Guidebooks describe the ridge connecting the Bells as 4th Class. Everyone I've talked to who's done it from south to north has rated it from 5.4 to 5.7. If you climb the Bell Cord Couloir first (in my opinion the most enjoyable option, and the fastest), this is how you'll do it. By the way, the rock (at least on the ridge) isn't as bad as they say.
From the summit of South Maroon, head back toward the Bell Cord Couloir notch. Either keep to the ridge or to the west side, following cairns as much as possible. From the notch, head straight up the 4th class wall in front of you. Follow steps and cairns and occasional dead ends up the ridge to the first improbable-looking 5th class section. It goes at about 40' of 5.2 or so. Some more routefinding will bring you to a flat area on the ridge with a blunt prow blocking your way. A 30' section of steep 5.4-5.5 rock (we found it just left of center) will get you past it. A rap sling was on top. Follow the ridge past a few more difficulties to the last climb up to the summit of North Maroon Peak and the last 4th class climbing. Descend off the northeast ridge, following cairns and a faint trail down (4th class). Dawson's guide is a great reference for the descents of both peaks. The Bell Cord plus the ridge is a combo that shouldn't be missed as an alpine day in its own right, not even for the purpose of a 14er double bagger. The climbing plus the views of the valleys around Aspen and the Elk Mountains are unmatched. See the following site for a good description of the ridge from north to south.
http://www.theronwelch.com/mountains/fourteeners/Maroon%20Bells/bells.htm.
Jackson, WY
Most of the traverse is easy 3rd class with a few isolated sections of 4th class. To stay at this rating, it is necessary to often be on the west side of the ridge. Otherwise, there are many small towers that block the way. Oct 31, 2002
Boulder, CO
Boulder, CO
N Maroon doesn't seem climbed much in June as the regular route is mostly on snow at the top. It's easy snow, but a slide would send you over a cliff on the N. Face. We went down the NW Ridge, which is easier technically but you have to rappel the horribly loose gunsight gully. Jun 23, 2003
However, we found that there were so many cairns pointing to so many variations and snow covered parts of the route (we did it early in the season) that it was hard for us to sort out IF we were on route. We did it South to North and roped up for one pitch.
Like you, in hinsight, it turns out we could have soloed it, just like you could have downclimbed instead of rapping.
The operating word here is hindsight. If you are off route (and don't know it) and have to negotiate 5.something when you were expecting a class 4 stroll you might find yourself whailing for a rope.
The climb is too loose, the rock too funky and the position too committed to take chances if you don't know the route or are at your limit. I strongly encourage folks to take a rope and a token amount of gear, just in case...
WT Dec 6, 2003
Golden, CO
Denver, CO
Denver, CO
Denver
Despite all the loose rock around, the climbing is actually quite solid, really great actually. I brought some bugaboos and knife blades, anywhere I could have placed them I would have simply been a stone mason. This rock fractures so parallel that nuts were of limited use. I use tricams from brown to orange and could have used the larger pieces. Tricams worked very well. Wish I would have brought my Metolius 0 and 00, could have used them on every roped section.
This was an unusual snow year, snow pack over 250%, we had to do some roped travel around a few snow fields that wouldn't normally be there this time of year and many of the class 3/4 was snow choked. Jun 29, 2011
Eagle, CO
The ridge was still quite snow/ice covered and turned out to be slightly more of an undertaking than I had planned. Progress traversing across steep snow and scree fields above large cliff bands was slow but relatively safe when moving carefully. While the snow and ice made the traverse a little harder (ended up pulling some spicy moves in a steep icy chimney to gain a higher ledge system), it was well worth it overall when considering the easy approach and descent.
The rock wasn't completely terrible, but it was definitely bad. Thankfully the stepper stuff is pretty solid. It's the sloping, loose ledges you've got to watch out for! Jul 4, 2014
Green Mnt
My buddy and I went S to N with no rope/gear, and I think 5.something is fair. Approach shoes were nice to have. I don't know how to really grade the difference between 5.0 and 5.4, but there is definitely a little low class 5 on the traverse, and it's fun. In fact, one of the best traverses I've done. The rock quality definitely adds to the commitment level on some of the ridge stuff, but it's not that much worse than any other decomposing ridge traverse. Snow can definitely make descending the northern aspects of both peaks trickier! Sep 20, 2016
- It is EXTREMELY FUN.
- It is UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL.
- The main problems,and their variants are doable, positive, and solid.
- The rock is not nearly as sketchy as suggested, we didn't knock any off on the entire traverse.
- You can skirt around various things to end up on loose Class 4, but you may definitely find yourself preferring to just climb SOLID 5.2-5.4 by attacking the main problems head on. I found the hardest climbing terrain to be far more positive than say, soloing Freeway on Second Flatiron.
- The rap anchors we found let you rappel through the most enjoyable and interesting parts of the entire route -- go up instead! :)
We thought we might do it N to S so that we could rap the "sketchy" main problems and that we'd definitely bypass the optional low Class 5 stuff. We were wrong. S to N, we had a blast hitting every bomber crack directly and not skirting a few of the optional little teeth and gendarmes. The crux was following a bunch of half-drunk dudes down N. Maroon Peak while a mountain goat knocked rocks down the gullies. Just grab your approach shoes, and get after it! Jun 11, 2018
Golden, CO