Pagoda Mtn

Other routes I've climbed on Pagoda: 
Category: Colorado (RMNP)Summit Elev: 13,497 ftRock Type: Granite
Date: July 11, 2024 (Thu)Trip Report #: 714Partner: solo

Route: West Ridge Bypass (low 5th, ~14 miles round trip)

Scoping out a scramble route on Pagoda.

Intro

I have my sights set on the "LA Freeway", a 38(or so)-mile ridgeline traverse from Longs Peak to Arapaho Peaks. I've been scoping out various "crux" sections. One section I wanted to scope out was Pagoda. I had been to the summit of Pagoda four times already, including twice traversing over Pagoda (on the "Walk in the Park" Traverse and the "Estes Skyline High Route"). On these traverses, I had opted for the NW Face (5.4) rather than the West Ridge (5.7), in interest of taking the easier route to solo. But I didn't much enjoy this route (it was cold and unaesthetic) and I wasn't really psyched about downclimbing it on the east to west direction required on the LA Freeway. But then I caught wind of a route that sounded ideal for an east to west traverse of Pagoda: the West Ridge Bypass.

The West Ridge Bypass is an improbable but easy way of getting from the Chief's Head-Pagoda col to the summit of Pagoda, or vice versa. It follows a ledge system across the southwest face of Pagoda, and then zig-zags onto another ledge and climbs through a short crux corner (easy 5th) before a scramble to the top. 

Since I didn't want to hasstle with timed entry and crowds, and also needing to get some work done that afternoon, I started early and was done by midday. My car-to-car time was 7.5 hours (4:20 up, 10 min on summit, 3 hours down). My overall elevation gain was close to 5000 feet. A nice bit of productive morning exercise!

The following page gives a route overlay of the West Ridge Bypass and photos from the morning climb. Enjoy!

Route Overlay

Photos

Approach

2nd/3rd

Hike to Glacier Gorge and scramble up the Chiefs Head-Pagoda Couloir to Chiefs Head-Pagoda Col. The couloir can have snow. It took me 3 hours and 35 minutes to get from Glacier Gorge Trailhead to the col, moving at a casual pace enjoying an audiobook.

The 4:45am squeeze-in-just-before-timed-entry rush.
#keepingmountainpinebeetlesoutofrmnp
Approaching the Chiefs Head - Pagoda Couloir. Pagoda on left, Chiefs Head on right. The couloir had snow, but it was avoidable.
Looking up from the base of the couloir.
I took the snow for awhile, since I had brought crampons and it made for quick travel.
Good cramponning conditions.
The upper couloir. I went on rock here.
Looking down the couloir from near the col.

Route

2nd/3rd up to low 5th

From the Chief's Head-Pagoda col, traverse right across 3rd or 4th class slabs to the start of a 2- to 5-foot wide grassy ledge. Follow this ledge 2/3 of the way across the Southwest Face of Pagoda. Where the ledge ends, move up a few feet (exposed 3rd) to a rubble-strewn ramp that leads back left towards the West Ridge. Follow the ramp; after about 500' feet, head up to a short corner at the back of a shallow bowl. Climb the corner (one or two easy 5th-class moves), and continue up easier terrain. You can go left to intersect Pagoda's West Ridge or right to intersect Pagoda's South Ridge. Scramble the last bit to the top.

It took me 45 minutes to get from the Chief's Head-Pagoda col to the summit, moseying along at a casual pace enjoying the views.

The start of the ramp system.
This wide ramp extends horizontally across the entire southwest face, providing easy passage with a great view. It's a pretty cool section of scrambling.
Parry's Primrose.
A purple flower. I should use the Seek app to identify it, but I've got a lot to do at the moment....
After a short exposed 3rd section, the ramp zig-zags up and left. 
The "easy 5th class corner" is the corner on the right.
Looking up the "easy 5th class corner".
A cairn at the top of the "easy 5th class corner" .
Looking down from the top of the "easy 5th class corner".
Looking back at the exit area of the "easy 5th class corner". This photo is useful if doing the route from east to west.
Mellow scrambling to the top.
For the last 100 feet of the climb, I was on the West Ridge (5.7). This photo is taken looking down the west ridge. Chiefs Head behind.
Nearly there.

Top!

Yay! Enjoy the views from the 7th highest summit in RMNP.

The summit.
My watch stats at the summit. 4565 feet gain and 316 feet loss from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead to the summit. My watch altimeter reads 13,481 feet as summit elevation, not far from the 13,497 feet given in the guidebook (other datum gives even closer to 13,481).
Longs Peak to the east.
A view down into Glacier Gorge.

Descent

2nd/3rd

There are a few ways to descend from Pagoda depending on your goals. I chose to do an up-and-over loop of Pagoda, so I descended the Northeast Ridge (3rd) to the Pagoda-Keyboard Col, and from the scrambled down a loose talus gully/slope to Glacier Gorge.

It took me 3 hours to get from the summit back to the Glacier Gorge parking lot, moving at a casual pace.

Beginning the descent of the Northeast Ridge (3rd) to the Pagoda-Keyboard Col.
Cool rock.
Looking down into Glacier Gorge from the Pagoda-Keyboard Col. This is an easy but not very enjoyable loose talus hike down.
Glacier Gorge (McHenrys and Arrowhead). What a pretty area I have right in my backyard (I was pulling into my driveway 2.5 hours after I took this photo).
The Alpine Columbine are out en mass in Summer 2024.
Indian Paintbrush (aka Red Paintbrush or Indigenous People's Paintbrush).
Elephant's Head flower (aka Large Herbivorous Mammal's Head).
On my drive out, a deer ran out in front of my car. Fortunately both of us had quick reflexes and no damage or loss of life occurred. This photo is a still photo from my dashcam footage.

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