List: The Centennial Peaks (100 Highest)

The 100 tallest "official" peaks in Colorado, sometimes called the "Centennial List". The generally accepted standard for official status by mountaineers in Colorado is that a mountain should have at least 300 feet of topographical prominence (rise from the highest connecting saddle with a higher peak).

Peak Name	Elevation	Rank	Range	Difficulty easiest route (YDS)
Mount Elbert	14,433'	1	Sawatch	class 1
Mount Massive	14,421'	2	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Harvard	14,420'	3	Sawatch	class 2
Blanca Peak	14,345'	4	Sangre De Cristo	class 2
La Plata Peak	14,336'	5	Sawatch	class 2
Uncompahgre Peak	14,309'	6	San Juan	class 2
Crestone Peak	14,294'	7	Sangre De Cristo	class 3
Mount Lincoln	14,286'	8	Tenmile Range	class 2
Grays Peak	14,270'	9	Front Range	class 1
Mount Antero	14,269'	10	Sawatch	class 2
Torreys Peak	14,267'	11	Front Range	class 2
Castle Peak	14,265'	12	Elk Range	class 2+
Quandary Peak	14,265'	13	Tenmile Range	class 1
Mount Evans	14,264'	14	Front Range	class 1
Longs Peak	14,255'	15	Front Range	class 3
Mount Wilson	14,246'	16	Front Range	class 4
Mount Shavano	14,229'	17	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Princeton	14,197'	18	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Belford	14,197	19	Sawatch	class 1
Crestone Needle	14,197	20	Sangre De Cristo	class 3
Mount Yale	14,196'	21	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Bross	14,172'	22	Mosquito	class 2
Kit Carson Peak	14,165'	23	Sangre De Cristo	class 3
Maroon Peak	14,156'	24	Elk Range	class 3
Tabeguache Peak	14,155'	25	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Oxford	14,153'	26	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Sneffels	14,150'	27	San Juan	class 2
Mount Democrat	14,148'	28	Mosquito	class 2
Capitol Peak	14,130'	29	Elk	class 4
Pikes Peak	14,110	30	Front Range	class 1
Snowmass Mountain	14,092'	31	Elk	class 3
Windom Peak	14,087'	32	San Juan	class 2+
Mount Eolus	14,084'	33	San Juan	class 3
Challenger Point	14,081'	34	Sangre De Cristo	class 2+
Mount Columbia	14,073'	35	Sawatch	class 2
Missouri Mountain	14,067'	36	Sawatch	class 2+
Humboldt Peak	14,064'	37	Sangre De Cristo	class 2
Mount Bierstadt	14,060'	38	Front Range	class 2
Sunlight Peak	14,059'	39	San Juan	class 4
Handies Peak	14,048'	40	San Juan	class 1
Culebra Peak	14,047'	41	Sangre De Cristo	class 2
Mount Lindsey	14,042'	42	Sangre De Cristo	class 2+
Ellingwood Point	14,042'	43	Sangre De Cristo	class 2
Little Bear	14,037'	44	Sangre De Cristo	class 4
Mount Sherman	14,036'	45	Tenmile Range	class 2
Redcloud Peak	14,034'	46	San Juan	class 2
Pyramid Peak	14,018'	47	Elk Range	class 4
Wilson Peak	14,017'	48	San Juan	class 3
Wetterhorn	14,015'	49	San Juan	class 3
San Luis Peak	14,014'	50	San Juan	class 1
Mount of the Holy Cross	14,005'	51	Elk Range	class 2
Huron Peak	14,003'	52	Sawatch	class 1
Sunshine Peak	14,001'	53	San Juan	class 2
Grizzly Peak	13,988'	54	Sawatch	class 2
Stewart Peak	13,983'	55	San Juan	class 1
Columbia Point	13,980'	56	Sangre De Cristo	class 2+
Pigeon Peak	13,972'	57	San Juan	class 4
Mount Ouray	13,971'	58	Sawatch	class 2
Fletcher Mountain	13,951	59	Tenmile Range	class 2
Ice Mountain	13,951	60	Sawatch	class 3
Pacific Peak	13,950'	61	Tenmile Range	class 2
Cathedral Peak	13,943	62	Elk Range	class 3
French Mountain	13,940'	63	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Hope	13,933'	64	Sawatch	class 2
"Thunder Pyramid"	13,932'	65	Elk Range	class 3
Mount Adams	13,931	66	Sangre De Cristo	class 2+
Gladstone Peak	13,913'	67	San Juan	class 3
Mount Meeker	13,911'	68	Front Range	class 3
Casco Peak	13,908'	69	Sawatch	class 2
Red Mountain	13,908	70	Sangre De Cristo	class 2
Emerald Peak	13,904'	71	Sawatch	class 2
Horseshoe Mountain	13,898'	72	Tenmile Range	class 1
"Phoenix Peak"	13,895'	73	San Juan	class 1
Vermilion Peak	13,894'	74	San Juan	class 2
Cronin Peak	13,870'	75	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Buckskin	13,865'	76	Tenmmile Range	class 2
Vestal Peak	13,864'	77	San Juan	class 2+
Jones Mountain	13,860'	78	San Juan	class 2
North Apostle	13,860'	79	Sawatch	class 2
Clinton Peak	13,857'	80	Tenmile Range	class 2
Dyer Mountain	13,855'	81	Tenmile Range	class 2
Crystal Peak	13,852	82	Tenmile Range	class 2
Mount Edwards	13,850'	83	Front Range	class 1
California Peak	13,849'	84	Sangre De Cristo	class 1
Mount Oklahoma	13,845'	85	Sawatch	class 2
"Atlantic Peak"	13,841'	86	Tenmile Range	class 2
Hagerman Peak	13,841	87	Elk Range	class 2+
Half Peak	13,841	88	San Juan	class 2
Turret Peak	13,835'	89	San Juan	class 2+
Point 13,832	13,832'	90	San Juan	class 2
Holy Cross Ridge	13,831'	91	San Juan	class 2
Jupiter Mountain	13,830'	92	San Juan	class 2+
"Huerfano Peak"	13,828'	93	Sangre De Cristo	class 2
Jagged Mountain	13,824'	94	San Juan	class 5.2
”Lackawanna Peak"	13,823'	95	Sawatch	class 2
Mount Silverheels	13,822'	96	Tenmile Range	class 1
Rio Grande Pyramid	13,821'	97	San Juan	class 2
Teakettle Mountain	13,819'	98	San Juan	class 5.3
Point 13,811	13,811'	99	San Juan	class 1
Dallas Peak	13,809'	100	San Juan	class 5.3

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Ten Mountains You Probably Haven't Climbed but Should

Mount Silverheels, Tenmile-Mosquito Range, Colorado

Tired of the crowds on overrun 14ers? Looking for less-known, less-traveled Colorado peaks just as, if not more, fun to climb than any of the 53 highest? This is a list of Colorado mountains that don't see nearly the number of signatures on their summit logs. All are worthy of earning a spot on your to-climb list.

"McReynolds Peak" (12,450 feet; class 5.9) (rank: #1034)
McReynolds Peak is a ranked 12er and, according to several seasoned Colorado mountaineers, one of the hardest peaks in the state above 12,000 feet. The good news is that all of the difficulties are crowded in one 15-foot boulder problem at the top. The bad news is that the mountain is flanked by private property and access is currently a sensitive issue.

Mount Silverheels (13,822 feet; class 1) (rank: #92)
Mount Silverheels is a popular and excellent easy-to-climb mountain in the Tenmile-Mosquito Range and one that should be on the list of any true aficionado of Colorado mountaineering. In good conditions, you can bring your whole family on the standard South Ridge route, which has a good trail all the way to an excellent and rewarding summit. A classic high-alpine hike that is less threatening than some.

McGregor Mountain (10,486 feet; class 5.2) (rank: #2043)

McGregor Mountain from Beaver Meadows

McGregor Mountain is a somewhat obscure peak with a very prominent position: towering over the Beaver Meadows entrance station to Rocky Mountain National Park. It stands like a shield over the busy highway below, not high enough to draw as much attention as other peaks in the park but far more accessible than most. McGregor offers several multipitch lines with great protection, excellent rock and plenty of room for variations. The best part? Most of the routes are easy to moderate, mostly rating in from 5.4 to 5.9, and all of the climbs are at least 3 long pitches.

Mount Powell (13,580 feet; class 2-3) (rank: #198)
Mount Powell is the highest peak in the elusive Gore Range, perhaps the most rugged and least traveled of Colorado's high mountain ranges. While Mount Powell is not a difficult peak in terms of technical terrain, it does require a long approach and has a more rugged and remote feel than more pedestrian class 2 routes in the state. Any journey into this amazing range is bound to bring adventure, and Powell is a worthy trek for those wondering what some of the more popular ranges were like a few decades ago. Adding to the appeal is Mount Powell's rank of 198 which barely sneaks it onto the "Bicentennial" list, or the 200 highest peaks of the state. The Bicentennial list is coveted and elusive milestone in Colorado mountaineering.

Mount Oso (13,684 feet; class 2) (rank: #157)
Mount Oso, or bear in Spansh, is a remote and obscure 13er deep in the heart of the San Juan mountains. It is known for its long approaches and hard-to-reach trailheads. Though Oso is on the Bicentennial list, for many of the above reasons it remains on the outside of most Colorado mountaineer's ticklists. But a journey to Oso takes you to a beautiful and less-trodden corner of arguably Colorado's most impressive range, and this bear of  mountain is worthy of being bumped to the top of you to-do list.

Sunlight Spire (13,995 feet; class 5.10d) (unranked)
Sunlight Spire is one of Colorado's most elusive summits. Based on the 1929 elevation datum, Sunlight Spire is just shy of the magical 14,000-foot mark. But in the revised 1988 datum, generally thought to be more accurate, it has been upgraded to exactly 14,000. However, with only 215 feet of topographical prominence Sunlight Spire is not an "official" peak and therefore not on most climbers' radars. This comes as a sigh of relief to most Colorado mountaineers who look at this peak's splitter-crack summit pitch in despair. It is easily one of the hardest summits to reach in the entire state. Having said this, however, bear in mind that both Thunderbolt Peak, with 223 feet of topographical prominence, and North Maroon Peak, with 234 feet, are both not ranked but are generally considered part of the standard 14er list of California and Colorado respectively.

Peak L ("Necklace Peak") (13,213 feet; class 4) (rank: #473)
Peak L is one of the true gems of the Gore Range, a range known for being tough and elusive. I debated heavily between including Peak Q and Peak L from this portion of the Gores, but settled ultimately on so-called "Necklace Peak" (Peak L) largely due to its overall rugged beauty and the foreboding nature of its easiest route. Reclusive Peak L boasts a knife edge that gives Capitol's more-famous knife a run for its money and an overall sense of adventure that easily makes it one of the least-touched summits of any major peak in the state.

Ice Mountain (13,951 feet; class 3) (rank: #59)

Ice Mountain from the summit of Mount Huron

Ice Mountain is one of the most interesting peaks in the Sawatch Range from a mountaineering perspective, and one of the most beautiful. In a range known for gentle giants like Mt. Elbert, Mt. Massive and Mt. Harvard whose challenge lies in simple, hamstring-powered vertical gain rather than technical mountaineering, Ice Mountain delivers a smorgasbord of excellent features, including loose rock, exposed scrambling and infamous snow couloirs.

Pigeon Peak (13, 972 feet; class 4) (rank: #57)
There are many worthy mountains in the San Juan range worthy of this list, but I was force to pick only a few. Pigeon Peak is located in one of the cores of Colorado mountaineering: the 10-square mile region of the Weminuche Wilderness Area south of Silverton and east of the Animas River. Rugged and dangerous, Pigeon is a next-door neighbor to the popular 14ers of the Chicago Basin. In fact, Pigeon is closer to and more visible from Highway 550 than any of those peaks. However, Pigeon's rough approaches are less-developed and time consuming, adding to this mountain's foreboding nature. Pigeon is an exposed and craggy 13er. It is one of the highest and most difficult of the so-called "Centennial" 13ers.

Jagged Mountain (13,824 feet; class 5.2) (rank: #94)
People could accuse me of tooting Jagged's horn a little too often, but I just can't say enough about this phenomenal San Juan 13er. With a burly, probably multi-day approach, and an exposed and technical standard route, this is a beautiful mountain that Colorado can be proud of.

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VIDEO: Midnight Run, New 5.13d in Glenwood Canyon

A video of climber Logan Jauernigg on his new route Midnight Run, a 5.13d sport climb at the Puoux crag in Glenwood Canyon.

Midnight Run: First Ascent from Björn Bauer on Vimeo.

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Copyright notice: This website and all its contents are the intellectual property of www.coloradomountaineering.com and its authors. None of the content can be used or reproduced without the approval of www.coloradomountaineering.com.
Climbing and mountaineering are dangerous!! Please see the DISCLAIMER page For information about how to contact us, visit this link

Peak of the Week: Kit Carson

Kit Carson Peak (14,165 feet)

INTRO

At 14,165 feet, Kit Carson is Colorado's 23rd highest peak. Overshadowed somewhat but its more famous neighbor, Crestone Peak, Kit Carson is the king of an impressive massif that also includes Challenger Point (14,081 feet, rank: #34) and Columbia Point (13,980 feet, rank: #56). It is an impressive mountain and like many of the high peaks in the Sangre De Cristo Range, it is not an easy one to climb. Its easiest route is class 3 and there are several worthy technical routes also on this unique mountain notable for the wild conglomerate rock.

Though they are relatively narrow, the Sangre's are one of Colorado's most dramatic ranges, and Kit Carson deserves to be listed as one of the range's premier peaks. Every Colorado mountaineer, matter what their skill level, should put this mountain on their list.

DIRECTIONS
Kit Carson is most commonly accessed via South Colony Lake. To get there from Westcliffe, follow Highway 69 for 4.5 miles south. Veer south (right) onto Colfax Lane (County Road 119). Follow this road straight until you reach a T-intersection with Country Road 120 (South Colony Road). Turn right and follow this road 1.5 miles to the trailhead. 4WD vehicles can continue for as many as four more miles to a high trailhead at 11,000 feet. This road is notoriously bad and sometimes a gate may block it off at 9,800 feet.

ROUTES

Kit Carson Avenue

East Ridge (class 3-4)
This is a popular route since it is the easiest way to reach the summit from South Colony Lake.


West Ridge (class 3)
The West Ridge is the easiest way to climb Kit Carson but cannot be done from South Colony Lake. In the process you also climb Challenger Point (14,081 feet). After reaching the summit of this lower neighbor, the route descends to a saddle, finds Kit Carson Avenue and joins the East Ridge for the summit pitch gully to the top.

North Ridge (class 4)
This climb is reached via the Willow Lakes approach on the opposite side of the mountain from the usual South Colony staging ground. This makes the North Ridge a good route for anyone who is looking for a more technical and off-the-beaten-path way to reach the summit than the standard West Ridge.

The Prow (class 5.8)
The Prow is one of Colorado's best technical routes on a 14er. It deserves to be named alongside other great Sangre climbs, like the Ellingwood Arete. While most of the Prow is 5.6 or easier climbing, the route is known for funky, hard-to-protect rock and exhilarating exposure. This is certainly not a place you want to be in a bad storm. The bottom of the technical portion of the route is also guarded by the crux moves of the climb. This overhanging beginning leads to some fun moves above. This is the most proud and enticing way to get to the top of Kit Carson or the experienced rock climber.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The South Colony Lakes are in the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness Area and special regulations apply. These mostly focus on the carryout of waste. Check out the fact sheet for the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness Area for more information.

LINKS
Kit Carson mountain profile on 14ers.com

The Prow on MountainProject.com

Kit Carson mountain profile on Summitpost.org

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Climbing and mountaineering are dangerous!! Please see the DISCLAIMER page
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