From the upper end of the parking area
, start up the trail (
1) and hike nearly 1/2 mile to tree line where the trail approaches Nellie Creek. Near 11,800', pass some large boulders as you parallel the stream -
2. Ascend a hill
to reach a trail junction near 11,950' and continue west into the large basin, south of Uncompahgre -
3 and
4. Turn left and follow the trail southwest across the basin and toward the south ridge -
5.
Reach the south ridge
near 12,900' and follow it west/northwest -
6. Continue to Uncompahgre's southeast face (
7,
8) and ascend a few switchbacks to reach the crest
of the ridge, near 13,800' -
9. Follow the trail left to the west face, where you're faced with the crux of the route – 150 feet of steep, loose rock below the upper slopes -
10.
From here, your goal is to regain the ridge, but you must first ascend some loose, Class 2 terrain. Walk toward the tower seen in
10, where you'll have a couple of options: 1) Pass the tower (
11) before turning right to regain the ridge, or 2) Take a slightly steeper line just before the tower. Both options hold loose rock -
12. Once the terrain eases, you'll find a more-defined trail -
13,
14.
15 looks down on much of the route. Walk up to the summit -
16,
17,
18,
19.
GPX Track File
