Golden Horn

Route: From ice lakes basin
Posted On: 7/15/2025, By: Devil_in_sky
Info: Climbed golden horn today with pilot knob. Almost entirely free from snow. I eneded up never needing to take out my crampons or ice axe. Great quick climb after pilot knob! This peak looks very intimidating but it is class 2+. Beautiful mountain. 

Route: South/East Side
Posted On: 7/7/2025, By: jfm3
Info: I climbed Vermilion and Fuller on July 5 via Ice Lake and the southeast side. I didn't climb Golden Horn but I got several pictures of the south/east side. The upper mountain is dry. There is some snow on the climb to the Vermilion-Golden saddle. 

Route: South Face
Posted On: 8/4/2024, By: backcountrybrodes
Info: See Vermilion Peak condition update from same date 

Route: Ice Lake
Posted On: 7/7/2024, By: kyrawhitworth
Info: Getting into the basin had some mud near ice lakes and in the basin itself. The Vermilion route is very filled in but melting fast. We tested the snow and it was rock hard at 9:30am so we headed for Golden Horn as we could see the slopes up there were dry. We navigated to the base of the cliff band and found ice and lots of running water in our ascent spot described in a couple trip reports. Lee was able to climb some class 4 ledges around it and I did a couple technical steps to get myself past the ice spots on the left edge. We knew wed have to find a better descent spot. Hard pan and kitty litter made the ascent after that gross but manageable. Everything is dry up high from the saddle. We did both summit blocks but the one on the pilot knob side is higher. Spikes helped immensely down the gross gully and we were able to find various ledges that went at class 3 to avoid the wet rock spot. I got in a short glissade into the basin. Trip report: https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=22594&cpgm=tripmine 

Route: SE Face
Posted On: 9/18/2023, By: colin j
Info: About 2 to 4 inches of snow above 13k. The route tends to melt out fast if the sun comes out and is still reasonable even with ice and snow; did not use traction. 

Route: From Vermillion - Hope Lake
Posted On: 7/12/2023, By: vertical_volume
Info: Golden Horn itself is dry, but moderate snow steepness is required to be crossed from either Pilot Knob or Vermillion 

Route: Traverse from PK
Posted On: 7/5/2022, By: angry
Info: Traverse from Pilot Knob is tedious side hilling on crap rock but once you make it to the saddle it's an easy ridge walk and short scramble. Checked both summit blocks and didn't find a register. 

Route: From Vermillion-Fuller saddle
Posted On: 9/5/2021, By: ScottLovesRMNP
Info: Faint path through the rock leads from Vermilion-Fuller saddle to Vermilion-Golden Horn saddle. There's no need to gain or lose much elevation on this stretch. Natural rock fall was observed coming down the steep gullies and cliffs of Vermilion. Definitely helmet territory. Summit climb up Golden Horn is easier than it looks. Skirt cliffs on the right and then cut up to the saddle between the two summits. Gorgeous summit views of Ice Lakes Basin and surrounding peaks. 

Route: S ridge from Poverty
Posted On: 5/29/2021, By: d_baker
Info: Car camped about a mile and a half below TH, but could have driven to the TH, with one snow drift to go through, about 10" high across the road, and stretches for about 10-15'. Hope Lake trail mostly clear to turnoff at first creek crossing, where we turned off to go up into Poverty. Found a dry trail to follow for a little way, then continuous snow getting out of trees. Good snow conditions today, firm and crunchy. Slopes at steepest probably high 30° range. Ridge from saddle with Vermilion, snow about halfway, then took off and cached crampons for upper portion to summit. A lot of snow in Ice Lakes, but since access from that TH is closed, not many will have to worry or look forward it. We were slow today, clocking in a 10hr RT, with some downtime during the day (breaks, summit, talking with skiers, etc) Snowshoes not necessary for approach. Used crampons and ice axe. 

Route: From Ice Lakes Basin
Posted On: 8/24/2020, By: supranihilest
Info: Though the route up Golden Horn's east face looks very improbable it's actually quite easy. From Ice Lakes Basin head towards the chossy looking red cliffs below the Vermilion/Golden Horn saddle. This wall appears vertical but relents when you get close enough. Weave your way up benches and minor scrambling, attempting to keep climber's left of the main gully. There's a water polished scramble directly up the center of this gully about half way up that looks like it would go at Class 4 but there's much easier scrambling left of it. Be careful as the feet are basically all kitty litter or rotting slabs, and the rock in general is all suspect. Eventually you'll be above all of the cliffs, make your way to the Vermilion/Golden Horn saddle and then scramble up the slope as it narrows into the chaos of the towers on Golden Horn. Keep an eye out for cairns and a trail that's been beaten into the peak. Route finding wasn't too hard but you could potentially get lost up there. The scrambling was never harder than Class 2+ or Easy Class 3. The final chimney to the higher western summit is also easy. Reverse your route back into the basin, being mindful of the red cliffs below the saddle, which are slightly confusing from either direction. Golden Horn has some of the most amazing views of any peak I can remember, I highly recommend this climb. 

Route: Ice Lake
Posted On: 7/18/2020, By: dwoodward13
Info: Avoidable snow leading up to the Fuller-Vermillion saddle. There is remnants of a a cornice that can be bypassed climbers right. Headed to Fuller first, then back to Vermilion. Pretty well marked route. Headed down the saddle contouring to the shelf toward the Vermilion-Golden Horn saddle. Some snow on the shelf but no need to traction. Route up Golden is easy to find. We descended a grassy ramp below the saddle back to lower terrain. 

Route: Ice Lakes
Posted On: 8/1/2019, By: nathansmithpiano
Info: Some snow in the basin but no issues there, pretty much avoidable. Ridge was great. We originally planned on going to the Fuller/Vermillion saddle via Ice Lakes first but the route to that saddle was covered in mushy snow so we made other plans. Lots of mushy snow, some of the cut arounds to other peaks didn't look fun. If trying to do the loop, it might be better to start at Hope Lake to get eyes on these areas... 

Route: Upper Ice Lake/Fuller Lake
Posted On: 7/9/2015, By: sunny1
Info: Attempted Golden Horn-Vermillion-Fuller today. Trail clear to upper Ice Lakes Basin with a few high stream crossings requiring wading; above the upper Ice Lakes, there are snow fields to circumnavigate. They are not firm enough to support body weight, not firm enough for snowshoes. When we got to the basin immediately below the peaks, we were in feet of deep, sloppy, slurpee snow. After several sloppy full body postholes - without foot contact with the ground below, we had to turn around. We could not navigate through the snow - snowshoes not helpful, ice axe and crampons useless. A kayak with a paddle might be better! Very deep, unconsolidated snow! It looks like late spring up there. It needs a few more weeks to melt out, IMHO. The snow lines from both the Fuller-Vermillion saddle and the Scarlet saddle between Vermillion-Golden Horn are not continuous to the basin below.