How difficult is the Tenmile Traverse?

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Andymcp1
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How difficult is the Tenmile Traverse?

Post by Andymcp1 »

After reading numerous trip reports it seems there is a pretty big diffrence in the perceved difficulty and exposure level of this climb. Can anyone who has done the traverse chime in and let me know. How much exposure is there? What class climbing is the ridge?
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highplaces
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Re: How difficult is the Tenmile Traverse?

Post by highplaces »

I did the Tenmile Traverse last weekend. From the Mt. Royal TH to our car drop at the Peak 9 Restaurant it was 16 miles and 8200'. There is a bit of scrambling (I think it is rated Class 3) between Peaks 2 and 4 - an area called the Dragon and a knife edge. For me, it was fun scrambling, the exposure was mininal and the rock was good. But, as usual, how you would feel about it would depend on what you've been on. Beyond Peak 4, it turns into a grassy walk all the way to Peak 9, and then the final 1000' ascent up Peak 10 is on loose talus. Good luck, this is a great hike!
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Chicago Transplant
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Re: How difficult is the Tenmile Traverse?

Post by Chicago Transplant »

It depends on the person, as with anything where scrambling and exposure come into play. Most of the difficulties are between peaks 2 and 4 as mentioned above. There are two spots I downclimbed to the right of the ridge to bypass difficulties. The first was on the downclimb off of Peak 2 (Tenmile Peak). There is a big step you come to that is pretty technical looking, the gully to the left goes way down, so go right and traverse around it to get back to the ridge. The second was at the dragon, downclimbed right and traversed around the towers. That is near Peak 3.

Peak 3 to 4 is probably the most fun, a nice solid 3rd class knife edge starts you up Peak 4. I stayed on the ridge crest the whole way, but I think you could go a little more right in some places if the exposure was bothering you. I thought it was a lot of fun and didn't think route finding was a problem at all. Pretty much you just stay on the ridge crest except those 2 points, which I thought were pretty obvious.

The rest of the traverse is just a long ridge walk, but all class 2. The parts after Peak 4 are really grassy and gentle. If you don't have a car shuttle (like me), you can take the Summit Stage bus back to Frisco from Breckenridge.
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