Dave Andrews on the lower snowfield, Crater Lake i...
Description
With incredible views, great conditions, two stellar summits, and 2,300 feet of climbing, this was one of my favorite climbs of the year.
Approach this classic snow/ice climb via the Maroon Bells TH and Crater Lake. Hike about a half mile past the lake to the talus runout below the couloir, then head straight up toward it. A cairn marks the cutoff point. Follow the right side of the runout and a faint trail past the obvious cliff/notch, and traverse in to the left to gain the snow. Climb over 2,000' of steepening snow/ice to the notch between the Maroon Bells and enjoy. The angle reaches about 55 degrees in the upper 1/3.
From the notch, follow the Maroon Ridge to South Maroon Peak (3rd-4th class) or North Maroon Peak (5.4ish) and descend one of the standard routes, or descend the couloir (carefully, with soft snow). Prime time to hit the Bell Cord is late May - June, depending on the year.
Climbed this on 6/21/03. This is a great snow couloir and the best way to climb the Maroon Bells, in my opinion. Much better to climb them on snow than that horrible rock! There is plenty of snow right now, although it is only about 10' wide in the middle. There is a deep runnel in this section and the only place to climb is right up it. This couloir has severe rockfall danger, clearly evident from the large rocks you pass lying on top of the snow all the way up. It also softens very quickly as the sun hits it right at sunrise, even given the hard freeze the night before our ascent. I recommend a very early start (we left the car around 4AM, and topped out in the couloir by 8:30). After the climb in the parking lot we met to a guy who had taken a slushalanche ride down this couloir due to a late start several years ago. Fortunately everyone in his party survived.
My wife and I did this route on 6-19-05 and I would say that overall, this is an excellent climb. Be careful however, not to get forced down this route in warmer afternoon temperatures. We descended amid a perpetual barrage of falling rock and snow and felt fortunate to exit unscathed...poor planning on my part.
Climbed the Bell Cord and the traverse from S. Maroon to N. Maroon on 6/11/06. Conditions were ideal for the climb. We started at 3:30 am from campsite 11 at Crater Lake, and reached the top of the couloir at 6 am, right after sunrise. The early start made the couloir a relative no-brainer, as it removed the rockfall issues from the equation. I highly recommend an early (albiet painful) start.
The S-N ridge also seemed relatively straightforward, given the perfect weather and our luck with route-finding. We carried a rope, but everyone felt comfortable soloing the route. This point should speak to its difficulty in good, dry conditions; 4th class seems accurate under those circumstances. While the quality of the Bells in general is awful, the rock the spots that are usually rapped (from N. to S.) seemed surprisingly secure and the climbing was actually very fun.
As we had feared, the worst part of the trip was the descent. As George notes, the NE ridge of N. Maroon apparently sees very little early season traffic, and our enthusiasm for that option quickly faded. We opted for the NW ridge. It was long and tedious, but relatively easy. We passed most obstacles on the west, with only one obvious exception where the only way through was to the east.
Arriving at the Gunsight left us with a rap on somewhat spooky gear; there was a fixed pin at the top of the gully, but little else in the way of secure blocks or good gear placements. We used the pin as a backup, set up a rap line and downclimbed the still snow-filled Gunsight couloir on rappel. I would not want to do it when it was melted out though, as it gives new meaning to the word "choss." About 120' below the notch, the angle of the couloir eases and makes downclimbing more reasonable. We saw no other evidence of rappel anchors or obvious rappel anchor placements below the notch, but they may be available after snowmelt. Below the couloir the descent is fine, connecting up with the lower part of the NE ridge route.
A great way to climb both peaks, in spite of the loose rock and tedious descent.
Once the couloir has been climbed, I recommend traversing to North Maroon for the descent. Finding the traverse to exit Maroon Peak is very tricky (especially if you have not come up that way before). This is a dangerous mountain. My partner and I were almost hit by rocks multiple times throughout the day (beginning at 5 a.m.). In hindight I would take a pass on climbing this peak owing to the objective danger from rockfall.
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