Maroon Bells Traverse, Pyramid Peak
An unexpectedly smoky day, but probably the best of the so called Great Fourtneer Traverses in Colorado.
Smoky views of Snowmass (left) and Capitol Peak (center).
Not gonna lie, seeing the smoke made kind of irked me, since I usually sit out if I can see/smell it.
I didn’t notice it in the dark when starting but it became very apparent as I neared the summit of Maroon Peak.
On top of Maroon Peak looking at the traverse to North Maroon.
Looking back to Maroon Peak from North Maroon.
This actually was the shortest of the traverses in terms of length and time.
There was some actual vertical and engaging climbing involved!
North Face of North Maroon - I would definitely consider skiing this if I had the opportunity
On Pyramid Peak looking south at the rest of the Pyramid family of peaks.
I ran out of water a while ago at this point and the smoke wasn’t helping 😅.
On Pyramid Peak looking west at the Maroon Peaks, with snow still running down the Bell Cord Couloir center (also would love the opportunity to ski this).
Almost 4000 feet of vertical relief from the bottom, which is quite rare in Colorado!
Maroon Peaks from Maroon Lake
Notes
- This was probably ~17 miles and ~8800 feet of vertical gain in about 11 ½ hours. ~4900 from the Maroon Bells Traverse and another ~3900 to Pyramid Peak.
- The Maroon Bells was not nearly as chossy as people claimed in my opinion.
- Had I paid attention, I could have climbed Pyramid much more smoothly lol. Unnecessarily ventured into loose class 4 terrain by staying too low.
- Fill up on water before going up Pyramid because while there was plenty of snow, there was no running water anywhere on the trail.
- Parking here is such a hassle. Fortunately there are lottery spots that open 3 days prior, with only about 12 hours to enjoy the area for my particular day permit.