Technical climb: Class 3 with a short Class 4 downclimb
Sleeping Sexton's summit is cut off by a deep gap. Reaching it means following a narrowing ledge and downclimbing 20 to 25 feet of rotten rock; some parties use a rope. This page is an outline, not a move-by-move guide.
DifficultyClass 4
Round trip9.5 mi
Elevation gain4,100'
TrailheadMaroon Lake
Trailhead elevation9,600'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,457'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
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Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · North Ridge from Minnehaha Gulch
Overview
Sleeping Sexton sits right next to North Maroon Peak, above Minnehaha Gulch. From Maroon Lake you follow the Buckskin Pass Trail to Minnehaha Creek, climb a side drainage to a saddle south of Point 12,886, scramble loose ledges to the ridge, and walk to a false summit. A hidden ledge system then leads around a deep gap to the true summit.
Most of it is Class 3 on loose, rotten red rock. The crux is a 20- to 25-foot Class 4 downclimb at the end of a ledge only about 3 feet wide. The same dangers as the Maroon Bells apply here.
The round trip is about 9.5 miles with 4,100 feet of gain. Getting to Maroon Lake in summer takes a parking reservation or the shuttle bus.
Plan of the day
Start by
Catch the first shuttle, or be parked by 5:30 a.m. with a reservation.
Turnaround
Be at the false summit by 10:30 a.m.
Crux
The ledge and 20- to 25-foot downclimb around the gap below the true summit.
Route-finding
Difficult near the top. From the false summit, drop west-southwest about 200 feet into the northern of two gullies to find the ledge that crosses the rib on your left.
From the roundabout on Highway 82 just west of Aspen, take Maroon Creek Road (County Road 13) south toward Aspen Highlands and Maroon Lake. About 4.7 miles in is the entrance station, where you pay a fee.
In summer the road is limited: you need a parking reservation, often made months ahead, or you ride the shuttle bus from the Aspen Highlands lot. Check the White River National Forest website for this year's rules before you go. There is no camping at Maroon Lake. Silver Bar, Silver Bell and Silver Queen campgrounds along the road are small, reservable and usually full.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeRidgeScramblingExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Maroon Lake trailhead 9,600' · 0 mi
Take the Crater Lake Trail (1975) along the lake. Don't get pulled onto the scenic loop around Maroon Lake. Overnight campers must register at the trailhead and carry a bear canister.
2
Crater Lake junction 10,080' · 1.8 mi
Near Crater Lake, turn right (west) on Trail 1978 toward Buckskin Pass. It climbs hard up Minnehaha Gulch.
3
Minnehaha Creek 11,060' · 3 mi
About 3 miles in, the trail crosses Minnehaha Creek. There have been good campsites on the ridge just before the crossing; check current camping rules.
4
Side drainage 12,300' · 3.6 mi
Leave the trail at the Minnehaha Creek crossing and climb a small drainage. The northern branch is usually easier: near its top, contour south across a grassy bench into the talus basin below the saddles.
5
Saddle 12,800' · 3.9 mi
Reach the saddle just south of Point 12,886 (or the one north of it, then walk over or around the point). A jumbled wall of rotten red rock rises ahead.
6
Ledges to the ridge 13,200' · 4.1 mi
Climb steep ledges covered in gravel and sand, swing west to a ramp that leads back southeast, then zigzag up ledges to the ridge top.
Watch for: Class 3 on loose rock. Helmets essential.
7
False summit 13,400' · 4.4 mi
Walk easy tundra and scree to the false summit. A deep gap separates it from the true summit.
8
Ledge around the gap 13,200' · 4.6 mi
Drop west-southwest about 200 feet into the northern gully until a small ledge crosses the rib on your left. Follow it south into the next gully and on toward the big couloir below the gap. It narrows to 3 feet or less, then ends. Downclimb 20 to 25 feet to a lower ledge that leads into the couloir.
Watch for: Class 4 and exposed. Consider a rope for a handline or rappel.
9
Summit 13,457' · 4.75 mi
Scramble steep, loose Class 2+ rock for under 15 minutes to the top. Great view of North Maroon Peak's north-northwest ridge.
Getting down
Reverse the route, climbing back up the downclimb and ledges to the false summit, then down the ridge ledges to the saddle and the drainage.
If things go wrong
Before the ledges above the saddle, go back down to the trail.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above Minnehaha Creek the route climbs a trailless basin and a rotten ridge. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
Every way up Sleeping Sexton we list, with its class.
Sleeping Sexton North Ridgethis routeClass 4 9.5 mi
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.