14ers.com • Trip Report - Coxcomb & Redcliff

Peak(s):	Coxcomb Pk - 13,656 feet Redcliff - 13,642 feet
Date Posted:	10/06/2018
Date Climbed:	09/22/2018
Author:	alexhenes
Additional Members:	kristihen

Coxcomb & Redcliff
On 9/22/18 Kristi and I headed to the West Fork of the Cimarron to climb Coxcomb and Redcliff. From the West Fork of the Cimarron TH we 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. A full account of our day can be found at Coxcomb and Redcliff on Merely a Flesh Wound Moon rising over Fortress from the West Fork of the Cimarron TH. Coxcomb (right) Redcliff(middle) We summitted Redcliff first. Kristi ascending Redcliff's south ridge. Coxcomb and Wetterhorn provide a great backdrop. We traversed around Coxcomb's east side until we found our ascent chimney We scrambled the first two pitches before roping up on the third 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. The summit ridge had an airy feeling to it. Uncompahgre, Matterhorn and Wetterhorn 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. 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):

Coxcomb & Redcliff Google Map Included

On 9/22/18 Kristi and I headed to the West Fork of the Cimarron to climb Coxcomb and Redcliff.

From the West Fork of the Cimarron TH we 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.

A full account of our day can be found at Coxcomb and Redcliff on Merely a Flesh Wound

19152_01 — Moon rising over Fortress from the West Fork of the Cimarron TH. Coxcomb (right) Redcliff(middle)

19152_02 — We summitted Redcliff first. Kristi ascending Redcliff's south ridge. Coxcomb and Wetterhorn provide a great backdrop.

19152_03 — We traversed around Coxcomb's east side until we found our ascent chimney

19152_04 — We scrambled the first two pitches before roping up on the third

19152_05 — 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.

19152_06 — The summit ridge had an airy feeling to it. Uncompahgre, Matterhorn and Wetterhorn

19152_07 — 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.

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

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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