Cimarron / Coxcomb — 8 Remaining 13ers (Trip)¶
At a glance — 3-day trip
8 peaks · ~5.5 h drive
- Day 1 (Middle Fork six): 15.3 mi · 6,393 ft gain · Class 4 · 6 peaks
- Day 2 (Fortress): 7.3 mi · 2,845 ft gain · Class 3 · 1 peak
- Day 3 (Precipice): 6 mi · 2,788 ft gain · Class 3 · 1 peak
Researched: 2026-06-15
NOAA weather link: Cimarron / Coxcomb Weather
Status in DB: all eight unclimbed. (Coxcomb + Redcliff already done.)
Note: the recommended route was distilled from 30 recorded GPS tracks of real trips (14ers.com · ListsofJohn · peakbagger · Kyle's recordings).
All eight ranked 13ers around Coxcomb. Magenta routes: the six-peak Middle Fork loop (E/SE) and the two individual West Fork out-and-backs to Fortress and Precipice (NW). Per-area route detail + interactive map: Middle Fork six (55M4430); Fortress + Precipice are the two West Fork day routes above.
Other climbers: Emily Sharpe — not yet · Shawn D Keil — not yet
Peaks covered¶
The Cimarron group near Coxcomb — the eight ranked 13ers that finish Kyle's Coxcomb-area list (Coxcomb + Redcliff already done), as three climbs over a weekend (~28.6 mi / ~12,026' total): the remaining six off the Middle Fork (Heisshorn + El Punto + four PTs) in one big loop, plus Fortress and Precipice climbed individually off the West Fork. Two forks of the same road, with a short vehicle relocation between them. Hardest moves Class 3–4 (PT 13,222 B's NW ridge and El Punto) — loose, exposed San Juan Class 3, not a tundra walk.
| Peak | Day | Elev | Class (route) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PT 13,222 B | 1 | 13,220' | 3–4 (NW ridge) |
| PT 13,340 A | 1 | 13,350' | 2/2+ |
| "El Punto" | 1 | 13,319' | 3–4 |
| "Heisshorn" | 1 | 13,418' | 3, loose |
| PT 13,382 | 1 | 13,382' | 2/2+ |
| PT 13,215 | 1 | 13,215' | 2/2+ |
| "Fortress Pk" | 2 | 13,246' | 3, loose |
| Precipice Pk | 3 | 13,141' | 3, loose |
Itinerary options¶
The eight split by trailhead:
- The Middle Fork six sit on the divide S and NE of Coxcomb — one big loop from the Middle Fork Cimarron TH (#227) (a known full-six outing, 4 recorded tracks).
- Fortress + Precipice sit N of Coxcomb above the West Fork — climbed as two individual out-and-backs from the West Fork Cimarron TH. They're ~1.5 mi apart but the connecting ridge is cut by deep notches with no recorded track linking them, so each is its own climb — different days, or a fit party can do both as separate out-and-backs in one long day (they are not linked on the ridge; each is its own day route on the maps).
Both forks branch off the same Cimarron road, so the camp move between days is short (drop back to the main road, up the other fork). The six-peak loop is the big day; Fortress and Precipice are shorter, steeper half-days.
Getting there — the Cimarron fork roads¶
| Drive from Boulder | ~5h 30m via Google Maps — via US-50 to the Cimarron turnoff (E of Montrose), then south up the Cimarron River road, splitting onto the Middle Fork (#227) or West Fork roads. |
| Trailheads | Middle Fork Cimarron TH (#227), ~38.143, −107.525, ~10,000' · West Fork Cimarron TH, ~38.127, −107.560, ~10,430' — both reachable by a passenger car driven with care. |
| Land | GMUG National Forest / Uncompahgre Wilderness — no permits/fees, foot-only beyond the THs; dispersed camping allowed. |
The days, in order¶
Day 1 — Middle Fork six (Class 3–4)¶
The NE trio first (PT 13,222 B → PT 13,340 A → El Punto), then traverse to Heisshorn, and finish the south pair (PT 13,382 → PT 13,215). PT 13,222 B (NW ridge) and El Punto are Class 3–4 (per the Boggy B full-six TR) — the cruxes; Heisshorn is loose Class 3; the other three PTs are Class 2/2+. Full route, trip reports, and GPX: Cimarron Remaining Six report.
Day 2 — Fortress (Class 3)¶
An out-and-back from the West Fork Cimarron TH, S toward Coxcomb — slightly the longer of the two West Fork days; loose Cimarron rock, Class 3.
Day 3 — Precipice (Class 3)¶
A short, steep out-and-back from the same West Fork TH — faint social trail and an ultra-steep footpath up through forest to a loose Class 3 finish.
Camps & water¶
- Camp low between the forks (dispersed sites along the Cimarron / fork roads) or at each fork's TH the night before its climb. The relocation between days is a short drive down-and-over, not a long reposition.
- High, exposed basins; water from the fork creeks (treat).
Gear & season¶
- Best window: July–September — high, remote; steep N-facing approaches (especially the Precipice side) hold snow.
- Terrain: loose, rotten Cimarron Class 3 throughout — careful scrambling; Heisshorn, El Punto, and both West Fork peaks are the committing bits.
- Gear: helmet; a rope is reasonable for the Class 3–4 cruxes (PT 13,222 B's NW ridge, El Punto).
- Storms: long exposed divides with few quick bail points mid-loop — very early starts.
- Cell coverage: dead — no reception at either TH or on the peaks. Carry an InReach / satellite messenger.
Sources checked: 14ers.com ✓ (logged in, "letsgocu") · listsofjohn.com ✓ (logged in) · peakbagger.com ✓ (logged in) · climb13ers.com ✓ — synthesized from the two underlying reports.