Last week, I posted about the solitude I enjoyed on Chiefs Head in RMNP. On Saturday, I climbed another less-traveled peak.
At 13,971 feet, Ouray is almost a fourteener. But with Colorado summits, “almost” doesn’t mean much. As a result, Ouray is much less popular than the higher peaks in the area (being in the Sawatch Range, Ouray has lots of 14,000-foot neighbors to compete with).
Still, Ouray is a notable summit and a worthwhile climb. It’s a Centennial – one of the top 100 peaks in Colorado. You can read more about the peak on its profile page on Summitpost.org.
The hike was supposed to be short and easy (we took the 6.5-mile West Ridge route) but ended up being more challenging than expected. It was quite steep, with no trail to speak of, and the final 1,000-foot ridge was a sporty scramble on rocks that were slick from recent rain.
Add to the mix some very unstable weather (see photo below), and Ouray turned out to be a pretty tough day! It was a good reminder that one should never underestimate the mountains.
Still, Ouray is a notable summit and a worthwhile climb. It’s a Centennial – one of the top 100 peaks in Colorado. You can read more about the peak on its profile page on Summitpost.org.
The hike was supposed to be short and easy (we took the 6.5-mile West Ridge route) but ended up being more challenging than expected. It was quite steep, with no trail to speak of, and the final 1,000-foot ridge was a sporty scramble on rocks that were slick from recent rain.
Add to the mix some very unstable weather (see photo below), and Ouray turned out to be a pretty tough day! It was a good reminder that one should never underestimate the mountains.
1 comments:
Thanks for the coverage of this topic, Sarah. Here's looking forward to visiting Ouray this weekend (july 15, 2011).
Cheers!
Chris
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