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Elevation: 10,649 ft
GPS: 37.57016, -107.40019
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 25,598 total · 160/month
Shared By: Ken Trout on Jan 16, 2011 · Updates
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

Colorado's Largest Granite Dome Suggest change

The Pope's Nose is a bit bigger than either Sundance Buttress on Lumpy Ridge or Big Rock Candy Mountain in the South Platte. Unlike most of the San Juan Mountains, the rock is good.

Convincing anyone that the Pope's Nose is worth thirteen miles of hiking may be cruxy. My aim is to help convince your skeptical friends.

The Yosemite-like smoothness and difficulty of the Pope's Nose tends to surprise the few climbers who visit. It is still a place to bring aiders and maybe even a ledge with a rain-fly.

Kris French on the first ascent of Arkansas Route by Mountainproject contributor Eggman.

ROUTE SUMMARY IMAGES

Updated image from Southwest Rock by David Kozak, 1985. Insectophobia should be renamed Moldy Hobos and will be once I have time to redraw the routes.

Best estimates.

APPROACH
Flint Creek. Image by mountainproject. Contributor SamP.
From the Los Pinos River Trailhead, hike twelve miles up one of the longest, flattest, mountain-wilderness valleys in Colorado. A mile before Flint Creek the trail starts climbing. Soon after the left turn up Flint Creek the Pope's Nose can finally be seen (photo above). Less than two miles up the Flint Creek trail there is a nice campsite below the Pope's Nose. Finally, a steep aspen forest must be climbed and slippery slabs dodged on the way up to the base of the wall.

APPROACH MAP

Pope's Nose approach map.

DESCENT
First scramble off the summit. Then descend Fern Gully to the slippery aspen forest (climber's right of summit). One party reported finding a rappel anchor that they could not safely get too (near the bottom). There is some consensus that this descent is awful!

Photo by mountainproject contributor Gary N.

It might be longer, but descending the west side, climber's left, seems worth a try.

ANIMAL ALERTS
Moose and bears inhabit this wilderness. One textbook notes that the Wemminuche Wilderness is the southernmost pocket of grizzly bear habitat.

7 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at The Pope's Nose

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b A0+
 13
Central Buttress
Trad, Aid 10 pitches
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Central Buttress
 13
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b A0+ Trad, Aid 10 pitches
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