past the Herman Gulch exit and take exit 216 for US 6 and Loveland Pass. Just after the exit, make a sharp right onto a gravel road running alongside the ramp and drive back about half a mile to a gate. Park on the roadside.
Coming east through the Eisenhower Tunnel, take the first exit, turn left at the stop sign onto old US 6, turn left again under the interstate, and find the gravel road where the road bends right onto the westbound ramp.
RoadTundraRidgeScramblingExposed 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
Dry Gulch gate 10,630' · 0 mi
Walk north-northeast up the road through the gate. It soon turns north, away from the interstate.
2
Dry Creek 10,900' · 0.9 mi
Cross Dry Creek and pass a fenced storage area. The road becomes a 4WD track, then a trail.
3
Faint trail 11,300' · 1.9 mi
The trail stays well north of the creek to avoid willows. About half a mile past the storage area, follow a fainter trail climbing below the slopes of Point 12,671.
4
Basin 11,700' · 2.5 mi
Head west-northwest into the basin below the Citadel's southeast slopes, on tundra with little streams and flowers.
5
Saddle 12,020' · 2.8 mi
Pick up a trail to the saddle east of the Citadel.
6
Summit block 12,700' · 3 mi
Climb easy tundra to where the east and south ridges meet, then northwest to the wall of the summit block.
7
Gully 12,950' · 3.2 mi
Follow a faint trail down and across below cliffs on the south and west side, past the heads of a gully or two, into a very steep, narrow gully.
Watch for: May hold hard snow early in the season.
8
Summit 13,295' · 3.35 mi
Climb the gully to the notch between the two summits. For the east summit, climb a 15-foot wall (low Class 4). For the west summit, follow a green ramp north (Class 3) to a small, exposed top block.
Watch for: Big drops on both sides. Windy.
Getting down
Return the same way. The ridges to Hagar Mountain and Pettingell Peak are harder; Pettingell's needs a rope.
If things go wrong
The saddle has an easy way back into Dry Gulch.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Dry Gulch the route follows faint trail and a steep gully. 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.
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.