San Juan Range · Colorado 13er · No. 547 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Snowdon Peak
N 2, 13,060'
Class 3 and loose rock
Snowdon's route has Class 3 scrambling on its east face. The way across to N 2 leaves the ridge to avoid three notches and crosses steep, loose rubble with some exposure. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 2+
Round trip7 mi
Elevation gain3,300'
TrailheadAndrews Lake
Trailhead elevation10,815'
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.
UN 13,060, called "N 2" or South Snowdon, sits about a mile south of Snowdon Peak, south of Molas Pass. Its top looks straight east at Mount Garfield and the Grenadiers, with Vestal and Arrow behind. Lidar added 14 feet to its old 13,046-foot height.
You climb Snowdon by its northeast ridge, then head south. Three notches cut the connecting ridge, so the route leaves the crest: from the first notch, a narrow grassy ramp and then a slanting gully lead down Snowdon's south face to the basin east of the ridge at about 12,200 feet. You cross the basin and climb steep, broken rock to the last notch just north of N 2, then walk to the top. N 2 itself is Class 2+.
The loop from Andrews Lake is about 7 miles with 3,300 feet of gain; Snowdon to N 2 is about a mile and 950 feet. Allow up to two hours between the summits. Another option drops about 600 feet down a steep, loose couloir on the west side and traverses below the ridge.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Snowdon by 10 a.m.
Crux
Finding the way off Snowdon's south side, and the loose rock up to the last notch.
Route-finding
Hard. Study the connecting ridge from Snowdon's summit before you commit.
Water
Streams on the approach and tarns west of N 2. Filter it.
This week on the summit
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,060'…
—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.
Andrews Lake is just off US 550 between Silverton and Durango. From the north, skip Silverton itself and stay on US 550 as it switchbacks up to Molas Pass (10,899 feet, with a big pullout and vault toilets). Go 0.9 mile past the pass, heading south, to the signed Andrews Lake turnoff.
From Durango, drive north on US 550 over Coalbank Pass. The highway drops to a sharp bend near 9,800 feet and climbs again; the signed turnoff is 6.4 miles past Coalbank Pass. If you reach the top of Molas Pass, turn around and come back 0.9 mile.
A narrow paved road leads a little over 0.6 mile to the lake. The lower lot by the water is for day use only. A fork climbs to a much larger upper lot for backpackers, horse groups and other overnight users, with picnic tables and vault toilets. Any car can get here. Tents aren't allowed at the upper lot, though you can sleep in a vehicle. Little Molas Lake (Forest Service) and Molas Lake (run by Silverton, with pay showers) have campgrounds just north of the pass.
Trail in the treesRidgeScramblingTalus and screeExposed 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
Andrews Lake trailhead 10,815' · 0 mi
From the upper lot, walk down to the trail start near the vault toilets at the northwest corner of the lake. Follow the Crater Lake Trail around the west end of the lake, past a kiosk, and up five gentle switchbacks through the trees.
2
Waterfall and second marsh 11,300' · 1.7 mi
About a mile in, a trail register (it used to be a big cairn) marks a smaller path on the left. Leave the Crater Lake Trail and follow it east past small tarns and over a couple of low ridges. Two paths cross a wide, wet meadow; the northern one has less marsh to wade. They join where the trail enters the forest. Climb gently through forest with lots of downed trees, past a gorge with a waterfall on the right. Just before a second short, wet meadow, a fainter path on the left loops around the marsh and rejoins the main path.
3
Snowdon - N 1 saddle 12,300' · 2.4 mi
Past the marsh the path steepens to a junction. Take the left fork; the right one drops across the drainage. The path then climbs hard up the left side of a flowery drainage, switchbacks at treeline and fades. Head for the saddle; cairns mark the way from here.
4
East face 12,600' · 2.7 mi
Follow the ridge southwest, on ledges left of the crest, to another saddle. Cairns then lead off the ridge onto the east face, contouring and then climbing very steep rock and tundra.
Watch for: Class 3; easy to get off route.
5
Snowdon Peak 13,090' · 3 mi
Regain the northeast ridge near the top, or come out on the summit from the east. The top is big and flat.
6
South-face ramp 12,200' · 3.5 mi
Walk southwest to the first notch. Go east and a little down to a narrow grassy ramp that cuts down across the south face, then a slanting gully, then talus south into the basin.
Watch for: Steep and loose; take care in the wet.
7
Last notch 12,950' · 3.85 mi
Cross the basin on grass, then climb talus through rock bands to the notch just north of N 2.
Watch for: Steep, broken, loose rock.
8
N 2 13,060' · 4 mi
Walk along or just west of the crest to the summit.
Getting down
Go back to the notch and drop west down rocky slopes to a grassy shelf with small tarns. Pass east of the 12,450-foot outcrop and head north, past a tarn near 12,000 feet, down grassy benches broken by small cliffs to the morning's meadows and trail. This takes some route-finding.
If things go wrong
From the basin between the peaks, head north toward the morning's meadows.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
The route leaves the climbers' path below Snowdon and is off trail above. 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 N 2 we list, with its class.
N.2 (13,060 - South Snowdon) North Ridgethis routeClass 2+ 7 mi