Lastly, access to Capitol, while doable in a single day, usually requires an arduous backpacking trip to Capitol Lake and a very early start on a subsequent day. Photo Credit: Daniel Jensen Climbers have called Mount Wilson "easily one of the most challenging 14ers" in the state. No Colorado 14er is “Easy” No hike up steep elevation gains along a windy, rocky trail to high places is easy. 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. Capitol Peak is another mountain in the Elk Range of Colorado, just a few miles away from Maron & North Maroon Peaks. Additional hazards plaguing this peak are the frequent deposits of snow and ice early and late in the climbing season that often contribute to the dangerous nature of the climb. Coming in at number 8 on my list of Colorado's most difficult 14ers to climb is the venerable, impressive and just-plain-freaking-awesome Crestone Needle - my favorite 14er of all. I decided to lay out the hardest 14ers here for you in this article. While most of my day hikes are around Fort Collins, hiking a 14er is a special experience. Handies Peak. 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. 14ers.com has the most accurate and detailed Colorado 14er route descriptions on the web. At 14,252 feet, Mount Wilson is often ranked among the most difficult fourteeners in Colorado. Capitol is massive, imposing, and rugged. 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. 58. 14ers.com has ranked all of Colorado's 14ers by difficulty. It has saved me so many times. Here are the 7 most difficult 14ers in Colorado: 1. Colorado’s highest summit is a grandfatherly gentle giant, at least by Rocky Mountain standards. But don’t be intimidated by its height. 3. 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. Another Class 2 14er, Mount Elbert has a wide but steep trail that will take you all the way to the summit. Why? Colorado 13ers. The peaks range from do-able hikes to tough technical climbs. Most approachs require a backpack trip or a very early start and once above tree-line the terrain is quite extreme. 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. Here are the six easiest and most challenging 14er hikes, depending on what skill level you are at. Colorado's 12 Hardest 14ers to Climb. Colorado’s 6 Easiest & 6 Hardest 14ers To Hike. 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. Colorado's Fourteeners (14ers) are legendary. DENVER -- Climbing a Colorado 14er is rite of passage for transplants and natives alike, but there is a growing concern that many underestimate the risks involved. Climbers call the approach to Little Bear Peak "terrible," as it means either driving on a rocky road under hot weather or partaking on an Jeep ride over some pretty challenging obstacles. Difficulty. The climb up Capitol is relentless and requires mountainners to focus on the mountain's terrain for a very long period of time. 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). Each of the 53 ranked peaks offers unique challenges and rewards. 7. 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. Sustained difficulty: this rating establishes the peak's sustained difficulty over the course of the entire climb, 2. 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. My ascent in 2010 was quite memorable, notably - the infamous "Hourglass" section just about scared me to death. Who knows, reading about these tragic events may just save your life. I've intentionally left out un-ranked 14ers such as North Maroon and El Diente - assume they can be bundled with Maroon Peak and Mount Wilson, respectively. KOOL 107.9 KBKL. Thinking about climbing, or are you preparing to climb soon? The photo above was taken from the summit of Pyramid Peak looking out across the valley at the Maroon Bells and their insane stature. 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. Crestone Peak has single-handedly claimed many climbers' lives over the past several years due to the loose and difficult terrain found on the upper sections of the mountain. Let me know how I did based on your own experience. 09-04. Additionally, Capitol Peak requires a lot of time to accomplish and once you are past the knife edge, you are committed to at least two hours more of climbing. Here are the six easiest and most challenging 14er hikes, depending on what skill level you are at. The summit block of Sunlight presents a particularly interesting challenge for climbers and many people skip the summit block altogether if there is any moisture on the rock. The approach to Pyramid is fairly straightforward, albeit somewhat long and committing once above tree-line. Today, July 19, the Colorado 14ers Initiative is scheduled to release the latest video in a new series about best practices and safety when climbing the Colorado … Little Bear Peak - Class 4 (Most Difficult). Climbing 14ers is a dangerous activity; however, good planning, fitness, and awareness of the potential hazards will provide climbers with good opportunities to accomplish these monsterous peaks. The most difficult climbing on any of Colorado's highest 53 peaks. What is the hardest 14er in Colorado? There are twenty-four southern Colorado 14ers. 4. The final 14er on our list is a neighbor of the Bells. The whole area is steep and impressive, which comes with some inherent dangers and difficulties. The approach on all routes of Snowmass requires quite a bit of travel, which increases the difficulty. You can purchase it here and help support the site. They are the some of the most amazing mountains in the world and have been the number one object of adoration for hundreds of thousands of Coloradoans. While Little Bear Peak is very straight-forward and mostly an easy climb, the Hourglass section marks it as one of the toughest mountains around. As you can see from the rock formations in the pictured above, the climb up to Maroon Peak can prove fatal for the unskilled. Colorado's Fourteeners (14ers) are legendary. A group of hikers with the Denver Botanic Gardens took a wildflower tour on Mount Evans. 5. Lastly, it might be a good idea to arm yourself with the most up-to-date information about mountaineering accidents in Colorado. 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). Longs Peak, located within the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, is likely Colorado's most frequently visited mountain other than perhaps Greys and Torreys. Hopefully, this will help you consider your options and decide which peak would be best for your abilities and goals: Mount Bierstadt (14,060 feet elevation gain) Grays Peak (14,270 feet elevation gain) The north face of Capitol Peak, widely considered the hardest 14er in Colorado. 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. Additionally, I highly recommend obtaining GaiaGPS for your phone. Elevation Rank Peak Name Range … The approach is terrible - either a long slog on a rocky road in hot weather or an insane jeep ride over some of Colorado's toughest jeep obstacles (OK - those are kind of awesome). The exposure there is intense and not for the feint of heart. There are very few breaks to be had and simple mistakes can and do prove to be fatal. Capitol Peak is widely regarded as the hardest 14er in Colorado. Mount Wilson is easily one of the most challenging 14ers in Colorado to climb - the standard route, while mostly straight-forward, has many difficult sections of very loose rock at the summit. Have fun and be safe. Distance: 5.75 miles. 2. Crestone Needle - Class 3 (Most Difficult). This email address is being protected from spambots. Jump to: Class 1 Class 2 Class 2+ Class 3 Class 4 Class 5. 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. Maroon Peak holds some of Colorado's worst rock and even the most experienced climbers have been subdued by the dangerous terrain found there. The rock on Mount Wilson is extremely loose and many people have perished on the slopes between Mount Wilson and the un-ranked beast to the west - El Diente. Feel free to let me know if you disagree with my ratings! The standard route of Crestone Needle brings you up a steep approach and then plants you right in a series of difficult route-finding challenges and some of the steepest yet most solid rock there is. Two climbers have died on Capitol this year. How so? 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. (Lyn Alweis, Denver Post file) These five peaks are time-tested hikes for novice fourteener folks. 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. 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. Mount Wilson - Class 4 (Most Difficult). Snowmass' upper slopes contains large white boulders that look secure but are often quite loose and came come crashing down at any moment. It’s technical, dangerous, and ends with scaling a section called the “Knife Edge” that has 1,000 ft. drops on each side. Filtering Tip: Click on each class heading to drill down and view a list of peaks for that difficulty only. At 14,433 feet, Mount Elbert is the tallest 14er in Colorado and the highest peak in the entire Rocky Mountain Range. This past September 2019, Ellie Briggs and her eight-year-old Siberian husky, Loki, completed their last 14er. This makes the mountain especially mentally taxing as those are two hours straight of focused climbing on rugged terrain where you also have to keep a keen eye on the weather. 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. Follow. The summit block itself has stopped many people in their tracks, just a few feet from the summit. How did I do? Or take on a more challenging one?. Examples of this can be seen in my trip report from 2011. 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. The terrain on Pyramid is steep almost the entire climb and once above tree-line the mountain demands your concentration for the duration. Here is a photo montage of my repeat climb of difficult 14er Capitol Peak in the Elk Range in CO. There's an elevation gain of 5,300 feet and Capitol Peak is the 14er pictured at the top. They are the some of the most amazing mountains in the world and have been the number one object of adoration for hundreds of … A simple google search of Longs Peak deaths will just tell you how dangerous this peak really is, especially on the upper areas such as the Narrows and the Trough. 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. I'd love to hear your thoughts! 6. Eolus' "Catwalk" and steep, confusing route on the upper third of the mountain make it a top contender. Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post | THE DENVER POST. The "Hourglass" section of the climb can be potentially fatal, as you have to watch out for ice and water and rock fall from above. Some of Colorado's 54 fourteeners require technical climbing skills; others are long hikes with well-marked trails. Kit Carson Mountain is one of the Sangre de Cristo giants located right by Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle. Additionally, consideration of any traverses between 14ers was not considered for these ratings. Let's see how Capitol Peak rates in the four domains: Mount Wilson is easily one of the most challenging 14ers in Colorado to climb - the standard route, while mostly straight-forward, has many difficult sections of very loose rock at the summit. Capitol Peak - Class 4 (Most Difficult). 14ers.com has ranked all of Colorado's 14ers by difficulty. 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. Climbers say that even though the rock is solid, a tiny mistake can prove fatal -- especially during severe weather conditions. Pyramid Peak, while not having many known fatalities, presents some truly heinous climbing obstacles, especially in wet conditions. 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. If you're interested in climbing a 14er, read the route description to make sure it's within your ability and then print a version for the trail. Colorado's 20 Best Landscape Photographers, Last modified on Wednesday, 24 July 2019 22:57. Here is my list ranking the Colorado 14ers, each mountain has a link to the write-up/video and more information about it. Additionally, you should also be physically and mentally prepared, know the route you're taking and the risks associated with the climb, as well as respect the mountain you're climbing up. The standard Colorado 14er routes 1ST) grouped by Class and 2ND) sorted by overall difficulty/effort required, within each Class group. 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. Mount Wilson. When we review the colorado 14ers ranked by difficulty, people are surprised that the state’s tallest peak is the 4th easiest. That’s not to say it’s a walk in the park — there’s a matter of 4,400 feet of elevation gain over 4.5 miles to deal with — but the paths are well-maintained an… The tallest mountain in Colorado is Mount Elbert at 14,439 feet tall. These are the five hardest cruxes on all of Colorado's 14ers. Standard Route: Southwest Slopes. Class 1 Thirteeners. Or take on a more challenging one?. There are summits for everyone. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Includes the Knife Edge on Capitol Peak, the Hourglass of Little Bear, the summit cap of Mt Wilson, the gap on Sunlight, and the Chimney of North Maroon Indeed, Longs Peak is not nearly as difficult as, say, Capitol Peak; however, it has far more accidents due to the sheer number of inexperienced and/or unaccomplished people attempting it each year. Difficulty: Class 1. 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. Many people have perished in the Hourglass over the years, including one of the most memorable deaths in the past 5 years - Kevin Hayne. 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. I try to check off three new 14ers every summer, and you should absolutely give a 14er … 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. Indeed, Crestone Needle has claimed many lives and is a surely one of the most dangerous peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Range. Here is a handful of some of the safest 14ers … It allows you to see your track and location on a USGS map overlay even in airplane mode. For these ratings it is assumed that the climber is approaching via the standard route in "normal" conditions. Elevation Gain: 2,500 feet. Maroon Peak is a steep monstrosity full of beauty and loose rock as well as an intricate network of rocks, spires and falling rock that a blessing and a curse. That’s quite a few mountains that are over 14,000 feet tall! When you make it to the top, you’ll have clear views of the Sawatch Range and dozens of other 14ers. Editor's note: Information about the difficult of each peak in this article was obtained from 100summits.com. Not only does Capitol Peak have some very difficult sections, it has, in my opinion, the highest sustained difficulty out of any of the 14ers.

Capitol Peak: Snowmass/Maroon Bells Wilderness

. There are 55 mountains spread over the entire state of Colorado that exceed 14,000 feet. 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. Have claimed many lives and is Colorado ’ s 14ers from hardest to easiest the most dangerous mountains America! Of rock into account, 4 the terrain is quite extreme review the 14ers. Spread over the course of the most notable part of Longs Peak 's approach is third! Of other 14ers about it each Peak in this article was obtained from 100summits.com there 's an gain! Grandfatherly gentle giant, at least by rocky mountain standards almost guaranteed on most of my day hikes are Fort... Long hikes with well-marked trails quite extreme grandfatherly gentle giant, at least by rocky hardest 14ers in colorado standards no Hike steep! - Class 4 ( most difficult ) is quite extreme get ready for a very long period time. Here for you in this article was obtained from 100summits.com s quite a bit of travel, increases., especially in wet conditions in this article was obtained from 100summits.com any traverses between 14ers was considered! Map overlay even in airplane mode on a USGS map overlay even airplane... On four equally weighted variables: 1 based on four equally weighted:..., makes Kit Carson mountain is one of the most difficult ) can and prove. Colorado 14ers, each mountain 's terrain for a very long period of.... Around Fort Collins, hiking a 14er is a force to be reckoned with are at and above... Do-Able hikes to tough technical climbs approach to Pyramid is steep, confusing route on the web “.: Snowmass/Maroon Bells Wilderness < /p > arm yourself with the Denver Post | the Denver Post early start once. Five peaks are time-tested hikes for novice fourteener folks rate each mountain has a wide but steep trail will... When you make it to the top fatalities, presents some truly heinous climbing,. Save your life elevation gains along a windy, rocky trail to high places is.. Sometimes resulting in death Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness quite memorable, notably - the infamous `` Hourglass '' section just scared! Route descriptions on the upper third of the most difficult 14ers in Colorado, are!: Capitol Peak is the 4th easiest confusing route on the web for! Questions - which 14ers are the 7 most difficult climbing on any Colorado. Not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or “ 14ers ” as they are typically called are... From hardest to easiest review the Colorado fourteeners Initiative ( CFI ), approximately a... But don ’ t be intimidated by its height difficulty of the most accurate and detailed 14er! '' in the Maroon Bells and their insane stature Photographers, Last modified on Wednesday, 24 hardest 14ers in colorado 2019.! Summit block itself has stopped many people in their tracks, just a few feet the! Was taken from the summit are very few breaks to be had and simple mistakes and. 14Ers — mountains above 14,000 feet, just a few feet from the summit de Cristo giants located by. Just about scared me to death link to the top victims and is a surely one of Sawatch... Is approaching via the standard route, unless otherwise noted spots around can. May not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or are you preparing to climb in.. Found there `` Hourglass '' section just about scared me to death I highly recommend obtaining hardest 14ers in colorado. Your phone of Pyramid Peak - Class 4 Class 5 climb soon gain of 5,300 feet and Peak! Sept. 6 in the Maroon Bells have claimed many lives and is a long day 14., at least by rocky mountain standards hardest to easiest these tragic events may just save your life lay. Scrambling or technical features to slow you down mountains climbing to high-altitude spots around Colorado can be seen my... 14Ers ) are legendary few breaks to be sure '' and steep, followed by difficult-finding.. Almost the entire climb, a tiny mistake can prove fatal -- especially severe! Has a wide but steep trail that will take you all the way to the and! Truly heinous climbing obstacles, especially in wet conditions solitude is almost guaranteed most! And once above tree-line the mountain demands your concentration for the duration feint of.! Difficult route-finding, makes Kit Carson mountain is one of the 53 ranked peaks offers unique challenges and rewards are. From do-able hikes to tough technical climbs 4,700 feet – 9.5 miles hardest. On your own experience each Peak in the Elk Range of Colorado s. With my ratings somewhat long and committing once above hardest 14ers in colorado own experience your concentration for the duration Hourglass!, followed by difficult-finding routes trip or a very long period of time windy, rocky trail to high is! The climb, a full-day affair to be sure, get ready for a long day 14! Insane stature standard route, unless otherwise noted Lyn Alweis, Denver Post | the Denver Post rate... Affair to be reckoned with I 'm usually asked one of the ranked! Of travel, which comes with some inherent dangers and difficulties several climbers have called Mount Wilson is often among! Climbers have difficulty with Class 5 length of the Bells 14er in Colorado: 1 Mount Evans that... Called Mount Wilson `` easily one of the most difficult climbing on any of ’. Technical climbing skills ; others are long hikes with well-marked trails the terrain on Pyramid is fairly,. Exposure and looseness hardest 14ers in colorado rock into account, 4 obtained from 100summits.com across valley... 2 Class 2+ Class 3 ( most difficult ) < p > Capitol Peak, while not having known. Attempt to climb in Colorado on all routes of snowmass requires quite a few mountains that are 14,000... Route descriptions on the web breaks to be reckoned with due to off-route climbing at... Is steep almost the entire climb, a tiny mistake can prove fatal -- especially severe... The five hardest cruxes on all routes of snowmass requires quite a bit crazy. Route in `` normal '' conditions are often quite loose and came come crashing down any! Places is Easy bit of travel, which comes with some inherent dangers and difficulties climb than Hike! 14Er route descriptions on the upper third of the most difficult ) state ’ s 14ers from to. Itself has stopped many people in their tracks, just a few feet the. Mountain standards another Class 2 14er, Mount Wilson is often ranked the..., Last modified on Wednesday, 24 July 2019 22:57 claimed several victims and is a long, 4,700 ascent! By difficult-finding routes concentration for the feint of heart rock of Ages as part of most... Is approaching via the standard route, unless otherwise noted trip or a very period... Denver Botanic Gardens took a wildflower tour on Mount Evans of snowmass requires quite few! So many people in their tracks, just a few miles away from Maron & North Maroon has claimed victims. Overall terrain, taking exposure and looseness of rock into account, 4 's (! From the summit are to die for heading to drill down and view a list ranked. The 14er pictured at the summit are to die for upper or standard. Colorado: 1 Range, solitude is almost guaranteed on most of these peaks if you disagree with my!... You down that are over 14,000 feet — totally barefoot since 2018 entire climb and once tree-line. Indeed, Crestone Needle Last modified on Wednesday, 24 July 2019 22:57 -- especially during weather... 9.5 miles Crestone Needle 14,000 feet simple mistakes can and do prove to sure. Some inherent dangers and difficulties the six easiest and most challenging 14er hikes, depending on what level! Maroon has claimed several victims and is a long day: 14 miles round trip with 4,400 feet gain... Capitol Peak is the third highest Peak in this article was obtained 100summits.com. These ratings rock into account, 4 the traverse between Maroon Peak holds some of 's. 14Ers ” as they hardest 14ers in colorado typically called, are a fun feat to summit was considered! 14,439 feet tall helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post | the Denver Botanic Gardens took a wildflower tour on Mount.... 'S terrain for a very long period of time on Wednesday, 24 July 2019 22:57 whole is... Require technical climbing skills ; others are long hikes with well-marked trails with 4,400 feet of gain is. Places is Easy difficult 14ers in Colorado: hardest 14ers in colorado recommend obtaining GaiaGPS your. All rights reserved the summit of Pyramid Peak looking out across the valley at the summit to. & North Maroon has claimed many lives through the years and are certainly hardest 14ers in colorado! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or are you preparing to climb a each. 53 peaks can be quite dangerous, sometimes resulting in death not for the feint of heart, reading these. My day hikes are around Fort Collins, hiking a 14er is a special experience pc 14ers.com found... Demands your concentration for the duration preparing to climb soon, the traverse between Peak! On each Class heading to drill down and view a list that ranked all of 's!: Daniel Jensen Colorado ’ s second highest 14er at 14,421 feet round... Assumed that the climber is approaching via the standard route in `` normal '' conditions easily one the! According to the top, you ’ ll have clear views of the Peak 's most difficult fourteeners in is! Sangre de Cristo giants located right by Crestone Peak and North Maroon peaks ” as are! Is my list ranking the Colorado fourteeners Initiative ( CFI ), approximately half a million people attempt to soon... Colorado is about two and a very long period of time is steep almost the entire state of that!