Awesome vid and glad you made it. We did this trip in Sep 21 and it was a total ball buster, and your video rekindled all those trails, routes and spectacular views.
Thx for the comment, Joe. Man, I agree. I hardly ever bonk on 14ers, but after that 2800' descent back to the main trail, it was just pure will to get back to the car 😂 Cheers brother
Great job documenting this one guys! Really enjoyed watching this. Shared with my crew. We climbed this peak about 1 month after you (in September 2021). Same deal for us...weather was perfect. I didn't do nearly as good a job documenting the hike, but it's out there.
One day after work, I was proud of myself for getting the point at about 4 minutes into your video before the ice cream headache of altitude started squeezing my temples. You two are the beasts, not that mountain.
Very much enjoyed that video. It seems like South Maroon, while long and arduous, is generally technically easier and less exposed than North Maroon? It also looks like the peak could be approached directly from Fravert Basin rather than traversing in from the southern shoulder of South Maroon and the Crater Lake side? Would require a backpack but just wondering if that would be the more straightforward route.
Hey, sorry for the super delayed reply haha! South Maroon was definitely harder than North Maroon for that reason -- just super long and slow. I would say the technical bits are roughly the same except South Maroon felt a bit more loose. The route you brought up could be more direct due to the fact that acquiring permits is a challenge to do. Have a good one! Cheers!
We use Gaia but find the GPS tracks aren't as accurate on steep mtns like Maroon- though setting waypoints can be helpful! Download the pictures on the 14ers app and try to recognize any unique landmarks. Cairns are plentiful but may mark multiple routes- if you feel like you find yourself in highly loose or sketch terrain, retrace your steps sooner than later until you are back on route. It's tedious but not as hard as you would think if you pay attention- have fun!
Got a parking permit at Maroon Lake for the weekend of Sept 24th. Plan to climb Pyramid instead of S Maroon Peak. The 2800ft of suck doesn’t sound too enticing, as you depicted nicely in this video
Pyramid is a nice choice! A lot of climbers go for that one to get a good idea of what The Bells will be like in terms of ledges, gulleys, and rock quality. Best of luck and stay safe out there. Let us know how it goes for you! Cheers
What an adventure!!! It is amazing to me how you both navigate your way up long after the main trail. Climbing those rocks and having to navigate your way up takes thought and bravery! How long did you stay at the peak once you got there before you started your descent?
We definitely used the Gaia App quite a bit. We also took numerous screenshots from 14ers.com. I would say the only major landmark is Robot Rock. It was challenging, but surprisingly pretty intuitive. I'd say the most challenging part was the final push toward the summit. That area is littered with cairns. Definitely set a waypoint, so you make sure you're going back down the way you ascended. Hope that helps! Cheers
