WARNING: THIS ROUTE IS DANGEROUS. IT IS WAITING FOR AN ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN. IT'S THE HARDEST RIDGE TRAVERSE IN COLORADO AND ONE OF THE HARDEST IN THE LOWER 48. IT DEFINATELY IS THE MOST DANGEROUS. ONLY 4 RECORDED ASCENTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED. THE ROCK IS VERY VERY LOOSE AND INCLUDES FOURTH TO MID FIFTH CLASS OF THE MOST MISERABLE LOOSE ROCK ALMOST THE ENTIRE WAY. IT'S ALSO ABOUT 3.5 MILES LONG. THIS ROUTE DESCRIPTION IS MERELY TO GIVE THE PUBLIC AN IDEA OF THE ROUTE NOT AN IN DEPTH ROUTE DESCRIPTION. GOOD WEATHER FOR A COUPLE DAYS IS ESSENTIAL. GETTING WEATHER ON THIS WOULD BE A BAD DAY.

This ridge is extremely long and includes climbing from fourth to mid fifth class. There is only one section that includes class 2+ to class 3 climbing for a few hundred feet other wise it's 3.4 miles of hard climbing. If it was solid then it would be an instant classic and it would not be to hard. It's the fact that it's just about all the most loose rock out there. It demands your full attention the whole time your on it which is countless hours. While it's physically demanding, it is also very mentally demanding climb. And oh ya, I forgot to mention the rock slides. One starts to move, then knocks loose another 5-10 rocks and etc. All in hope that your not in the middle of it. It's a very exposed place with knife edges that are about to fall apart. Just stacked rocks on top of sand and you have to get accross it.

Just a minor taste of some of the rock Gendarmes you'll encounter

Getting There

There are a few ways on organizing this trip. Keep in mind if you stay on the ridge, you will be on the ridge until dark. Yes, it's that long and hard and exhausting. Doing this whole ridge proper in a day would be quite hard! I tried and after over 8 hours on the ridge, we still had a few more hours and it was getting dark. Hence why it's given a Grade V.

- You can enter from West Snowmass and camp at moon lake (lightweight bivy) and then summit Capitol. Make sure to summit early! Get as far as possible on the traverse and then try to find a spot to catch some sleep before the gendarmes from hell. Summit Snowmass and head down a long way to the car.

- Enter from the Ditch trail and bivy at Capitol Lake. Summit Capitol Peak. Start the traverse and bivy before the gendarmes from hell. Summit Snowmass the next day and arrange for someone to pick you up in Lead King Basin by Lake Geneva.

*It's possible to do the traverse from Snowmass to Capitol but would include a few rappels off the summit of North Snowmass and a 5.7 complete choss climb up to the summit of Capitol. (Not easily found) It seems like a better and safer option to do it from Capitol to Snowmass. The first half of the ridge off Capitol is very committing. The last half has one or two notch's in which you could escape in the case of bad weather.

Satan's Ridge

This ridge as the personality of frightening and scary. Get to the summit of Capitol Peak. If you have trouble on the knife edge at all turn back.

From the summit of Capitol, soak in the views, look at the time and observe weather before launching on this puppy.

Head Southwest into the unknown territory. The first couple hundred feet is a knife edge that is a bit harder and looser then the one you were spoiled with earlier. Massive exposure on each side makes you think twice about what's ahead. Over all a really fun part!

Starting the Traverse

Look south as you go and you will eventually see a gully that looks like the only way to descend. You descend down this very loose gully for a few feet. One at a time. There was many many rocks flying down when we went down it. (microwave sized) Also a mini rock avalanche that almost took a person in my party out and almost sent him down to the bottom. You get to a very small ledge with a cave to the right. Don't downclimb this! Rappel! We found a piton from an attempt in 1952 or 1966. I tapped it with a biner listening for the correct thunk sound. Back it up and rappel. A 60m will suffice. This takes you into a bowl.

Descend this very loose gully. (On the left where it is more solid) Then you get to the start of the ridge.

Capitol Peak from the Start of the Ridge

From the ridge you downclimb a few feet and then make a short rappel to the top of this bowl/gully. Then make the miserable climb down to begin the ridge to the "two towers".

This next hour was my favorite of the ridge. You see the "Two Towers" ahead that looked impassible further back. Well getting to them is not as easy. It's a long, super exposed knife edge all the way there that seems solid at first. It includes some akward moves. This will probably be the scariest knife edge climbing you've done.

Ridge Peak with the Two Towers below and the the knife edge below that

Right before the first tower you get about twenty feet of the knife edge that is flat out scary. Don't grab the ridge proper or else the rock will break and rocks will give out sending you far away. Downclimb when seems best with holds moving and breaking everywhere. (4th-low5th?) and regain the ridge 20 feet later. Climb a solid crack and go on up to the summit of the first tower and check out the view! (From below this tower looks like it will give away any second) Continue on and bypass the second tower on the right. (west) Continue with some solid knife edge with a couple akward moves to reach the summit of "Ridge Peak." There is a carin that was made by the 1952 party trying to make the first ascent of this ridge. Follow the ridge and then it seems like an enormous drop off. No, you can downclimb it.

The next part of the ridge which is named "Slabtastic City" is the most solid part of the ridge. It lulls you into thinking that the rest of the ridge will be the same. Stay on the ridge as much as possible. It get's pretty slabby and includes much friction but overall pretty fun! You look back at Capitol and then at Snowmass and it seems like your making no progress. Once at the low point, the rock all of sudden changes to a complete nightmare. Surmount the headwall via some 5th class moves. Check every hold!

The ridge is so sustained in it's looseness that I found it to be draining me psychologically. I have never been so drained mentally. Spread out your limbs as far as possible. NEVER have your whole body on one rock. Try to spread out on a different rock. They all shift and fly down. Rock avalanches are not uncommon on this. Average rockfall was about the size of a microwave.

You'll then see a minor peak we named "Mount Choss." Climb close to the ridge and drop off in a gully close to the ridge to then drop you off at the low point of the whole ridge. This was very loose. You tired? There is still harder and even more miserable climbing ahead. (This could be a good bivy spot)

Now you follow the ridge some more for some low 5th class choss traversing. You then follow the ridge to the right of this triangular faced gray wall. It's steep and includes dome fourth class. This puts you on one of the "summits." Now you got the easiest part of the ridge ahead. Follow the easy ridge for a bit which turns into knife edge and then a 5th class downclimb (loose) The fun part does not last for long. Climb back up to the ridge proper while your legs are screaming at you. Continue on the ridge surmounting many small obstacles. Some mid fifth class moves. Massive exposure to the east!!!! Don't get to close to the edge. The rocks might give away. My buddy almost had that happen to him. You finally get to see Snowmass up close and Capitol far away.

The ridge then turns into your worst nightmare ever. As much as you thought as how it could get any worse. It does. And it gets worse fast.

If you take the ridge direct, expect mid fifth class scary climbing. If you skip them, rappel or down climb a gully to the talus. Traverse the talus past the gendarmes to about 300 feet of 5.6 climbing to get back on the ridge.

If you take the ridge direct, e-mail me and I will give you a detailed description of what to expect and route finding. The route finding is "fairly" straight forward. Go wherever looks less scary.

There is two more pitches of 5.5 that top you out on North Snowmass.

There you go, now you finished it! Enjoy solid scrambling to the top of Snowmass and remember the adventure.

Essential Gear

60m Single Rope. Carry cams up to 2" and nuts. Bivy gear. Lot's of water. Rappel gear (for escape if need be). Also have balls of steel. And that's no joke.

External Links

Ascent of the Ridge Traverse Direct By Noah McKelvin, Mike Fyten, Steve Gladbach, and Kiefer Thomas (First trip) Ascent called "Satan's Ridge"

Capitol Snowmass Traverse Part 1
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9139&parmuser=Winter8000m&cpgm=tripuser

Capitol Snowmass Traverse Part 2
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9133

Capitol Snowmass Traverse Part 3
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=9245&parmuser=Winter8000m&cpgm=tripuser

Mountain Project Description
http://mountainproject.com/v/colorado/alpine_rock/capitol_peak/105763659

Kiefer's Trip Report
http://www.summitpost.org/the-capitol-snowmass-traverse/667177

Images

The Capitol Peak - Snowmass Peak Connecting Ridge