San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 50 of the 13ers
Southwest Rib and West Ridge
Dallas Peak, 13,812'
Technical climb: roped 5th class on very loose rock
This route has a 5.6 pitch that is hard to protect, long scree slopes above cliffs where a fall would likely be fatal, and an exposed summit ridge with low 5th class moves and loose rock everywhere. Rockfall is certain. Only for parties who can lead trad on bad rock, use hip belays, and rappel. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 5
Round trip12 mi
Elevation gain4,700'
TrailheadMill Creek Dallas
Trailhead elevation9,420'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,812'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
—
Tomorrow
—
Day three
—
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 · Southwest Rib and West Ridge
Overview
Dallas Peak is the dramatic, cliff-walled summit north of Telluride. It has no walk-up route. This line climbs the south side by a rib to the west ridge and is one of the worst-rock climbs in the area.
You hike the Mill Creek and Sneffels Highline trails, then leave the trail and climb steep, loose scree and grass through trees, traversing above cliffs to Class 3 chimneys and the base of the summit headwall. One roped pitch (5.6, poorly protected) leads to easier Class 2 and 3 ground on a rib. The ridge to the summit is short but has towers, low 5th class down-climbs and huge drops on both sides. Most people descend by the usual rappel line on the east side.
The round trip is about 12 miles with 4,700 feet of gain. Plan a very long day.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the base of the headwall by 10 a.m.
Crux
The loose 5.6 pitch and the exposed towers on the summit ridge.
Route-finding
Hard. The slopes below the headwall are confusing, and it is easy to walk too far on the Highline trail.
Water
A stream crossing on the Highline trail. Filter it.
Drive CO 145 east toward Telluride. Before you reach town, near the gas station, turn left onto the Mill Creek Road.
Follow this dirt road up to the town's water treatment plant. The parking is on the left, about 100 yards short of where the road is closed. A passenger car is fine. This is not the same spot as some other Dallas Peak trailheads, so make sure you are on the Mill Creek Road.
Trail in the treesOff-trail, no set pathScramblingExposed 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
Mill Creek trailhead 9,420' · 0 mi
Hike up the trail 0.6 mile and go left at the junction. In another 1.8 miles, turn right on the Sneffels Highline trail.
2
Sneffels Highline trail 10,400' · 2.4 mi
Switchback up through the forest and around cliffs on your right. The trail then contours across grassy ribs on the peak's south side and fords a stream after a short descent; this is a good spot to study the route.
3
Leave the trail 11,200' · 4.8 mi
About 2.4 miles past the junction, leave the trail and climb steep grass through trees up the ridge ahead. If you can look straight up at the huge south face with a grassy rib slanting down on your left, you have overshot.
4
Traverse 12,400' · 5.3 mi
Climb the ridge above the trees, cross a shallow gully, and traverse west and slightly up on scree, above cliffs, until you are under some Class 3 chimneys.
Watch for: A slip on this scree above the cliffs could be fatal.
5
Base of the headwall 13,300' · 5.6 mi
Climb straight up through the chimneys on rock that keeps getting looser. A big dihedral splits the headwall; the easier lines are to its right. Gear up, then make Class 4 moves to a sheltered ledge left of a right-facing corner and belay from there.
Watch for: Belay from the ledge, not the ground, because of rockfall.
6
Rib 13,650' · 5.7 mi
One roped pitch of about 80 feet (5.6 R) climbs a loose, hard-to-protect corner to an easier dome and a wide ledge. Unrope and climb the rib, mostly Class 2 with some easy Class 3, to the ridge.
7
Summit 13,812' · 5.8 mi
The summit is about 400 feet along the ridge. Go left of the first tower with easy 5th class down-climbing, then follow the exposed crest over more towers with hip belays, low 5th class moves and little protection to the top.
Watch for: Huge drops on both sides and loose rock throughout.
Getting down
Make two rappels off the summit to the east, walk down the fall line to a third anchor, and possibly a fourth. Then follow a path around under the south face and pick your way down scree, grass and gullies back to the Sneffels Highline trail, close to where you left it.
If things go wrong
Below the headwall you can turn around, but the scree traverse above the cliffs stays dangerous. Once on the ridge, the summit and its rappels are usually the way off.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the Sneffels Highline trail for steep scree, cliffs and roped climbing. 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.