Capitol Peak Trip Report 09/16/2026

Report Type	Mini
Peak(s)	Capitol Peak - 14,138 feet Snowmass Mountain - 14,105 feet Little Bear Peak - 14,041 feet Blanca Peak - 14,350 feet Maroon Peak - 14,163 feet North Maroon Peak - 14,022 feet Crestone Peak - 14,299 feet Crestone Needle - 14,196 feet Mt. Wilson - 14,256 feet El Diente Peak - 14,175 feet
Date Posted	09/16/2026
Modified	09/23/2026
Date Climbed	09/09/2026
Author	outrundeath

The 5 Traverses (CO 14ers)
The 5 Traverses (w/ a little geology along the way). Traverses (T): 1) WilsonGroupT: Mt.Wilson to El Diente, ~1mi 2) The Bells T: Maroon to N. Maroon, ~0.5mi 3) Crestone (C)T: C. Peak to C. Needle, ~1mi 4) The Great T: Little Bear to Blanca, ~1.5mi 5) Cap-Snow T: El Elyon's Ridge. Capitol to Snowmass, ~3mi (or more) This report is meant to give a draft blueprint for preparation to successfully complete Traverse #5, the Cap-Snow Traverse between Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mt. Others have provided a comprehensive enough history of the previous completions of this traverse. This report exists to give a practical basic overview in context, of the physical skills and experience needed, and how to acquire both, by completing the 4 other traverses in the list along w/ the 14ers those traverses connect. These 4 traverses alone may or may not prepare completely, each person is different. Here's a summary of #5 at the beginning. Cap-Snow T (#5), a simple description: An approximately 3mi long, skinny, granite crest (arête) between Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mt., that glaciers carved from both sides. ----More detail: Near the two summits, the larger slabs of rock are more connected. In the middle, the rock has fallen apart and broken up into blocks varying in size, that sit loosely on top of each other (aka 'choss'). The more difficult to navigate gendarme section (pinnacles or isolated towers of rock protruding from the ridge) is simply a more cohesive, less fractured, intact core. This more solid granite section is on the end of the traverse closer to the Snowmass side. ----The initial down-climb from Capitol: This has been rated 5.5 - 5.7ish by various groups. It's the 1st thing you do to gain the ridge. If you're comfortable free-soloing it, it's very doable (see my trip report). Otherwise, bring a rope. After that, the rest of the ridge is high 4 to low/mid 5 until the Gendarme Gauntlet on the last section. ----The Gendarme Gauntlet: The entire traverse is really a collection of shorter ridge sections separated by notches. This specific ridge section is what gets most of the dark lord naming convention attention (devils doorway, gendarmes from hell, satans doorway, satans horns etc.) Imho, this last section garners this labeling for 2 reasons primarily: 1) because it presents significantly more difficult climbing problems than anywhere on the rest of the traverse and 2) it does so at a time when you are at your lowest point in the day. Because the traverse is normally completed from Capital to Snowmass and generally takes most of the daylight hrs and your physical stamina to go that distance, when you finally get to this last ridge segment, psychologically, it feels like you're forced to overcome a curse, and most people bypass portions of it or all of it, hence the nick-name, satan's ridge. This name then gets applied to the whole traverse b/c thats what you remember at the end, at your lowest point. The rest of the traverse is an unstable rock-pile to be sure, but it's class 4, low class 5 work and doable by most hikers/climbers. I submit that just this last ridge segment and only this segment should get the nickname. All the weirdly named prominences are in that section anyway. You can climb or bypass what you want from that ridge portion before taking the summit. ----End of Summary of #5: The course-grained, somewhat speckled, grey, granite across the ridge, is a type of rock born as a silica rich hot magma cooling slowly underground. Due to collisions and destruction of the underlying plate structure in that area, a weak spot in the crust formed allowing a scar, and then magma from below pushed up into it. Other forces, primarily erosion over time, caused what you see today: the visible granite pile of rocks on the surface. The more uniform mineral mix of the lighter colored (less speckled) granite in the gendarme section near Snowmass is slightly more erosion resistant, and positioned unfavorably for most low-effort free-solo attempts. These two factors make that section more difficult to climb. A simple training plan: 4 traverses Wilson Group T: Normally completed from Diente to Wilson, going from Mt. Wilson to El Diente provides some of the valuable difficult downclimbing experience needed on the Cap-Snow traverse. This more coherent igneous rock structure there in The San Juan Range is a start for longer sustained focus going up and down w/ exposure. While there are a few narrow sections and looser ones (organ pipes), the traverse is relatively wide, with larger blocks and most of it has firm footing. Good beginner training. The Bells T: The few technical climbing portions between the Bells there in The Elk Range will begin to develop skills to successfully up-climb 5lvl sections on Cap-Snow. The low-to-mid class 5 moves on the cruxes of this traverse are surprisingly clean, giving a good start to free-solo, 5lvl climbing. Both traverses are in the same range, and both have choss, however, the crumbly red sedimentary rock is different in the Bells than the large, tippy, sliding, ankle crushing grey igneous granite on Cap-Snow. But, choss is choss ... it's good to start practicing. Crestone T: More technical climbing experience to gain on this ridge. The cement-like conglomerate sedimentary rock is different there in the Sangre de Cristo Range (more solid and unified), an excellent playground to mature surety of foot placement on sustained down-climbing through the ribs all the way to the end of the route. This is invaluably good habit forming activity for the feet and legs for muscle memory and the eye-to-foot placement coordination necessary to begin to prepare for safe travel up and down the notches and ridges between Capitol and Snowmass. Practicing a little speed ascent on the absolutely bomber conglomerate clasts, nature designed rock climbing, on the Crestone traverse, and especially up the headwall to the Needle, will boost your confidence for more difficult things to come. The Great T (TGT): Endurance w/ exposure training from Little Bear to Blanca gives a small taste of #5. The sustained exposure on TGT is actually more continuous (steeper for longer unbroken) than on Cap-Snow. The skills gained are still transferable for navigating the more broken up by notches on separate ridge sections, but cumulatively longer exposure on the Capitol to Snowmass traverse. The loose rock for greater than 3mi is the big differentiator. The loose plates and blocks on the ridges and notches of the Cap-Snow rock pile, are generally resultant from alpine-frost heaving interacting with the nature of the rock itself. These repeated freeze-thaw cycles, on this newer formation of more jointed and fractured rock, continue to pry it apart at weak points each season. TGT, on the other hand, has relatively seamless exposure, and the rocks you're walking on are stable by comparison. This results from a different underlying composition w/ fewer joints and fracture points to wedge apart seasonally leaving larger unified sections that feel as if they're connected to the bedrock of the mountain itself. To reiterate, there is very little stable foot placement on the chossy collection of ridge segments on the Cap-Snow Traverse for a much longer distance, but starting in the easier environment provided by TGT is useful. On TGT, for extra-credit training, don't settle for just doing Captain Bivwacko, the catwalk and the intermittent knife edges. Use this traverse for all the training it has to offer. If able, never leave the ridge bypassing down and around on an easier route. Take every spur, spire and knoll in a straight line. Climb directly up and down each and every terrain feature and undulation you are safely capable of working through as you encounter them. Take from it all the value it has to offer. With these 8 peaks and 4 traverses under your feet (depending on your own personal lvl of self-understanding, honest-practice and serious commitment) you may have gained all the skills and experience necessary to finish a safe, low technical, low gear, completion run of #5, the Cap-Snow traverse. If completing the gendarme gauntlet on the final ridge section of Cap-Snow before the Snowmass ascent is your goal, a little more training and gear may be required ... but that's a post for another day. Here, I'll echo the words in a post of a previous Cap-Snow finisher. This traverse is a serious undertaking. You and you alone are responsible for your decisions. Make good ones. For those who've read this far, to rephrase and reframe a famous old quote: "If you go further, it is by walking in the footsteps of giants . . ." thanks Isaac see you on the trail Cheers Respectfully, outrundeath May your hiking & climbing be filled w/ joy on on El Elyons Ridge (satans ridge) Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

The 5 Traverses (CO 14ers)

The 5 Traverses (w/ a little geology along the way).

Traverses (T):

1) WilsonGroupT: Mt.Wilson to El Diente, ~1mi

2) The Bells T: Maroon to N. Maroon, ~0.5mi

3) Crestone (C)T: C. Peak to C. Needle, ~1mi

4) The Great T: Little Bear to Blanca, ~1.5mi

5) Cap-Snow T: El Elyon's Ridge.

Capitol to Snowmass, ~3mi (or more)

This report is meant to give a draft blueprint for preparation to successfully complete Traverse #5, the Cap-Snow Traverse between Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mt.

Others have provided a comprehensive enough history of the previous completions of this traverse. This report exists to give a practical basic overview in context, of the physical skills and experience needed, and how to acquire both, by completing the 4 other traverses in the list along w/ the 14ers those traverses connect.

These 4 traverses alone may or may not prepare completely, each person is different.

Here's a summary of #5 at the beginning.

Cap-Snow T (#5), a simple description:

An approximately 3mi long, skinny, granite crest (arête) between Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mt., that glaciers carved from both sides.

----More detail: Near the two summits, the larger slabs of rock are more connected. In the middle, the rock has fallen apart and broken up into blocks varying in size, that sit loosely on top of each other (aka 'choss'). The more difficult to navigate gendarme section (pinnacles or isolated towers of rock protruding from the ridge) is simply a more cohesive, less fractured, intact core. This more solid granite section is on the end of the traverse closer to the Snowmass side.

----The initial down-climb from Capitol: This has been rated 5.5 - 5.7ish by various groups. It's the 1st thing you do to gain the ridge. If you're comfortable free-soloing it, it's very doable (see my trip report). Otherwise, bring a rope. After that, the rest of the ridge is high 4 to low/mid 5 until the Gendarme Gauntlet on the last section.

----The Gendarme Gauntlet: The entire traverse is really a collection of shorter ridge sections separated by notches. This specific ridge section is what gets most of the dark lord naming convention attention (devils doorway, gendarmes from hell, satans doorway, satans horns etc.) Imho, this last section garners this labeling for 2 reasons primarily: 1) because it presents significantly more difficult climbing problems than anywhere on the rest of the traverse and 2) it does so at a time when you are at your lowest point in the day. Because the traverse is normally completed from Capital to Snowmass and generally takes most of the daylight hrs and your physical stamina to go that distance, when you finally get to this last ridge segment, psychologically, it feels like you're forced to overcome a curse, and most people bypass portions of it or all of it, hence the nick-name, satan's ridge. This name then gets applied to the whole traverse b/c thats what you remember at the end, at your lowest point. The rest of the traverse is an unstable rock-pile to be sure, but it's class 4, low class 5 work and doable by most hikers/climbers. I submit that just this last ridge segment and only this segment should get the nickname. All the weirdly named prominences are in that section anyway. You can climb or bypass what you want from that ridge portion before taking the summit.

----End of Summary of #5: The course-grained, somewhat speckled, grey, granite across the ridge, is a type of rock born as a silica rich hot magma cooling slowly underground. Due to collisions and destruction of the underlying plate structure in that area, a weak spot in the crust formed allowing a scar, and then magma from below pushed up into it. Other forces, primarily erosion over time, caused what you see today: the visible granite pile of rocks on the surface. The more uniform mineral mix of the lighter colored (less speckled) granite in the gendarme section near Snowmass is slightly more erosion resistant, and positioned unfavorably for most low-effort free-solo attempts. These two factors make that section more difficult to climb.

A simple training plan: 4 traverses

Wilson Group T: Normally completed from Diente to Wilson, going from Mt. Wilson to El Diente provides some of the valuable difficult downclimbing experience needed on the Cap-Snow traverse. This more coherent igneous rock structure there in The San Juan Range is a start for longer sustained focus going up and down w/ exposure. While there are a few narrow sections and looser ones (organ pipes), the traverse is relatively wide, with larger blocks and most of it has firm footing. Good beginner training.

The Bells T: The few technical climbing portions between the Bells there in The Elk Range will begin to develop skills to successfully up-climb 5lvl sections on Cap-Snow. The low-to-mid class 5 moves on the cruxes of this traverse are surprisingly clean, giving a good start to free-solo, 5lvl climbing. Both traverses are in the same range, and both have choss, however, the crumbly red sedimentary rock is different in the Bells than the large, tippy, sliding, ankle crushing grey igneous granite on Cap-Snow. But, choss is choss ... it's good to start practicing.

Crestone T: More technical climbing experience to gain on this ridge. The cement-like conglomerate sedimentary rock is different there in the Sangre de Cristo Range (more solid and unified), an excellent playground to mature surety of foot placement on sustained down-climbing through the ribs all the way to the end of the route. This is invaluably good habit forming activity for the feet and legs for muscle memory and the eye-to-foot placement coordination necessary to begin to prepare for safe travel up and down the notches and ridges between Capitol and Snowmass. Practicing a little speed ascent on the absolutely bomber conglomerate clasts, nature designed rock climbing, on the Crestone traverse, and especially up the headwall to the Needle, will boost your confidence for more difficult things to come.

The Great T (TGT): Endurance w/ exposure training from Little Bear to Blanca gives a small taste of #5. The sustained exposure on TGT is actually more continuous (steeper for longer unbroken) than on Cap-Snow. The skills gained are still transferable for navigating the more broken up by notches on separate ridge sections, but cumulatively longer exposure on the Capitol to Snowmass traverse. The loose rock for greater than 3mi is the big differentiator. The loose plates and blocks on the ridges and notches of the Cap-Snow rock pile, are generally resultant from alpine-frost heaving interacting with the nature of the rock itself. These repeated freeze-thaw cycles, on this newer formation of more jointed and fractured rock, continue to pry it apart at weak points each season. TGT, on the other hand, has relatively seamless exposure, and the rocks you're walking on are stable by comparison. This results from a different underlying composition w/ fewer joints and fracture points to wedge apart seasonally leaving larger unified sections that feel as if they're connected to the bedrock of the mountain itself. To reiterate, there is very little stable foot placement on the chossy collection of ridge segments on the Cap-Snow Traverse for a much longer distance, but starting in the easier environment provided by TGT is useful.

On TGT, for extra-credit training, don't settle for just doing Captain Bivwacko, the catwalk and the intermittent knife edges. Use this traverse for all the training it has to offer. If able, never leave the ridge bypassing down and around on an easier route. Take every spur, spire and knoll in a straight line. Climb directly up and down each and every terrain feature and undulation you are safely capable of working through as you encounter them. Take from it all the value it has to offer.

With these 8 peaks and 4 traverses under your feet (depending on your own personal lvl of self-understanding, honest-practice and serious commitment) you may have gained all the skills and experience necessary to finish a safe, low technical, low gear, completion run of #5, the Cap-Snow traverse. If completing the gendarme gauntlet on the final ridge section of Cap-Snow before the Snowmass ascent is your goal, a little more training and gear may be required ... but that's a post for another day.

Here, I'll echo the words in a post of a previous Cap-Snow finisher. This traverse is a serious undertaking. You and you alone are responsible for your decisions. Make good ones.

For those who've read this far, to rephrase and reframe a famous old quote:

"If you go further, it is by walking in the footsteps of giants . . ." thanks Isaac

see you on the trail

Cheers

Respectfully,

outrundeath

May your hiking & climbing be filled w/ joy on on El Elyons Ridge (satans ridge)

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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