Potosi Peak Trip Report 10/09/2018

Peak(s):	Potosi Peak - 13,786 feet
Date Posted:	10/09/2018
Modified:	02/21/2023
Date Climbed:	09/23/2018
Author:	alexhenes
Additional Members:	kristihen

Potosi - Collecting Orphans
A day after climbing Redcliff and Coxcomb Kristi and I had breakfast at Provisions in Ridgeway then got a late start on Potosi. A full account of our day can be found at Full TR: Yankee Boy Basin Peaks We found a decent line up Coffeepot's southwest slopes and descended to the Potosi/Coffeepot saddle. Ascending Coffeepot wasn't bad if you looked for the larger more stable rocks to climb. There was even some fun scrambling to be had. From the saddle we traversed south below Potosi's cliffs on a trail. We then hiked to Potosi's southeast ridge and began our scramble to the summit. On the way to the southeast ridge we missed an easier ascent gully (which we ended up descending). Potosi from Coffeepot. We traversed from the Coffeepot/Potosi saddle, below the Potosi cliffs and around to Potosi's east side. We climbed this rock band and then headed back to the left and winded our way up some gullys. Turns out we missed an easier gully through this rock band. On the descent we took the easier gully. The gullys were pretty much read and run. Didn't seem like you could get into too much trouble. The scramble to the summit was super fun and the views were incredible. Potosi's summit is massive and felt like it was being prepped for sod. You will see what I mean when you get there. :-) Looking northwest from the summit to Teakettle, Cirque and Sneffels On the descent we found the easier gully off Potosi then retraced our steps back to the Coffeepot saddle. Alex in what should have been our ascent gully From the saddle we enjoyed some of the best scree elevator surfing back to the road. Descending Coffeepot was some of the best scree elevator surfing we have done. To avoid getting cliffed out near the bottom we looked for a fin shaped rock that marks a good descent route. Spotting the fin shaped rock from the road before you climb will help with route finding on the way down. :-) Kristi descending by the fin shaped rock. No getting cliffed out with this route We covered 5.4 Miles and 4500 vertical in 6.5 hours with 30 minutes of summit time. This was a fun mountain. My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Potosi - Collecting Orphans Google Map Included

A day after climbing Redcliff and Coxcomb Kristi and I had breakfast at Provisions in Ridgeway then got a late start on Potosi.

A full account of our day can be found at Full TR: Yankee Boy Basin Peaks

We found a decent line up Coffeepot's southwest slopes and descended to the Potosi/Coffeepot saddle.

19158_01 — Ascending Coffeepot wasn't bad if you looked for the larger more stable rocks to climb. There was even some fun scrambling to be had.

From the saddle we traversed south below Potosi's cliffs on a trail. We then hiked to Potosi's southeast ridge and began our scramble to the summit. On the way to the southeast ridge we missed an easier ascent gully (which we ended up descending).

19158_02 — Potosi from Coffeepot. We traversed from the Coffeepot/Potosi saddle, below the Potosi cliffs and around to Potosi's east side.

19158_04 — We climbed this rock band and then headed back to the left and winded our way up some gullys. Turns out we missed an easier gully through this rock band. On the descent we took the easier gully.

19158_05 — The gullys were pretty much read and run. Didn't seem like you could get into too much trouble.

The scramble to the summit was super fun and the views were incredible. Potosi's summit is massive and felt like it was being prepped for sod. You will see what I mean when you get there. :-)

19158_10 — Looking northwest from the summit to Teakettle, Cirque and Sneffels

On the descent we found the easier gully off Potosi then retraced our steps back to the Coffeepot saddle.

19158_07 — Alex in what should have been our ascent gully

From the saddle we enjoyed some of the best scree elevator surfing back to the road.

19158_09 — Descending Coffeepot was some of the best scree elevator surfing we have done.

To avoid getting cliffed out near the bottom we looked for a fin shaped rock that marks a good descent route. Spotting the fin shaped rock from the road before you climb will help with route finding on the way down. :-)

19158_08 — Kristi descending by the fin shaped rock. No getting cliffed out with this route

We covered 5.4 Miles and 4500 vertical in 6.5 hours with 30 minutes of summit time.

This was a fun mountain.

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

piper14er

need this peak
10/18/2018 13:52

at some point

thanks for posting

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