Capitol Peak: Snowmass/Maroon Bells Wilderness
. I will rate each mountain's difficulty ranking based on four equally weighted variables: 1. New Country 99.1. Colorado’s 6 Easiest & 6 Hardest 14ers To Hike. But the Elk Range has the two Maroon Bells, Pyramid and Capitol, four of what I think are the five hardest 14ers in the state (Little Bear being the fifth). What is the hardest 14er in Colorado? Difficulty. The rock in the Elk Mountains is notoriously loose and nasty - making it very suspect in down-climbs and even more dangerous in rain or snow. It’s technical, dangerous, and ends with scaling a section called the “Knife Edge” that has 1,000 ft. drops on each side. Let me know how I did based on your own experience. In the mountaineering parlance of the Western United States, a fourteener is a mountain peak with an elevation of at least 14,000 feet (4270 meters). But while those two summits are quite happy to be the most famous duo in the state, Capitol is easily the King of the Elks. Of course, the views from the summit are to die for. Photo Credit: Daniel Jensen A group of hikers with the Denver Botanic Gardens took a wildflower tour on Mount Evans. There's an elevation gain of 5,300 feet and Capitol Peak is the 14er pictured at the top. The peaks range from do-able hikes to tough technical climbs. Some of the 58 Colorado 14ers -- peaks higher than 14,000 feet -- can be climbed in three or four hours by the average person, and require little more than a long walk on a well-established trail. The Hourglass presents some very difficult climbing, with few good hand-holds and potentially fatal ice and water sections, not to mention the hazard of frequent rockfall from above. This past September 2019, Ellie Briggs and her eight-year-old Siberian husky, Loki, completed their last 14er. The difficult section of climbing found on the upper 1/3 of the route is difficult to negotiate and offers many challenges for climbers of all levels. The final 14er on our list is a neighbor of the Bells. Another Class 2 14er, Mount Elbert has a wide but steep trail that will take you all the way to the summit. I’m really not nervous about any of them, but if I had to put one on top of all of them, it definitely would be Capitol Peak. Many people may rate Sunlight's next door neighbor, Windom Peak, as being the more difficult of the two; however, I personally found Sunlight to have more challenging route-finding and climbing requirements. Jump to: Class 1 Class 2 Class 2+ Class 3 Class 4 Class 5. Here is a photo montage of my repeat climb of difficult 14er Capitol Peak in the Elk Range in CO. The photo above was taken from the summit of Pyramid Peak looking out across the valley at the Maroon Bells and their insane stature. Here is a handful of some of the safest 14ers … Climbing them from least to hardest, even roughly, is going to be kind of wasteful with your time/gas, as 14ers are clumped together and you can most certainly climb a few in a day/weekend. The steep approach, coupled with a downclimb mired in confusion and difficult route-finding, makes Kit Carson quite eligible for this list. The summit block itself has stopped many people in their tracks, just a few feet from the summit. The whole area is steep and impressive, which comes with some inherent dangers and difficulties. And it has Snowmass Mountain, which requires an eight-mile backpack just to get the chance to climb the … Even though the rock is quite solid and sturdy, make no mistake - an error in judgement would likly prove fatal, especially in severe weather conditions. While the mountain's standard route is mostly straight-forward, there are certainly sections that demand one's full attention and good climbing skills in order to ensure a successful summit. Terrain: this rating establishes the difficulty of the peak's overall terrain, taking exposure and looseness of rock into account, 4. Like Crestone Needle, Crestone Peak's approach is a very long day up very steep trails and rock formations, increasing the difficulty of this impressive peak found in the awesome Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Capitol Peak is another mountain in the Elk Range of Colorado, just a few miles away from Maron & North Maroon Peaks. Here is my list ranking the Colorado 14ers, each mountain has a link to the write-up/video and more information about it. 2. Snowmass Mountain is usually climbed in the early months of summer, when the face of the mountain is mostly covered in snow, making for somewhat easier travel up the snow in crampons; however, the rock beneath the snow is quite loose and is constantly shifting due to erosion. Colorado’s 6 Easiest & 6 Hardest 14ers To Hike. While Capitol Peak has only seen two deaths since 2010 compared to five on Longs Peak (as of August 2014), it is arguably the most difficult 14er in Colorado, as I attested in my 2010 trip report. 5. Others are decidedly more difficult. Colorado 13ers. With that being said, I'm going to use a mixture of my personal experience and some subjective ratings to present my case to you. The route up Crestone Needle is steep, followed by difficult-finding routes. Thinking about climbing, or are you preparing to climb soon? Examples of this can be seen in my trip report from 2011. My ascent in 2010 was quite memorable, notably - the infamous "Hourglass" section just about scared me to death. I try to check off three new 14ers every summer, and you should absolutely give a 14er … You need JavaScript enabled to view it. No Colorado 14er is “Easy” No hike up steep elevation gains along a windy, rocky trail to high places is easy. The north face of Capitol Peak, widely considered the hardest 14er in Colorado. In terms of 14ers, Colorado has over 50 of these famous peaks. Snowmass' upper slopes contains large white boulders that look secure but are often quite loose and came come crashing down at any moment. 4. Mount Wilson - Class 4 (Most Difficult). The Maroon Bells have claimed many lives through the years and are certainly some of the most dangerous mountains in America. As you can see from the rock formations in the pictured above, the climb up to Maroon Peak can prove fatal for the unskilled. The hardest 14er to climb in Colorado is about two and a half hours away in the Elk Mountains. The most difficult climbing on any of Colorado's highest 53 peaks. Little Bear Peak - Class 4 (Most Difficult). Not only was it their last one but it was Capitol Peak, considered to be one of the hardest 14ers due to the length of the hike and a 150-foot knife-edge ridge with major exposure. The approach to Pyramid is fairly straightforward, albeit somewhat long and committing once above tree-line. As pictured above in the panoramic taken between Capitol Peak and K2 near the infamous Knife Edge, the terrain is rugged, exposed, loose and dangerous. Crestone Needle - Class 3 (Most Difficult). 6. Elevation Rank Peak Name Range … These are the five hardest cruxes on all of Colorado's 14ers. Access: this rating establishes the difficulty to reach this peak or how long it takes to get to the top. Would you have rated them differently? Many of the peaks -- known as "approachable Everests" -- can be climbed by the average person, but experts warn even the easiest peak can be treacherous. Climbers say this 14er has "some of Colorado's worst rock," that even experienced climbers have difficulty with. Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Colorado's Fourteeners (14ers) are legendary. The Alpine Rescue Team offered some advice as to what you should know before taking the trip: Officials say you should let someone know your planned route and time to finish and when they should call the sheriff if you have not returned. 2. Maroon Peak - Class 4 (Most Difficult). The terrain on Pyramid is steep almost the entire climb and once above tree-line the mountain demands your concentration for the duration. Indeed, according to the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), approximately half a million people attempt to climb a fourteener each year. The climb up Capitol is relentless and requires mountainners to focus on the mountain's terrain for a very long period of time. I decided to lay out the hardest 14ers here for you in this article. PC 14ers.com I found a list that ranked all of Colorado’s 14ers from hardest to easiest. While it may make sense to simply use the only existing data available regarding mountaineering accidents in Colorado to determine 14er difficulty, my experience has been that the difficulty of a peak is more than just cold, hard facts. While this Class 1 route is a long, 4,700 foot ascent, there is no scrambling or technical features to slow you down. This email address is being protected from spambots. Sunlight Peak is one of the few 14ers requiring class 4 climbing to reach the summit and is generally preceded by a very long backpacking trip and a steep ascent into the Twin Lake basin. The exposure there is intense and not for the feint of heart. The summit of Capitol Peak can be seen from Capitol Lake on Sept. 6 in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Editor's note: Information about the difficult of each peak in this article was obtained from 100summits.com. 14ers.com has ranked all of Colorado's 14ers by difficulty. Pyramid Peak, while not having many known fatalities, presents some truly heinous climbing obstacles, especially in wet conditions. Climbers say that even though the rock is solid, a tiny mistake can prove fatal -- especially during severe weather conditions. Maroon Peak holds some of Colorado's worst rock and even the most experienced climbers have been subdued by the dangerous terrain found there. Kit Carson Mountain is one of the Sangre de Cristo giants located right by Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle. Because the list is grouped by Class, you'll see some routes which may require more overall effort (longer distance, more elevation gain) higher on the page than others which have a higher class rating but lower overall difficulty. Out of all of the Fourteeners, Little Bear Peak is quite possibly my least favorite and least likely to be something I'd like to repeat. Colorado's 12 Hardest 14ers to Climb. 4) Mt. Climber say the climb up Pyramid Peak can prove difficult due to its notoriously loose rock, making the climb and the descent very challenging, especially under wintry or rainy conditions. Sunlight Peak - Class 4 (Most Difficult). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Most approachs require a backpack trip or a very early start and once above tree-line the terrain is quite extreme. The 27-year-old has summited 25 of Colorado's 14ers — mountains above 14,000 feet — totally barefoot since 2018. In Colorado, there are 53 peaks rising above 14,000 feet and higher! While Pyramid is likely one of my favorite climbs of all time, it is not for a beginner climber and should be taking quite seriously. The summit block itself has stopped many people in their tracks, just a few feet from the summit. Varying difficulty. The tallest mountain in Colorado is Mount Elbert at 14,439 feet tall. Since Sunlight is often paired with Eolus and Windom on the same day and often as the last peak climbed, it presents even more inherent danger as many climbers attempting it are more exhausted than if doing Sunlight on its own. Each of the 53 ranked peaks offers unique challenges and rewards. Elbert – Northeast Ridge Route – 4,700 feet – 9.5 miles. They cite very loose rock at the summit and a very long trek from the Rock of Ages as part of the challenge. the only existing data available regarding mountaineering accidents in Colorado, Completing the Centennials - ending a decade-long goal on Thunder Pyramid, Cathedral Peak in August - Photographing the Perseid Meteor Shower and Sunrise from the Summit, Climbing the Crown Jewel of Colorado's Sawatch Range - Ice Mountain & North Apostle, Glossary of Colorado Mountain Climbing Terms, Backpacking in the La Garita Wilderness Area - Climbing San Luis Peak and Stewart Peak, « Colorado Lightning - A Primer for Hikers and Climbers. You can easily access Elbert’s large, rounded dome by several trails, all of which begin in vanilla-scented pine forests and emerge from treeline with stunning views of the Sawatch Range. Climbing aficionados call Capitol Peak "arguably the most difficult 14er in Colorado," due to is rugged terrain, a relentless climb up and arduous backpacking trip to Capitol Lake. The approach to Kit Carson's standard route involves a lengthy backpacking trip and an ascent over the less impressive, albeit quite steep 14er, Challenger Point. There are very few breaks to be had and simple mistakes can and do prove to be fatal. Each year I'm usually asked one of two questions - which 14ers are the easiest; and, which 14ers are the hardest? They’re divided into two ranges: The large and rugged San Juans to the southwest, and the fault-block Sangre de Christo Range which rises abruptly from the valleys along it. There are twenty-four southern Colorado 14ers. Climbing aficionados call Capitol Peak "arguably the most difficult 14er in Colorado," due to is rugged terrain, a relentless climb up and arduous backpacking trip to Capitol Lake. Here are the six easiest and most challenging 14er hikes, depending on what skill level you are at. Terrain in the Chicago Basin where Sunlight resides is notoriously loose and dangerous as well as highly susceptible to frequent and quickly changing extreme weather conditions. Of particular note, the traverse between Maroon Peak and North Maroon has claimed several victims and is a force to be reckoned with. Filtering Tip: Click on each class heading to drill down and view a list of peaks for that difficulty only. Have fun and be safe. When we review the colorado 14ers ranked by difficulty, people are surprised that the state’s tallest peak is the 4th easiest. Most difficult section: this rating establishes the difficulty of the peak's most difficult section, 3. 3. If you're still set on embarking on an incredible 14er journey, you may want to check out our checklist crafted by experts from the Colorado 14ers Initiative. Difficulty: Class 1. 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