Hiking Monte Cristo and Superior Peaks
Fast Facts:
Base Elevation: 8,634
Peak Elevation: 11,132
Hiking Elevation Gain: 2,917
Distance: 5.28
Elapsed Time: 4:38 hours
Date: October 5, 2026
Strava: link
I first summitted Mt. Superior in August 2018. It was my first 11,000-foot peak in the Wasatch, and with less climbing experience and fewer exposed routes under my belt, I remember it feeling a bit spicy.
We approached via Cardiff Pass, but as we neared the summit, we drifted off the ridge to the south and found ourselves in very steep, no-fall terrain. One of my sons was ahead of me, and I remember thinking, “If he weren’t up there, I would turn around.” This time, my goal was to stay on the ridge all the way to the summit.
The most common route to Monte Cristo climbs Mt. Superior from the east via Cardiff Peak, then continues along the ridge to Monte Cristo. That is the route described here.
Drive up to Alta and park near Our Lady of the Snows Center. Follow Michigan City Road, which passes the sheriff’s office before transitioning from pavement to gravel. When you reach the Alta Guard House Study Area, turn left onto the Cardiff Trail.
The goal is to head towards Cardiff Pass which follows the power lines.
Cardiff Pass is about 1.3 miles and 10,020 elevation and it took us about 43 minutes to get there.
Reaching the pass is the easy part. From the pass, you will turn west (left) and there will be a worn trail that marks the way. Once you pass Cardiff Peak, you will get your first glimpse of Mt. Superior and Cardiac Ridge.
At about 1.9 miles and 10,200, is when the grade starts to tilt up.
After Little Superior, there are a couple of steep sections but the rock is firm and there are lots of hand/foot holds.
As you make your way up, the goal is to stay as close to the ridge line as possible.
More scrabbling along the way.
Below is a photo of the final approach. Be warned: there are a few false summits along the way, so don’t get too excited when you think you’re almost there. Stay patient—the summit will arrive soon enough.
We reached the summit of Superior in just under 1.5 hours.
I always assumed the traverse from Superior to Monte Cristo would be super sketchy and technical because skiing Monte Cristo’s south side requires rappelling. But that section is farther down the ski route. The hike between the two peaks was actually quite mellow and took us just 25 minutes.
From Superior’s summit at 11,050 feet, descend about 60 feet to a saddle, then climb to Monte Cristo’s summit at 11,132 feet.
The peak offers crazy views of the BCC/LCC ridgeline towards the west.
It took us 1:44 to reach the summit of Monte Cristo.
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