Mount Elbert is composed largely of quartzite . However , the summit ridge consists of metamorphic basement rock , which is Pre @-@ Cambrian in origin and about 1 @.@ 7 billion years old . It are various igneous intrusions including pegmatite , as well as " bands " of gneiss and schist . Unlike mountains of similar altitude elsewhere , Elbert lacks both a permanent snowpack and a prominent north @-@ facing cirque , which can be attributed to its position amongst other mountains of similar height , causing it to receive relatively small quantities of precipitation .