A ragged 0.4-mile ridge joins 14,014-foot North Maroon Peak to higher 14,156-foot Maroon Peak, forming the famed Maroon Bells, one of Colorado’s most photographed mountain scenes. North Maroon is not considered a Fourteener since the low point between it and Maroon is only 234 feet, not the 300 feet required to be a separate mountain. Because of its difficulty, beauty, and inclusion on the traditional list of Fourteeners, however, most peakbaggers add it to their list. The peak is usually climbed by its Northeast Ridge. From the summit, climbers then cross the exposed ridge to South Maroon and descend its southern slopes. Its first recorded ascent was by Percy Hagerman and Harold Clark on August 25, 1908.
Pro Tips
The normal climbing route up North Maroon Peak is the Northeast Ridge. Guidebook author Gerry Roach describes the route as “complicated, loose, exposed and dangerous. It has often rendered a fatal experience.” The 9.3-mile, round-trip route, beginning at the Maroon Lake Trailhead, gains 4,450 feet. The semi-technical route has a Class 4 section at 12,800 feet that requires a rope for climbing or rappelling or if snow conditions are treacherous.The traverse between North Maroon and Maroon peaks is a dramatic Fourteener ridge traverse and adventure. The 0.4-mile ridge, a little more than a third of a mile, requires at least two hours to cross and the loss of 234 feet of elevation. The route has spectacular positions, lots of exposure, and rotten rock. Expect Class 4 climbing with a rope for protection and lots of Class 3 scrambling without a rope. It’s best to traverse south from North Maroon Peak to Maroon Peak since it’s easier to descend the South Ridge of Maroon Peak rather than down-climb dangerous terrain on North Maroon.The Maroon Bells are dangerous mountains to climb. Use extreme caution on the loose rock and be prepared for accidents. A U.S. Forest Service warning sign along the trail says: “The beautiful Maroon Bells have claimed many lives in the past few years. They are unbelievably deceptive. The rock is downsloping, rotten, loose, and unstable. It kills without warning. The snowfields are treacherous, poorly consolidated, and no place for a novice climber. The gullies are death traps. Expert climbers who did not know the proper routes have died on these peaks. Don’t repeat their mistakes, for only rarely have these mountains given a second chance.”The Bell Cord Couloir is an obvious snow gully between North Maroon and Maroon peaks. The 1,800-foot couloir is a demanding and dangerous route, with an average angle of 42 degrees. The couloir gets as steep as 45 degrees and narrows to 15 feet. The best time to climb it is June after avalanche danger lessens. By July the couloir is a technical ice climb. Wear crampons, use an ice axe or ice tools, and wear a helmet. Also carry a short rope if you need to belay. Start the route by 2:00 a.m. so you’ll be at the top by the time the sun hits the face. You want to climb firm snow, not soft mush. From the top, traverse the ridge north to the summit of North Maroon Peak.Recommended season(s): May through October.
—Stewart M. Green
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