San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 58 of the 13ers
South Face via Bimetallist Mine
Potosi Peak, 13,793'
Technical climb: Class 3 on loose rock
The upper south face mixes ramps, a gravelly gully with a short Class 3 step, and flaky ledges near the top. The more direct gully off the saddle has washed out and is now closer to Class 4, so go around by the southwest shoulder. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyEasy Class 3
Round trip7.4 mi
Elevation gain3,400'
TrailheadBimetallist Mine
Trailhead elevation10,400'
Less traffic, less margin
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.
Potosi Peak is a big, blocky summit between Yankee Boy Basin and the Camp Bird Road, south of Mount Sneffels and close to Teakettle Mountain. Cliffs ring the summit, so finding the way through them is the main puzzle.
From the Camp Bird Road you follow an old road and trail up to the Bimetallist Mine, then game trails onto Potosi's lower east ridge and across upper Senator Gulch. Easy scrambling leads to a saddle at the southeast corner. From there you cross the face on a ramp to the southwest shoulder, climb back onto a higher ramp, and take a gravel gully and ledges to the top. It is easy Class 3.
The round trip is about 7.4 miles with 3,400 feet of gain. The northwest summit, about 10 feet lower, looks hard but is an easy walk and worth a visit.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at the 13,150-foot saddle by 10 a.m.
Crux
The short step in the southeast gully and the flaky ledges above it.
Route-finding
Hard. Several ramps and gullies cross the face; most of them are worse than the one you want.
Water
Little above the mine. Carry what you need.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,793'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
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Tomorrow
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Day three
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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.
From Ouray, head south (uphill) on US 550. Right after the first big switchback, turn right on the Camp Bird Road (County Road 361). It is a dirt road kept in good shape, and a normal two-wheel-drive car can handle it.
Drive a bit less than 6 miles. Watch for an unsigned dirt road on the right; this side road is the start for the Bimetallist Mine. Park off the shoulder close to where it leaves the Camp Bird Road. As with all mountain roads here, conditions change, so check before you go.
TundraRidgeTalus and screeScramblingExposed 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
Camp Bird Road 10,400' · 0 mi
Walk up the side road. It soon ends, and a trail heads east across old avalanche debris, then follows an old road bed into the trees. Pass a small side trail on the left and climb switchbacks.
2
Bimetallist Mine 11,500' · 1.5 mi
From the mine buildings, follow use paths east-northeast to the west side of a large eroded scar. Climb to the top of the scar and pick up a clear game trail heading northeast.
3
Lower east ridge 12,000' · 2.1 mi
The game trail climbs slowly to Potosi's lower east ridge. Cross it and drop northwest on game trails into upper Senator Gulch.
4
Bench 12,400' · 2.6 mi
Traverse northwest on tundra near 12,000 feet, staying below the rock glaciers and talus, then walk up easy slopes to a bench. Turn west-southwest and follow the right edge of the talus under the cliffs, scrambling up rock benches (Class 2).
5
Southeast saddle 13,150' · 3 mi
Go up the last 200 feet of talus to the saddle at the peak's southeast corner. Two steep ramps cross the face above; you need the upper one.
Watch for: Climbing straight up from here is Class 3+.
6
Southwest shoulder 13,200' · 3.3 mi
Walk west on a game trail along the lower ramp, past the base of the southeast gully, to the southwest shoulder. Scramble north up the ridge (Class 2+, maybe one Class 3 move onto a ledge) to the upper ramp.
Watch for: The lower part of the southeast gully has lost key boulders and is now near Class 4. Pass it by.
7
Upper southeast gully 13,450' · 3.6 mi
Traverse east under the cliffs on the upper ramp to reach the southeast gully above its bad section. Climb the gravel gully on a packed path, past a short Class 3 step, into sand. Near 13,550 feet, leave through one of the slots on the left wall.
Watch for: Snow can linger low in this gully well into summer.
8
Summit 13,793' · 3.7 mi
Zigzag up flaky ledges, keeping to the right side, toward the east corner of the summit to get around the last short step. Walk west to the high point.
Getting down
Return the same way. Take care to find the right slot and the upper ramp on the way down.
If things go wrong
The 13,150-foot saddle is the last easy place to turn back; below it the talus and game trails lead back to the mine.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above the Bimetallist Mine the route uses game trails, tundra and talus with no set trail. 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 Potosi Peak we list, with its class.
South Face via Bimetallist Minethis routeEasy Class 3 7.4 mi