Culebra Peak - 14,047 ft

Red Mountain - 13,908 ft

Date: 7-16-06

Climbers: George Barnes (solo)

Route:  Northwest Ridge

Time to Culebra:  1 hour 50 minutes

Time on Culebra:  20 minutes

Time to Red Mtn:  40 minutes

Time on Red Mtn:  25 minutes

Time down:  2 hours 10 minutes

RT time:  5 hours 25 minutes

RT distance:  7.2 miles

Elevation gain:  4,350 feet

USGS Quadrangle:  Culebra Peak

Trip Report:

Culebra is a peak that I kept putting off because climbing it is a bit of a hassle (due to private ownership), and all the hassle is for a class 2 walk up.  With 46 fourteeners done, it was time to get serious about it.  The mountain has a history of extremely limited access (one trip per year), so the present situation of a daily fee with a maximum of 25 climbers per day isn't all bad.  This fee goes towards road improvements and a kybo at the trailhead.  As a testament to this, the 4WD road is exceptionally smooth to the trailhead at 11,700 feet.  To arrange my trip, I spoke with Carole at cielovistaranch@hillranch.com  For an additional fee you can also climb Red Mountain, a nearby centennial peak.

After meeting Carlos at the gate to the ranch, we caravanned to the ranch office to submit waivers and fee payments.  After a few instructions we were on our way to the TH and hiking a bit before 7AM.  There's not much of an established trail on this peak (due to it's pristine condition), so I shot a bearing via GPS for the 13,220 saddle, and just followed my compass to the saddle.

I made the saddle (home of a MONSTER cairn) in an hour, and stopped long enough to refuel and verify my location and remaining route.  The remaining ridge to Culebra passed quickly, and by 8:40AM I had the place to myself.  I could see the other 12-15 hikers reaching the saddle and starting up the ridge.  After 20 minutes, still by myself, I took off for Red Mountain, which looked somewhat far away.

Forty minutes later I had the summit of Red to myself and signed a summit register which contained only 2 pages of entries for the past year.

After 25 minutes of lounging and taking pictures I noticed that the clouds perched over the Sangre de Cristos seemed to be building in place rather rapidly and decided it was time to get down before things got too exciting.

All in all a pretty decent day on a pristine mountain, even if you have to pay to climb it. 

On Culebra (Red Mountain in the background)

On Red Mountain

Back at the 13,220 saddle

On the way home