Route: Maroon Bells & Pyramid (CO)

Submitted by joseDeMoor on Tue, 08/04/2020 - 07:59pm
Location
Colorado, US
Distance
16 mi
Vertical Gain
9,800 ft
Description

You can do the peaks in any order.  Once underway, definitely stay on the trails or standard climbers routes. The other requirements:

1) start and finish at the Maroon Creek Trailhead; edge of the parking lot next to the bathroom. 

2) summit three peaks: Maroon Peak (14,156'), N. Maroon Peak (14,014'), and Pyramid Peak (14,018'). 

This Colorado 14er hat-trick has a mixture of runnable trail and technical terrain-particularly on the Bells Traverse-one of four "classic" 14er traverses in Colorado. Approximately 9,000' of vertical gain/loss and 12ish miles.

"Fells are what people in the north of England (especially in the Lake District ) call mountains and hills. Hence, fell running. Nothing to do with falling, but you may also do this a lot as the terrain is really rough and steep."

North Maroon only (8.9 miles / 4500 feet elevation gain):  Starting and ending at trailhead toilets by car park at the North end of Maroon Lake.  See https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=nmar2&peak=North+Maroon+Peak 

The rock in these mountains is famously loose and rotten.  Please be especially careful not to kick rocks on those below you!

NOTE: Many Colorado 14ers should not be considered “backcountry” where you can go anywhere you want; their popularity can create a plethora of braided social paths that lasts for decades in the fragile tundra.  So if there is a trail, please stay on it!  Hundreds of volunteers work really hard to protect our beloved mountain environment (read here).

 

 

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Comments

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I don’t advocate for short cutting switchbacks or going off trail. When I said no set route for this FKT I meant no set order for summiting the peaks. 
Hope this wasn’t misunderstood, I cherish these wild areas and want them to be protected until long after I’m gone. 

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Rickey Gates ran the N. Maroon roundtrip FKT on September 15th, 2016, with a time of 2:53:37

This was long before this route made it on the website and I believe should be recognized.