Wetterhorn Peak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wetterhorn Peak

Elevation	14,015 feet (4,272 m)
Location	Colorado, United States
Range	San Juan Mountains
Prominence	1,635 ft (498 m)^[1]^[2]
Coordinates	38°03′38″N, 107°30′37″W
Topo map	USGS Wetterhorn Peak
First ascent	1906 by George Barnard, C. Smedley, W. P. Smedley, D. Utter (first recorded ascent)^[1]^[3]
Easiest route	Southeast ridge: exposed scramble (Class 3/4)^[4]^[3]

For the peak in the Bernese Alps, see Wetterhorn.

Wetterhorn Peak is a fourteen thousand foot mountain peak in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Uncompahgre Wilderness of the northern San Juan Mountains, in northern Hinsdale County, 9 miles (14 km) east of the town of Ouray. It lies 2.75 mi (4.4 km) west of Uncompahgre Peak.

Wetterhorn Peak, and its neighbor Matterhorn Peak, 13,590 ft (4,142 m), are named after the Wetterhorn and the Matterhorn, two famous peaks in the Swiss Alps. Both Colorado peaks are pointed rock spires (hence slightly resembling their namesake peaks), whose shapes contrast with the broad bulk of the higher Uncompahgre Peak.^[4]

The first recorded ascent of the peak was made in 1906 by George Barnard, C. Smedley, W. P. Smedley, and D. Utter,^[1] but a previous ascent by miners working in the area in the 19th century is likely.^[3]

The standard, and only common, route on Wetterhorn Peak is the southeast ridge, which is accessed via the Matterhorn Creek drainage on the south side of the mountain. The trailhead is on the Henson Creek Road, accessible from Lake City. The route involves 3,535 ft (1,077 m) of ascent from the trailhead and some exposed scrambling (Class 3/4) on the ridge itself. The nearby east face is considered a high-quality advanced snow climb or extreme ski descent.^[4]