San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 302 of the 13ers
Southwest Ridge over UN 13,302
Beattie Peak, 13,351'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip9.15 mi
Elevation gain4,445'
TrailheadLake Hope
Trailhead elevation10,745'
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 · Southwest Ridge over UN 13,302
Overview
Beattie Peak is the second summit on the ridge north of the pass above Lake Hope, near Trout Lake south of Telluride. It's usually done as part of a loop with UN 13,302, Fuller, Vermilion and Golden Horn. Strong climbers sometimes add Pilot Knob.
Trail leads to the pass. You then climb a steep, blocky ridge over UN 13,302 and continue northeast to Beattie. It is a stiff Class 2 on big, loose rocks the whole way.
The full loop over UN 13,302, Beattie, Fuller, Vermilion and Golden Horn is about 9.15 miles with roughly 4,450 feet of gain and takes about 8 hours. Beattie is about three-quarters of a mile and 360 feet past UN 13,302.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on UN 13,302 by 10 a.m.
Crux
Endless loose blocks.
Route-finding
Easy. Follow the ridge crest.
Water
Streams on the lower trail and Lake Hope. No water on the ridge. Filter it.
From Telluride, drive west on Highway 145 about 3 miles to the junction, then turn left to stay on Highway 145 heading south toward Lizard Head Pass. After about 10 miles, turn left onto County Road 63A toward Trout Lake. Go about 1.7 miles to Forest Road 627 and stay left on it. The trailhead is roughly 2.5 to 3 miles up this road, at a sharp switchback.
The last couple of miles are rough dirt, and a high-clearance vehicle is recommended. Land around Trout Lake and along the road is partly private, so camp only where it is clearly allowed. There is a pullout a little below the trailhead. Forest Service campgrounds are near Lizard Head Pass.
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
Lake Hope trailhead 10,745' · 0 mi
The trail first heads east and crosses Poverty Gulch, dips a little, then climbs switchbacks through spruce and fir and over rock slides.
2
Lake Hope 11,900' · 2.2 mi
Above the trees, cross grassy slopes between two rocky knobs to reach the lake, about an hour from the car.
3
Pass above Lake Hope 12,445' · 3 mi
Stay on the trail along the east shore up to the pass. Leave the trail here and turn north-northeast up the ridge.
Watch for: Don't follow the trail down the far side.
4
Ridge eases 13,220' · 3.7 mi
After about 150 easy feet, the ridge turns into large, broken, loose rock and gets steeper. It lets up near 13,220 feet.
Watch for: Rocks roll easily; don't climb below others.
5
UN 13,302 13,302' · 4.1 mi
Follow the crest northeast to the far end. One notch is loose and briefly exposed.
Watch for: Take care at the notch.
6
Beattie Peak 13,351' · 4.85 mi
Drop northeast to a saddle and keep going up the same ridge over blocky rock and small outcrops. It takes about half an hour.
Getting down
Continue to Fuller and the rest of the loop, or bail from the Beattie and Fuller saddle down mostly tundra to the southwest to meet the Lake Hope trail.
If things go wrong
The Beattie and Fuller saddle is the easy way off, southwest on tundra.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the trail at the pass above Lake Hope and follows a rocky ridge. 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 Beattie Peak we list, with its class.
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.