Coxcomb & Redcliff
Coxcomb - SW Chimney - Class 5.6
Redcliff - S Ridge - Class 2
From the West Fork of the Cimarron TH Kristi and I hiked Redcliff first. After Redcliff we wrapped around Coxcomb's east side to our ascent chimney. This was a good route. We took two 60 meter ropes and a handful of nuts. The two ropes allowed us to descend the chimeny in one rap. One 60 meter would have sufficed... but would have taken two raps. Another option would have been to rap Coxcomb's north side. After climbing and descending Coxcomb we completed the loop around Coxcomb's west side. We covered roughly 8 miles and 4600ft vertical in 11 hours. My GPS got all wonky around Coxcomb so the numbers are approximate.
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Loops are more fun! We covered roughy 8 miles and 4600 vertical in 11 hours.
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Awesome sunset from the West Fork of the Cimarron TH where we camped. Coxcomb (right) Redcliff (left)
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The moon wasn't too shabby either
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We summitted Redcliff first. Kristi ascending Redcliff's south ridge. Coxcomb and Wetterhorn provide a great backdrop.
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Traversing the Coxcomb - Redcliff saddle after climbing Redcliff. Courthouse Mountain and Chimney Rock on the left.
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We traversed around Coxcomb's east side until we found our ascent chimney
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We scrambled the first two pitches before roping up on the third
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Here is the pitch that we roped up for... rated 5.3. After topping out on this we scrambled to the summit ridge and walked the ridge to a notch that we rapped.
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Looking west from the summit ridge to Potosi which we would climb the next day
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Awesome perspective on Wetterhorn from Coxcomb's summit ridge
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Looking to Redcliff and Fortress
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Alex approaching the notch on the summit ridge
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Alex rapping the notch on the summit ridge. We left our rope here and used it to TR out of the notch on the way back. Rated 5.6
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The summit ridge had an airy feeling to it
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Alex & Kristi summit selfie
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Kristi heading back to the notch
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Kristi on the summit ridge with Petosi and Sneffels in the distance. We climbed Potosi the next day
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Uncompahgre, Matterhorn and Wetterhorn
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Scrambling into the notch
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After climbing out of the notch and scrambling back to the chimney we rapped to the bottom. Two 60 meter ropes allowed us to to descend with one rap. Alex on the last pitch before the bottom.
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Wetterhorn rules
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Given that loops are more fun than out and backs... we traversed to the west side of Coxcomb and picked up the trail. After taking this route I would recommend either hiking back around to the Coxcomb-Redcliff saddle or dropping down into the basin and picking up the trail. Sidehilling the rocks back to the trail was tedious.
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Back on the super highway. Courthouse Mountain out front
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Post climb sunset on Coxcomb and Redcliff
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Chimney Rock on the way to Ridgeway
