Capitol Peak Northeast Ridge

HOLD ON! This is the most-difficult of the standard 14er routes. It's long, tedious and dangerous and we want you to come back safely. Climbers have died here, including 5 in the Summer of 2017. If you are unsure whether you have the necessary skills or qualified partners, consider hiring a professional guide from Aspen Expeditions. Be cautious of individuals on social media claiming to be guides but lacking proper certifications or affiliation with a reputable guide company. Call the professionals.

From Glenwood Springs, drive about 26 miles southeast on Colorado 82 and turn right onto Snowmass Creek Road. From the intersection of CO 82, it's 10 miles to the trailhead, and the remainder of these directions assume you reset your trip-odometer at the intersection. Drive 1.7 miles to a junction and turn right onto Capitol Creek road. Continue to 8.1 miles, where you'll see a trailer parking area on the right. This is a good place to park if you have a low-clearance vehicle or the road is muddy. Continue up the narrow, steepening road to reach the trailhead 10 miles. The last mile is fairly steep and may require AWD/4WD if holes have formed or the road is wet.

 1 shows the incredible view of Capitol Peak from the trailhead, where two trails begin: Capitol Creek Trail #1961 and Capitol Creek Ditch Trail #1963. The Capitol Creek Trail has traditionally been the main approach, but more hikers now prefer the ditch trail since it avoids losing and regaining elevation. This description follows the ditch trail, making the hike to Capitol Lake approximately 6 miles long. From the west end of the trailhead parking area, follow the signed ditch trail  2. After 1.2 miles, you'll reach a junction at 9,500'  3 where you'll leave the ditch and continue on a well-defined trail. Weave through the forest, cross a stream, and enter the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness after passing through a meadow. Continue through aspens and clearings to reach a wide-open area above Capitol Creek  4. Stay along the hillside for 1.5 miles, then descend to the creek, approximately 3.25 miles from the trailhead  5. Angle left, cross the creek , and intersect the main Capitol Creek Trail. Turn right and continue south  6. Near 4 miles in, you'll reach a gate in a fence that is suppose to keep cattle from going higher. This fence is also the boundary of the Capitol Peak Permit Zone so camping higher, at the lake, requires a permit. If you don't have one, and plan to camp, it's best to set up camp before this fence. Now 2 miles from Capitol Lake, continue through the forest and toward the lake area  7. Near 11,400', turn sharply right and hike a bit higher to reach the basin just below Capitol Lake, where the designated camp sites are on the right  8.

Just below Capitol Lake, turn left on the Capitol Trail, heading southeast toward the saddle between Mt. Daly and Capitol Peak  9. Climb 900 feet to reach the saddle  10, marking the end of the easy trail portion. From here, you have two options: take the "direct" Class 4 ridge climb south, or follow the standard, easier route on the east side  11. The standard route is strongly recommended for most hikers. Begin by following the trail south from the east side of the saddle. You'll soon reach a couple of gullies that must be crossed. The second one is the most difficult  12 and has a couple of options: 1) Descend a steep trail before crossing a rock rib, or 2) Take a more direct line with a bit more scrambling on the sides of the gully  13. After the gullies, the route traverses across talus, without a trail  14  15. Look for cairns and try not to lose or gain too much elevation as you cross. Near 12,700', angle up to your right  16 toward 13er "K2," to the southwest  17. Talus-hop up the slope to K2's right side, just before its top  18. Next, you need to get past K2 to continue along the ridge to Capitol. The best way is to climb to the top of K2 before descending its west side to regain the ridge. Climbing K2 is strongly recommended so you can see the stunning view of the remaining route  19. Backtrack a few feet from the top of K2 and step west to see the downclimb  20  21  22. Choose your line and descend about 80 feet to reach a flat area and faint trail. Turn left and continue back to the ridge crest  23.

The remaining route involves a lot of exposed climbing and will test your route-finding skills. Pause here to assess conditions and make a decision to proceed based on weather. Although the summit isn't far off, the route is time-consuming and a dangerous place to be in bad weather. Descend slightly to reach the narrow ridge and continue to a rock tower  24. Climb over or around it and continue scrambling along the ridge to reach the Knife Edge, the crux of the route  25. This short, exposed section demands concentration and a steady nerve. Scramble along the crest of the knife or carefully navigate the side, holding the ridge  26  27. Beyond the Knife Edge, the climbing remains technically challenging. Traverse the ridge or its edges  28  29 for about 0.1 mile, then descend to a notch with a steep gully to your left  30. From here, be sure to study the upper east face, identifying landmarks. Drop into the notch then climb a steep pitch, following cairns where possible. Now above 13,800', avoid the remaining ridge crest and traverse the upper east face instead  31. Angle left to a slate-colored rock wall  32, cross it  33  34, then climb steeply to a notch on the southeast ridge  35. Turn right and climb the ridge  36,  37. As you approach the top, stay on the ridge crest or traverse left before climbing to the summit  38. Staying on the ridge keeps you on the most stable terrain. Congratulations! Take in the incredible views  39 before the long descent back to K2  40. You must return to K2. Do not attempt shortcuts to Capitol Lake, as all terrain along the sides of the ridge leads to dangerous cliffs.

IMPORTANT: This route enters the Maroon Bells - Snowmass Wilderness area. Designated wilderness areas have special regulations and restrictions for party size, dispersed camping, campfires, etc. Also, dog owners should read the wilderness information carefully because some wilderness areas prohibit dogs to be off-leash and/or limit how close dogs can be to lakes and streams. If you have questions about the wilderness area, please contact a U.S. Forest Service office for the National Forest(s) listed above.