London Mountain (13,194′) | CO Rank: 493/637
Mosquito Range | Pike National Forest | Fairplay, CO
08/09/20 | 1.88 miles | 585′ gain | Class 2
After climbing Kuss, Mosquito, and Treasurevault a month prior, I was dying to get back to the area to climb London Mountain. We had a great view of London’s west ridge that day and I hadn’t been able to get it out of my mind since. Finally, I was able to make it back up Mosquito Gulch.
Even from the 2wd parking area London is an easy hike (~5 mi & 1700′) but why not make it a little easier? Kyle’s brother had recently gone off to basic training and since he wasn’t allowed to bring a vehicle, he let us borrow his Tacoma for a couple months. Sudden access to a 4wd vehicle opened up many new opportunities and even Kyle was excited to go 4-wheeling. Mosquito Pass was supposed to be an easier 4wd road so it was a good opportunity to test our skills and I of course had my eye on London Mountain.
From the 2wd parking area in Mosquito Gulch, the road becomes much rougher. After ~1.75 miles of rocky road, we reached the London/Kuss saddle where there is room for 2-3 vehicles to park. We parked less than a mile from the summit of London Mountain. (My lazy side really likes 4-wheeling.)
It was a straight shot to the summit along London’s west ridge. There is a trail the entire way, though it’s sometimes faint. Rock formations along the ridge make it look like the route couldn’t possibly be Class 2 but there is always a way to stay on easier terrain.
Our descent was quick and it was still early when we got back to the truck so we continued up and over Mosquito Pass. After a quick tourist stop to view the signs on Mosquito Pass, we drove down the west side towards Leadville. The west side of the pass wasn’t any more difficult than the east side, but there were some tighter turns and steeper drop offs.
Another fun day in the Mosquitos! London’s west ridge was just as fun as it looked and I’m glad I was able to hike it, even if it was the easy way.
Chelsea
Colorado Chelsea 
Other than the altitude the shots of the trails on the mountain reminded me so much of the trails on the hills here. What creased me up was that your parking spot was about 3x higher than our highest mountain!
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We are lucky to have such high peaks here! Most of the high roads were built by miners +/-100 years ago on their hunt for gold and silver, often found at very high elevations. I am just thankful to be able to use their roads to get me closer to my destination! Some days call for easier hikes.
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