08/14/2025
Capitol Peak the less traveled way.
As we prepare for the opening of our Aspen store this fall, we’ve been joining our friends and ambassadors for projects and outings in the nearby places of practice. We followed along with ambassadors and our good friend and local crusher on Capitol Peak’s North Buttress.
Here’s how saw it:
9 years after we first stood atop Capitol, Jonny and I returned for a second date, the Northwest Buttress, one of the finest technical routes in the Elks. Featuring crack climbing at 14K, involved alpine routefinding, a no-crowds guarantee, and a bonus descent of the standard knife edge, this skyline adventure had all the elements we were looking for.
With about as bad a weather forecast as we could hope for, we roped up and Mat, the strongest climber, ran up the first two pitches. Magically, the wind died atop pitch 2 and we committed to the ascent, watching the clear blue sky for any hint of threat as we wove through a few bits of loose alpine rock and found our way to the ridgecrest. Descent from here would be impossible, so we quickly simulclimbed the long sections of 5th class, finding largely excellent, compact granite. Crossing the large snowfield visible from the valley, we wondered again if this was really a Colorado 14er. Where were the hikers, dogs, and cardboard signs?
After one last pitch of careful climbing around a sleeping dragon of granite blocks, we popped onto the summit, recreating a perfect moment 9 years in the making. The sky stayed blue as we made our way down the ridge, staying on the 5th-class high points all the way to Daly saddle for a true walk across the king of the Elks. Back at camp, we repacked our tent and brewed a quick cup of coffee for the walk out, watching the weather finally come in after we successfully threaded the needle. Our exit quickly turned into a run with loaded packs and ropes as the storm unleashed, punishing us for getting away with a perfect day in the alpine.
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