Technical and Enduring Ski Mountaineering Routes of Colorado's Elk Range

This guidebook consists of routes that combine some of Colorado’s most difficult ski mountaineering objectives into continuous demanding adventures.

Michael Wirth

Images

Why Just Ski a Classic.jpg
A view to get any skier psyched!

by Michael Wirth

Creative Commons: No Derivatives
Precarious Progression.png
How's that for a ski peak?!?!

by Michael Wirth

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Power of Five.jpg
Epic terrain midway round the route

by Michael Wirth

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Grandodiorite Traverse.jpg
Spot the skier!

by Charlie Boscoe

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Thunder and Lightning.png
Epic views and ambience on the traverse

by Michael Wirth

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Elk Range

by Michael Wirth

Creative Commons: Attribution
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Elk Mountains

by Michael Wirth

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Michael Wirth

by Elk Mountains, Colorado

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Colorado Mountains - Elk Range

by Michael Wirth

Creative Commons: Attribution

Description

This guidebook shows some of the longer days I took to accomplish my project to climb and ski all 59 peaks above 13,000’ in Colorado’s Elk Range.

One of the directions I foresees ski mountaineering taking is by combining endurance and technical challenges into one. That is, piecing together multiple challenging objectives into one effort.

I admire those who came before me, like Chris Landry, and skied these challenging lines with archaic and heavy gear. I foresee the future of ski mountaineering as a combination of great steep skiing, and a combination of endurance and technical challenge. After all, nowadays we have some amazing gear that is mind-bogglingly lightweight, so we should use it to its full potential.

The routes in this guidebook are intended for an experienced ski mountaineer that craves long days in the mountains. As you grow as a mountain athlete, particularly a ski mountaineer, you come to the realization that many of the classic lines can be combined with other rarely explored objectives to offer new and unique experiences. Furthermore, in the spring, when warming is the primary avalanche concern, you can play with aspects and listen to the mountains in order to ski an east face in the morning, a west midday and a north later.

Of course, nothing is absolute in the mountains, so connecting with them, listening to them, proceeding when they permit, and turning back when they don’t is a must. Always remember, an old mountaineer is a good mountaineer.

So, take this guidebook with a serious tone and approach these routes with humility and responsibility. Reinhold Messner once said, “Mountains are not fair or unfair, they are just dangerous.” This is true, but we find opportunities in them, we never conquer, thus we will always connect.

Adventures

Why Just Ski a Classic?

A ski mountaineering route that gives you the best view of the classic "North Maroon's North Face" ski descent, and finishes off with skiing it!

The Precarious Progression

A ski mountaineering tour to ski three peaks: the first two are quite straightforward while the crux is saved for the end

Power of Five

The Power of Five is a ski mountaineering route that plays with aspects so that five ski descents can be accomplished in a single push.

The Granodiorite Traverse

An incredibly challenging ski mountaineering route to summit and ski 4 remote peaks above 13,000' in the Capitol-Snowmass Massif