Sangre de Cristo Range · Colorado 13er · No. 212 of the 13ers
North Ridge over Trinchera and Leaning South
Cuatro Peak, 13,492'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip12.3 mi
Elevation gain4,355'
TrailheadBlue Lakes (Cuchara)
Trailhead elevation10,550'
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 · North Ridge over Trinchera and Leaning South
Overview
Cuatro Peak is the southern end of a long ridge walk from Trinchera Peak, near Cucharas Pass. You climb Trinchera, walk south over Leaning South Peak and Point 13,134, and climb about 500 feet to Cuatro's knobby summit.
It is Class 1 to 2, nearly all tundra with embedded rock. The loop descent adds some talus and willows.
The loop is about 12.3 miles with 4,355 feet of gain. South of the next summit, Mount Maxwell, the land is private.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Leaning South Peak by 11 a.m.
Crux
Just the length; willows and talus on the way down.
From US 160 between Walsenburg and La Veta Pass, take Colorado 12 south 5 miles to La Veta and 12 more miles to Cuchara. Continue about 3.5 miles south and turn right on dirt Forest Road 422. After 4 miles, at Blue Lake Campground, turn left on Forest Road 436 and park in a marked spot just up the road.
Blue Lake and Bear Lake campgrounds are close, and there are a few dispersed sites along Forest Road 436.
Trail in the treesRoadRidgeTundraExposed 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
Blue Lake Campground 10,550' · 0 mi
Cross the road and walk up Forest Road 436, a well-kept 4WD road.
2
North Fork trailhead 11,000' · 1 mi
Continue up the road out of the forest.
3
Leave the road 12,100' · 2.3 mi
Turn left off the road and zigzag southwest through willows.
4
Upper slopes 12,500' · 2.6 mi
Reach the easy upper northeast slopes and head southwest toward the east ridge.
5
East ridge 13,100' · 3 mi
Climb the steeper upper ridge.
6
Trinchera Peak 13,522' · 3.25 mi
About 400 feet of Class 2 brings you to Trinchera's broad summit.
7
Bump 13,250 13,250' · 3.4 mi
Walk south along the ridge to a small bump.
8
Point 13,120 13,120' · 3.9 mi
Head southeast down to a saddle and up about 140 feet over a point, or take a game trail that skirts it on the west.
9
Leaning South Peak 13,218' · 4.6 mi
Drop to another saddle and climb the last 425 feet. Watch for elk and bighorn sheep.
10
Point 13,134 13,134' · 5.2 mi
Drop over 200 feet to a saddle and go over or around Point 13,134.
11
Summit 13,492' · 5.9 mi
Drop to the next saddle and climb the final 500 feet to the knobby top.
Getting down
Walk back north to Leaning South Peak, then: From Leaning South Peak, descend its well-defined east ridge to about 11,800 feet, then leave it to the north into a large basin. Work north over some talus into the North Fork Purgatoire basin, staying high to avoid willows, and come out on Forest Road 436 near 11,600 feet. Walk the road back down.
If things go wrong
Head back north along the ridge.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Trinchera Peak the route follows a trailless 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.
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.