I completed the Elk Centennial Traverse from July 11 to 12, 2026. I started at 3:00 AM at the Capitol Creek Trailhead and finished at the Cathedral Lake Trailhead at 8:52 PM the next day. I climbed all 6 ranked 14ers (plus named Conundrum Peak) and all 3 ranked centennials in the Elk range, just like the prior FKT. I went the opposite direction (eastbound) in attempt to complete more of difficult peaks earlier in the effort. I had originally planned to go unsupported but ended up getting behind schedule and using camping gear and a few resupply items from a friend at the halfway point.
After a terrible night's sleep at the busy trailhead, I started up Capitol with the goal of making it to K2 by first light. As would become a recurring theme, I misjudged my time estimate and should've started an hour earlier. I made quick work of the summit ridge, then dropped down for the tedious low traverse to Snowmass. The class 5 traverse to Hagerman was as loose as advertised, but easier than expected by sticking to the west side well below the exposed ridge. Getting to the Gunsight Couloir and up North Maroon was fairly straightforward, but I was falling several hours behind schedule largely due to poor acclimatization. Realizing I wouldn't have enough to time get to Pyramid before dark, I called my friend Tim to meet me along the West Maroon Trail. I had no problem downclimbing the class 5 cruxes of the Bells Traverse, but was struggling to eat or even breathe properly on the long slog down South Maroon. I found Tim at our meeting point around sunset and collapsed for a few hours of sleep.
I woke up at 2:45 AM the next morning feeling much better, and made it up Thunder Pyramid around sunrise. The traverse to Pyramid was the hardest part of the entire linkup by a longshot, with intricate routefinding, several sections of serious scrambling, and endless poorly placed loose rock. The crux involves the sketchiest section of sustained class 4 and low 5 climbing I've ever done, where a fall would mean certain death. Descending Pyramid's standard route was a stroll in comparison, at least until splitting off at an obnoxious gully for a more direct route down to East Maroon Trail. The trail and subsequent route up Castle were easy but extremely tedious. Instead of traversing the steep ridge from Conundrum, I descended the standard glissade route to the road, then hiked back up to the ridge beyond most of the difficulties. From there I met up with the standard route on Cathedral, then raced back down to the trailhead just before dark.
It goes without saying that this is one of the most underrated FKT routes in Colorado. I estimate it probably takes about 6 hours longer than the Elk 14er Traverse, meaning there's still a lot of room for improvement in the time. If I had been properly acclimated and timed the daylight better, I think I would have finished around 36 hours. A faster runner could absolutely go under 30. In hindsight I also think that westbound is probably the better direction, as it allows a much more elegant route up Thunder Pyramid from the east while still hitting the crux in the proper direction. Thanks to Andrew and Andrea for pioneering such a cool linkup!
Splits:
- 3:00 AM - (Capitol Creek Trailhead)
- 6:53 AM - Capitol Peak
- 11:09 AM - Snowmass Mountain
- 12:10 PM - Hagerman Peak
- 4:31 PM - North Maroon Peak
- 5:47 PM - Maroon Peak
- 8:01 PM - (Stop at West Maroon Trail)
- 3:17 AM - (Start at West Maroon Trail)
- 5:36 AM - Thunder Pyramid
- 7:16 AM - Pyramid Peak
- 4:21 PM - Castle Peak
- 4:47 PM - Conundrum Peak
- 6:56 PM - Cathedral Peak
- 8:52 PM - (Cathedral Lake Trailhead)