There is gold in them hills: July 2014

Sunday, July 6, 2014

10 Mile Range

10 Mile Range Traverse

Mt Royal, Mt Victoria, Peaks 1-10

Start: Frisco (parking lot off I-70) Finish: Breckenridge (Beaver Run base)

Total Miles: 18.67

Total Elevation Gain: 7,887 feet

Total Time: 8:31:18

View from Peak 2 looking at Peaks 2 and 3

I read about this route a couple of years ago. After reading the trip report I couldn't look at the range the same way. During the climb I asked myself, "When did I stop looking at mountains for their pure beauty and start looking at peaks and wondering how to link them together?" I spend a lot of time up in Summit County and I feel like the mountains are taunting me at times. Saturday I was determined to knock this one off the list.

Ptarmigan on Peak 1

My dad dropped me off at the parking lot off of I-70 in Frisco. From there I ran to the TH for Peak 1. I climbed Peak 1 before so I knew what the first 3,500 feet would be like. It would be crazy to do this route without adding a very short side trip to Mt. Royal. Mt Royal is the first high point on the range. As I was climbing the sun rose up. The climb up to Mt Royal is fairly straight forward and steep. It's nearly 1,000 feet of gain in the second mile alone.

Peak 1 after you hit tree line.

After hitting Mt Royal I backtracked about .3 miles to the Peak 1 trail. I gained another 1,000 feet in the 3rd mile. Knowing it was going to be a long day I kept a moderate pace. Along the way to Peak 1 the route passes over the summit of Mt Victoria. I averaged 24:00 minute miles to the top of Peak 1 which comes at Mile 4.4. There is some fun scrambling between Victoria and Peak 1.

Saddle view to Peak 2.

Peak 3 and Peak 4 loom ahead.

Peak 1-4 requires some route finding and a lot of scrambling. Miles 5-7 miles took me just under 3 hours. There is no trail and there are only a few cairns. I feel pretty confident in my ability to find the weak spot of a line and with the exception of one point on Peak 4 I felt I picked the right line each time.

I dropped down off of Peak 1 to the saddle between Peak 1 and 2. I was able to bounce from each side of the ridge line comfortably. I had read that staying right on this route is a good rule of thumb so I followed that rule. Peak 2 came up without any issue. I was happy with the time I was making. I didn't spend too much time on Peak 2. I had a long way to go and the ridge line ahead represented the crux of the climb.

I may have misread but I thought the crux was between 2-3. I dropped down to a keyhole and followed my rule and went right. It was the right move. I dropped down a scree field and then continued along some rock. I can't recall all of the details but I followed what I felt was the easiest route and went right when in doubt.

Approaching Peak 3 summit.

There was some fun climbing to get to Peak 3 and when I hit the top I was feeling really good about the next ridge to Peak 4. From what I remembered the crux was between 2-3 and I was very comfortable with the climbing thus far. The rock all along the route is very solid but it is sharp. The hand holds are great and footing is solid.

Looking back at Peak 3 and 2.

A couple of notes. 1- The crux of your climb can be completely different than that of another climber. It always depends on the line you take. There is no clear line on these ridges and it's very likely that everyone does a slightly different variation in choosing their route. 2- Be prepared for anything. My rule is don't leave myself without an "out". This means be prepared to backtrack if needed or be sure of your line if you commit to it.

Climb up to one of the false
summits of Peak 4.

Peak 4 tested me. I followed my rule and even backtracked once when I realized it was not the right call. I got to a point where right and left both didn't look good. Figuring the crux of the climb was behind me so I went left. It was a bad decision. I ended up getting exposed with thin benches and backtracking wasn't a very good option either. At no point was I in any real danger but I had to be very deliberate with my moves.

Climb up towards summit of Peak 4. Cool colors.

I spoke out loud my thought process and verbally confirmed my hand holds before committing. I congratulated myself on several moves and reminded myself that that the only thing that matters is the next move. It kept me focused and eventually after some very tough sections I found a weakness that brought be back up to a saddle. Once I gained the saddle I was very happy to find more comfortable terrain.

A long way down to I-70. Final pitch up Peak 4.

Looking back at Peaks 3 and 2.

Please excuse all the commentary. I was alone for 8.5 hours and had a lot of time to think. I've always been drawn to the mountains. There are many obvious reasons why but I think for me the main reason is the "truth" that exists up high. We are constantly being shoved the daily buzz and we are all products of our surroundings. When you are in the mountains you are finally in the moment. It has become increasingly difficult to find this truth. I hear my breathing. I feel my heart beat. I feel thirst and hunger. I feel the solid rock and the warmth of the sun. I find my line and I commit. I am alone and it is perfect.

View towards Peak 5. Easy sailing.

It was probably the stress of the bad line but I got fooled by a false summit on the way to Peak 4. Fortunately, the lines were clear to me from this point on but they definitely provided a lot more challenge than anything between Peaks 1-3. I was very happy to gain Peak 4.

I sat down and texted my family and let them know that the dangerous part was over. Green pastures laid ahead. I ate some food and filled a water bottle up with snow. I then marched on. The next few miles were pretty easy going. The route is simple. Just follow the high points. Don't mistake the cairns as peaks. There is a small portion of the CT that runs across the range.

Peaks 8-10 are pretty strenuous climbs. They are steep. There is no trail. Peak 10 is a rocky pile of suck. I decided to to go straight up the rocks instead of taking the road. It is shorter but a heck of a lot harder. Peaks 9 and 10 are both over 13,000 feet with Peak 10 topping the route at 13,633 feet. I did this route on July 5th and there were several skiers climbing to get about 800 feet of vertical snow. You gain all your elevation if your first 14 miles. From the top of peak 10 take the jeep road all the way down to Beaver Run. I don't have much to add to Peaks 5-10 as they were pretty uneventful.

This is a very rewarding run. You want to be very sure of your weather. The route is very exposed. Check out the rest of my pictures below.