Maroon Peak

Route: Bells Traverse
Posted On: 6/13/2026, By: macg91
Info: Most of the remaining snow on the standard route is avoidable. There was one short mandatory snow crossing after gaining the ridge while traversing to the gullies. There were good steps kicked in and spikes/axe may be helpful but we did not find them necessary. There were several other snowfields in this area that we were able to scramble around without exceeding class 3. Likewise there are a few snowfields on the 2800-ft ascent below the south ridge that can be avoided. Ridge to N Maroon is completely snow free. 

Route: Bells Traverse
Posted On: 6/9/2026, By: Connor1
Info: See conditions report from N Maroon peak. 

Route: Bell Cord Couloir
Posted On: 5/26/2026, By: MtnMann
Info: Ascended Bell Cord Couloir and returned via S Ridge, for a bucket list summit. A couple of lessons learned and a full value/relatively harrowing day. I’d recommend a rope and snow protection for the ledges pitch on the S ridge, if you do it (highly encourage to descend Bell cord instead with the snow as it is). Route finding and travel was very difficult on the S ridge, with snow probably covering some cairns and a couple of steep snow pitches over extreme exposure. We were surprised with the amount of snow on the S ridge route (SW aspect); more effort in researching current conditions could have helped here. But we may have been one of the first groups to use this route since the recent snow (6 days before climb) so info and tracks in the snow were limited.

Couloir was pretty straightforward, with supportive snow throughout and only some sections with a deeper freeze and harder snow (front points only). Started from camp at 0308. Turned off the trail and started on continuous snow at 0341. We opted to take a lower ledge over to the couloir runout above the garbage chute (we turned left at the ledge at 11,290ft). This seemed like the best route, from continuous snow from the trail, and avoiding a waterfall/rocky section to the right and above the garbage chute. So we’ll call the base of the couloir above the garbage chute 11,350 ft, at 0430. Topped the couloir at 13,780ft at 0705, or 2:35 hrs in the couloir proper and ~4 hrs from camp. A couple of slippery and unsecure rock moves after topping the couloir were semi exposed and would have been tough to downclimb, but all in all would have probably been safer than the S ridge descent. Made the summit at 8:35, ~5:30 hrs from camp.

On the S ridge, the ledges (around a corner) at 13,925ft were covered in sketchy and very steep snow, and a cornice before the ledges. We had to cut and clear the cornice and then step out onto the steep snow, without 100% confidence that the snow would hold to the face bc of how thin it appeared. There were a couple of steps that were unsupportive, but in the end, the snow proved supportive and the traverse across was ok, just about as exposed as it can get in CO. Would have loved to have a rope and a belay off of the body or snow anchor for this pitch. The rest of the S ridge route was a lot of navigating up, down, around and across loose gullies, trying to follow the cairns where we could find them. Once gaining the S ridge proper, we were able to descend a bit and then plunge step a lot of the E face through continuous snow. ~10 total hrs before we gained the S ridge, ~4.5 hrs from the summit. Another 2 hrs down to camp, for a total of 12 hrs camp to camp. Broke down camp and then back to the shuttle pickup for standing room only on one of the last shuttles at 4:45pm.
Total stats for the day: 13.03 mi, 12:52:26 hrs, 4,818 ft

Pics to come later today

*logistics note: parking at the shuttle pickup at the Maroon bells welcome center is $50 a day or $75 for two days. So if you catch the free RFTA shuttle from Rubey Park Transit Center in downtown Aspen, you can save more on parking. 

Route: Sunny side excursion
Posted On: 4/26/2026, By: WillRobnett
Info: Few feet of snow intermittent on the trail between lakes however there is a sunny side option above the valley. Beyond Crater Lake, both trails become further snow‑covered. 

Route: view from the hills
Posted On: 3/30/2026, By: WillRobnett
Info: Bells are starting to show consolidations and wet slides up high already.

Y Couloir left chute: 2025 went up one of the last days it was still connected, July 12th.
Y Couloir right chute: disconnected on July 12th 2025 and recently consolidated.
Bell Cord: recently consolidated down to the apron snow field below. Climbed it a few times in 2025, last climbed July 19th.
Maroon Bells Standard Routes: after the lake, looks like there's still a good amount of approach snow.
The North Face of North Maroon: climbed the face 4x times last year. Spring conditions held to July 5th. 

Route: near Maroon Lake
Posted On: 3/15/2026, By: WillRobnett
Info: In a quiet brilliance, first light across upper sections of the Maroon Bells. Captured near Maroon Lake. 

Route: Bell Cord Couloir
Posted On: 12/25/2025, By: paulbarish
Info: On 12/22 I rode a borrowed e bike up to the TH and then hiked in on snowshoes and set up camp near the entrance to the Bell Cord. Trail breaking was minimal due to seemingly a handful of people before me and little snow. My camp was right off the boot pack and I was able to be the first one to congratulate Preston on finishing his winter solo day trip project! We had met by coincidence for the first time at the TH the night before. Pleasure meeting you! I was relieved he climbed the standard route so I could have the trail breaking in the bell cord all to myself! A childhood dream. The next morning I left camp at 530am with snowshoes and followed low snow up the apron to the traverse around right which had some deep hard packed snow and a short step of WI2 which I sketched up without taking off my snowshoes haha Trail breaking remained light with mostly hard packed snow with the occasional knee deep crust. At the constriction, I put the snowshoes away and booted up without crampons in perfect stability until a short wind loaded section at the top that was a little spooky but well bonded enough at the bottom of the slab to justify climbing. I made a left and did the scramble up to the summit with again great conditions! I quickly descended back to the top of the bell cord to head over to North Maroon! 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 12/23/2025, By: illusion7il
Info: I've always had the thought that maybe the standard route with some modifications could go with a low snow pack. Last year on the first day of winter, after realizing the bell cord wasn't right, I trekked over to the east face and scouted a possible route. This year seemed like the best chance to go for it, but I was going to need some luck with the route finding. I snowshoed up to 11.6K, just north of the standard route, and traversed south aiming for what appeared to be a dry rib crossing 5 big gullies along the way. (Map attached, but never mind the little GPS jump to the ridge) The rib was a lot like the winter route on the west slopes of Snowmass, but it got much steeper for the last 200 feet. When I reached the top of the ridge I transitioned to crampons. I was expecting the west slopes to be windswept and maybe I could just follow the standard trail and this was going to be the easy part. WRONG. The first chimneys were clean, but as soon as I rounded the corner, the slopes and ledges were loaded. The route from here required lots of steep (50+ degree) snow traverse. The exposure was extreme+, but the snow felt great, as if I were locked in every step of the way. It reminded me of the snow traverse on N. Maroon, except, steeper, longer and more consequential. I opted for gully #1, and the broad gully was mostly dry, but travel was slow. From the point where I entered the south ridge route, it took me 3 hours to reach the summit and that was at 3pm. I don't think I was on the summit for more than a minute, as I was worried about getting back through the difficulties before darkness. It then took me 1.5 hours to get back to the rib I had ascended, and I had to cross the entire east face in the dark. 22 hours. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 11/10/2025, By: andytiminsky
Info: Summited Maroon Peak Sat 11/08 - Started at 0730 from Maroon Lake (winter gate is now closed as of 11/10) I saw 0 people the entire day, sunny conditions with winds from the NW around 10-20 mph. Right before the South Ridge I used semi auto crampons and ice axe (mandatory), as for the rest of the route the S. ridge is dry, most of the route about S. Ridge was dry except for a few spots which were very icy but I didn't need crampons and could slowly navigate. The entire route took about 11.5 hours, moving at a nice cruiser pace, and enjoying multiple snacks. Great day out there on Maroon! 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 10/27/2025, By: Kowalski
Info: Route is snowy above the tree line. Micros recommended. Snow is very loose and careful navigation is required while traversing the ledges. Cairns are easily spotted up until the final turn when you have to scramble up to the ridge. View from the peak as well as the gully shown below. 

Route: View from North Maroon
Posted On: 10/19/2025, By: WillRobnett
Info: Bells Traverse holding snow. Bell Cord looked thin at lower approach and probably freeze/thaw below 13k. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 10/7/2025, By: trebold
Info: Conditions were not bad given I used micro-spikes for the majority of the ascent and descent. Inches of snow intermittently dispersed (mainly ledges/traverses) above the ridge, but didn’t make anything more challenging than the loose rocks. The snow may have in fact added a bit more traction. The slippery soil coming down was a pain after thaw, but manageable. Great day. Started quarter till 7 and got back just before 4. 

Route: area
Posted On: 10/5/2025, By: WillRobnett
Info: Peak Fall Colors! and little snow yesterday, up high. Accumulating was right at treeline no snow or ice below treeline. 

Route: South Ridge
Posted On: 9/28/2025, By: andy_schlichting
Info: Still summer conditions pretty much the whole way up the south ridge. When we headed over to the traverse, that's where conditions quickly changed. 

Route: Bells Traverse
Posted On: 9/15/2025, By: Caedmonn
Info: Got snow on Friday and Saturday, was hoping it would melt by midday, summited south maroon by 1pm but not alot of it had still did the traverse just very slowly, took us about 2 hours from peak to peak.