Grays Peak Trip Report 07/03/2024

Report Type	Mini
Peak(s)	Grays Peak - 14,275 feet Torreys Peak - 14,272 feet
Date Posted	07/03/2024
Modified	07/04/2024
Date Climbed	06/16/2024
Author	jind5645

Grays/Torreys via modified SW Ridge
I successfully summited Grays Peak and Torreys Peak on Father’s Day, June 16^th, via what I’ll call a ‘modified SW ridge route.’ Initially, I planned to climb the SW ridge from the Chihuahua Gulch trailhead, however, had to park at the intersection of Montezuma Rd and FR 260 as the road was still closed, this added about 4 miles round-trip. The first creek crossing (up Chihuahua Gulch) I encountered was impassible due to high water level and the fact that I didn’t want to spend too much time searching around for a suitable crossing point under headlamp. To avoid the creek crossings, I opted for a more ‘direct’ route by heading roughly East to the summit of Cooper Mountain (12,782’), then followed the ridge to Ruby Mountain (13,228’) and eventually to the top of Grays from the South. From there it was an easy hike over to Torreys. I descended West to the saddle between Torreys/Grizzly Peak, then directly South and back into Chihuahua gulch. The descent through the upper sections of Chihuahua Gulch took longer than expected due to the high-water level of the creeks and poor snow conditions which resulted in post-holing almost every step. Overall, it was a challenging but very rewarding climb. I’d recommend this route to anyone who wants to enjoy the peace and solitude of the mountains (the only people I encountered that day were on the summits of Grays/Torreys and the saddle in between), wants to push themselves both mentally and physically, and enjoys a bit of route finding and Class III scrambling. Stats for the climb: Departure: 0300 Grays summit: 0755 Torreys summit: 0845 Return: 1300 Total Mileage: `14.5

Grays/Torreys via modified SW Ridge

I successfully summited Grays Peak and Torreys Peak on Father’s Day, June 16^th, via what I’ll call a ‘modified SW ridge route.’ Initially, I planned to climb the SW ridge from the Chihuahua Gulch trailhead, however, had to park at the intersection of Montezuma Rd and FR 260 as the road was still closed, this added about 4 miles round-trip. The first creek crossing (up Chihuahua Gulch) I encountered was impassible due to high water level and the fact that I didn’t want to spend too much time searching around for a suitable crossing point under headlamp. To avoid the creek crossings, I opted for a more ‘direct’ route by heading roughly East to the summit of Cooper Mountain (12,782’), then followed the ridge to Ruby Mountain (13,228’) and eventually to the top of Grays from the South. From there it was an easy hike over to Torreys. I descended West to the saddle between Torreys/Grizzly Peak, then directly South and back into Chihuahua gulch. The descent through the upper sections of Chihuahua Gulch took longer than expected due to the high-water level of the creeks and poor snow conditions which resulted in post-holing almost every step. Overall, it was a challenging but very rewarding climb. I’d recommend this route to anyone who wants to enjoy the peace and solitude of the mountains (the only people I encountered that day were on the summits of Grays/Torreys and the saddle in between), wants to push themselves both mentally and physically, and enjoys a bit of route finding and Class III scrambling.

Stats for the climb:

Departure: 0300

Grays summit: 0755

Torreys summit: 0845

Return: 1300

Total Mileage: `14.5

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