W0C/FR-007
Rosalie Peak
4138 m / 13575 ft
August 16, 2013
August 3, 2014
Rosalie Peak is a nice alpine SOTA peak about 3 miles southeast of Mount Evans.
To climb Rosalie, start early and drive up the Mount Evans Highway. A fee may be required for the highway. Convenient parking spots are located near the 13,200 foot contour, just above a broad pass to the south. There is no trail to Rosalie. Hike south from the highway, across the marshy pass, and up the easy slope of the first minor peak – elevation about 13,500 ft. Go over this summit, or around the easy east side of the peak, and cross the broad saddle to the southeast.
Climb the next minor peak – elevation about 13,520 ft – and look at the route more than 500 feet down to the deep saddle between 13,520 and Rosalie. I found a good descent route down and around the east side of 13,520; this avoids the steep rocks directly below 13,520.
From the saddle at about 12,950 feet, the 625-vertical foot hike up Rosalie is an easy mix of rounded rocks and tundra.
The broad rocky top of Rosalie has a large activation zone, and setting up is easy. There is little shelter from wind, other than the mountain itself. This is a near-perfect radio site, with excellent low-angle HF, VHF, and UHF coverage in many directions.
An activation of Rosalie may be combined with an activation of another peak or peaks in the Mount Evans group – weather permitting.
On a good summer day, the high hike out to Rosalie and back is a pleasant alpine hike. It’s about 2 miles each way; the total vertical ascent for the round-trip is about 1500 vertical feet. The air is thin, but the scenery is continuously superb. On a stormy day, this ridge-top trip could be a horror show – there is no shelter. Pick a good day and start early!
Rosalie can also be climbed by other routes – check this link out!
73
George Carey Fuller
KX0R
!! WARNING !! There are old mountaineers, and
bold mountaineers… there are no old-bold mountaineers.
Hiking and mountain climbing are potentially hazardous activities particularly in Colorado with its extreme elevations. I am not accepting responsibility for any death or injury resulting from activations based on my trip reports. Proper training, experience, and personal capability assessment is required – enjoy!