Stats

Peak Name	CO Rank	Elevation
Jagged Mountain	94	13824
Leviathan Peak	237	13528

Dates: 8/4-5/2007
Distance: 24.6 miles 
Elevation Gain: 8458' 

Jagged Mountain

I camped at the Beartown Trailhead Friday night. I left the Beartown Trailhead at 11 am on Saturday. Rain was intermittent the whole trip. I decided to put on my sandals for one of the creek crossings on the Vallecito Trail. I left them on because I knew I would want them on again for the ford of Vallecito Creek. This was a good idea, except the sandals were old and I had to revelcro the straps repeatedly. I forded Vallecito Creek, then found a trail leading to the Sunlight Creek Trail. The middle section of the Sunlight Creek Trail was destroyed by recent avalanches. A new route was marked with orange tape, red and blue yarn and cairns. I finally rejoined the old Sunlight Creek Trail, but left it at ~11,100 feet instead of 11,500 feet. This route is not recommended. I traveled cross-country and reached the bow-shaped Lake at 12,700' northeast of Jagged Mountain at 5:41 pm.

Jagged Mountain's East Face

I set up camp, pumped water, ate and went to bed. I was awoken by intense rain in the middle of the night. In the morning, I woke up to the cry of a mountain goat, hung my gear on a nearby rock, ate breakfast and approached Jagged Mountain's north face. I reached the base of the north face (the first fourth class pitch) at 8:06 am. Everything was wet. I climbed the first pitch, staying to the right of the sloping ledge, then continued up the grassy ledges and crossed the notch west of the summit. I continued too far west on the grassy slopes. It began to rain, so I found shelter under an overhanging rock. As soon as the rain stopped, I climbed a ledge system, then realized it was the wrong one. I descended the ledge system, then the grassy ledges and found the correct ledge system. I climbed it, gained the notch, traversed around the south side of Jagged looking for the Class 3 chimney. I spent a lot of time trying more difficult chimneys before realizing I needed to traverse further. I traversed further and easily found it. I climbed the chimney, made the big, exposed step and gained the summit at 9:31 am.

Leviathan Peak from Camp

Leviathan Peak

I ate a snack and unsuccessfully looked for the summit register. I descended my upper ascent route, but took a more easterly descent route above the notch. I continued down grassy slopes and descended the sloping ledge to the first pitch. I got to the base of the climb at 10:12 am. I ate another snack and contoured to Jagged Pass, reaching it at 10:27 am. I contoured further to Leviathan Pass and continued up its southwest ridge, reaching the summit at 11:07 am. I wanted to climb Vallecito, but the rain was quite persistent, so I descended the southwest ridge to my camp, packed up and followed the proper approach route out. I got back to the Beartown Trailhead at 6 pm.

Leviathan Peak from Jagged Mountain's North Face