Broken Hill Trip Report 09/17/2022

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Broken Hill - 13,254 feet Matterhorn Peak - 13,590 feet
Date Posted	09/17/2022
Date Climbed	09/03/2022
Author	pronghorn5
Additional Members	Eph 2 5

Neighbors of Wetterhorn: Broken Hill and Matterhorn
This is my first trip report. I climbed my first high peak of Colorado earlier this year, and this was my first trip to the San Juans. I was very excited. We were going to climb Handies from Grizzly Gulch, but had read that the road has gotten rougher, so we decided to climb Broken Hill and attempt Matterhorn. We stayed the night in Lake City and woke up at 12:15 a.m. due to a forecast that suddenly changed for the worse. The road was fairly rough for our Subaru, but we got up to around mile 1.5 from Engineer Pass Road. We started hiking at 2:45 a.m. We hiked in the dark for by far the majority of Broken Hill. We left the Ridgestock Driveway a bit after the Wetterhorn trail split off to the left. We left the Ridgestock Driveway to the right (left of the big gulley on the right/east side) The general route we took after leaving the Ridgestock Driveway. The aforementioned gulley is in the middle. (This was taken later in the day) We hiked up to the 13,052 ft. bump before the summit. We downclimbed this bump, which was steep, loose, and uncomfortable, because we were in the dark. Later, on our way down, when it was light out, we skirted the bump on an elk trail. The 13,052 foot bump, with Matterhorn and Precipice in the background. Climbing up towards Broken Hill, after the bump, it was steep hiking to the summit. When you get to the prominent cliffs of Broken Hill, skirt to the right on a thin ledge, then climb up a steep, loose gully. Skirting the cliffs to the right The gulley up to the summit Views from the summit of Broken Hill: Looking North, toward Wetterhorn, Matterhorn, and the Cimarron peaks behind. Looking towards Uncompahgre We were very impressed with Precipice Peak and Wetterhorn. We descended off Broken Hill, and this time skirted around the bump on an elk trail. We weren’t sure whether or not we were going to do Matterhorn at this point, but we were going to give it a shot. We started climbing up the right side of the steep, grassy Southern slope. The general route we took up Matterhorn. (Wetterhorn is to the left) When we got to the Class 3 section, we dropped our packs, buckled our helmets, and started up. We stuck closer to the ridge to avoid loose rock. We went to the left of a prominent orange rock. The exposure and technical climbing were minimal. The general route we took up the Class 3 section We summited and were very impressed by the views of the surrounding peaks. Looking north, to Coxcomb, Redcliff, Fortress, Precipice, and Dunsinane Looking east, to Uncompahgre Looking west, to Wetterhorn Looking southwest. Wild Horse near the right. A close up of Precipice and Dunsinane The descent off Matterhorn was not bad. We used our hands, but we felt comfortable facing outward. We crossed back to the Ridgestock Driveway over an easy stream (probably Matterhorn Creek) and regained the trail. We enjoyed the views of Wetterhorn and Matterhorn on our way back. We got back to the car at around 1:00. Matterhorn was my first Class 3, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into more technical hikes. As I enter my high school years, I hope to do many other similar hikes. This was a good warm-up for Mt. Sneffels (14er number 10 for me) which I climbed two days later. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Neighbors of Wetterhorn: Broken Hill and Matterhorn

This is my first trip report. I climbed my first high peak of Colorado earlier this year, and this was my first trip to the San Juans. I was very excited. We were going to climb Handies from Grizzly Gulch, but had read that the road has gotten rougher, so we decided to climb Broken Hill and attempt Matterhorn. We stayed the night in Lake City and woke up at 12:15 a.m. due to a forecast that suddenly changed for the worse. The road was fairly rough for our Subaru, but we got up to around mile 1.5 from Engineer Pass Road. We started hiking at 2:45 a.m. We hiked in the dark for by far the majority of Broken Hill. We left the Ridgestock Driveway a bit after the Wetterhorn trail split off to the left. We left the Ridgestock Driveway to the right (left of the big gulley on the right/east side)

21912_01 — The general route we took after leaving the Ridgestock Driveway. The aforementioned gulley is in the middle. (This was taken later in the day)

We hiked up to the 13,052 ft. bump before the summit. We downclimbed this bump, which was steep, loose, and uncomfortable, because we were in the dark. Later, on our way down, when it was light out, we skirted the bump on an elk trail.

21912_02 — The 13,052 foot bump, with Matterhorn and Precipice in the background.

Climbing up towards Broken Hill, after the bump, it was steep hiking to the summit. When you get to the prominent cliffs of Broken Hill, skirt to the right on a thin ledge, then climb up a steep, loose gully.

21912_04 — Skirting the cliffs to the right

Views from the summit of Broken Hill:

21912_06 — Looking North, toward Wetterhorn, Matterhorn, and the Cimarron peaks behind.

We were very impressed with Precipice Peak and Wetterhorn.

We descended off Broken Hill, and this time skirted around the bump on an elk trail. We weren’t sure whether or not we were going to do Matterhorn at this point, but we were going to give it a shot. We started climbing up the right side of the steep, grassy Southern slope.

21912_07 — The general route we took up Matterhorn. (Wetterhorn is to the left)

When we got to the Class 3 section, we dropped our packs, buckled our helmets, and started up. We stuck closer to the ridge to avoid loose rock. We went to the left of a prominent orange rock. The exposure and technical climbing were minimal.

21912_08 — The general route we took up the Class 3 section

We summited and were very impressed by the views of the surrounding peaks.

21912_09 — Looking north, to Coxcomb, Redcliff, Fortress, Precipice, and Dunsinane

21912_12 — Looking southwest. Wild Horse near the right.

21912_13 — A close up of Precipice and Dunsinane

The descent off Matterhorn was not bad. We used our hands, but we felt comfortable facing outward. We crossed back to the Ridgestock Driveway over an easy stream (probably Matterhorn Creek) and regained the trail. We enjoyed the views of Wetterhorn and Matterhorn on our way back. We got back to the car at around 1:00. Matterhorn was my first Class 3, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into more technical hikes. As I enter my high school years, I hope to do many other similar hikes. This was a good warm-up for Mt. Sneffels (14er number 10 for me) which I climbed two days later.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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