Top 8 Least Busy 14ers in Colorado

The companion piece to last week's Top 8 Busiest 14ers post, this article takes data from the same sources (ListsofJohn.com, 14ers.com, and Summitpost.org) and approximates the least busy 14ers in Colorado.

Capitol Peak in the distance from Snowmass Mtn, number
six on this list

Anybody who has climbed a 14er in the last 10 years knows they are popular, and getting more so all the time as "ticking" them off becomes more and more trendy. So which mountains see the least action? Which are you most likely to find some semblance of solitude?

Methodology

As with the "busiest 14ers" article, we took the summit logs and reported ascents from three popular mountaineering websites and gave each a score, 1 being the least number of reports, 2 the second least and so on. We averaged those scores to create an approximation of which peaks are the least busy of the 14ers.

Possibility for Error

It is important to note that the only way to know for sure how many people actually climb these peaks would be to count every single person who climbs every single peak on every single day. This, of course, is nearly impossible. There are many ways the data here could be skewed, including bias tilted towards which mountaineers are likely to sign up and report ascents on these three websites, as well as factors such as repeat ascents and others. Regardless, we feel this list gives a good estimation of which Colorado 14ers see the least amount of traffic.

If You Really Want Solitude

If solitude is your thing, we suggest NOT climbing the 14ers. Period. Or perhaps, climbing them in the off season, like the dead of winter. Sure they are great mountains, and climbing them gives you a certain amount of clout in social circles, but if your main goal is to climb great peaks with a sense of adventure, a wilderness experience, and enjoy solitude, we suggest aiming for 13ers and 12ers. In many cases, the climbing on these peaks is just as good, arguably better, and you still get the same satisfaction that climbing any high mountain can provide.

All of that being said, here are the eight least busy 14ers according to our calculations:

1. Culebra Peak

It was no surprise that the only 14er that you must pay heavily to climb had the fewest reports of people climbing it. I have never climbed Culebra, and though I have climbed almost all of the 14ers I have no plans to do so in the immediate future. Were it of outstanding aesthetic value, not merely average as most seem to consider it, perhaps Culebra would see more use.

2. Mount Wilson

This was a bit of a surprise. Clearly there is a direct correlation between a mountain's difficulty and its relative popularity, but to see Mt. Wilson land all the way at number 2 was more than expected. Mount Wilson is Colorado's 16th highest peak. It is highly prominent and has a stunning and highly visible position relative to the popular mountain town of Telluride. All of this, however, apparently is outweighed by its long standard route, class 4 difficulty and distance from Front Range cities.

3. Little Bear

Little Bear is oft-touted as Colorado's most dangerous, if not most difficult, 14er, therefore it came as no surprise  that it landed in the top 3. I know several people that put off Little Bear until they had just a few 14ers left before completion. Add in its distance from Front Range big cities, and the reason for its relative inactivity makes sense.

4. Mount Eolus

Eolus is a hard peak to get to and somewhat more difficult than most by its standard route (class 3). And frankly, it is not very famous. I've known some people who are fairly acquainted with Colorado's backcountry that are not even aware of a 14er that goes by that strange name, Eolus.

5. Wilson Peak

The Wilson group apparently are not very busy. The reason Wilson Peak is slightly busier than Mount Wilson is probably due to its shorter and technically easier standard route. Still, however, this little corner of Colorado magnificence is significantly less crowded than other comparable destinations.

6. Snowmass Mountain

Snowmass Mountain is long, scrambly, far from Denver, and relatively low in stature for a 14er (ranked #31). We saw these factors repeating over and over while comprising this list and thus it is no surprise that Snowmass Mountain landed at #6.

The backside of the Maroon Bells from Frigid Air Pass

7. Sunlight Peak

The Chicago Basin 14ers are difficult to get to, and very far from Denver. The fame (or infamy) of Sunlight Peak's summit cap, however, may be the reason why it sees slightly more ascents than neighboring Eolus.

8. Maroon Peak

Maroon Peak is perhaps Colorado's most photographed mountain. It is a stunning and famous peak. It is also one of Colorado's most dangerous. Over half of all deaths reported on Colorado's 14ers so far this decade occurred on the Maroon Bells, the Crestones, and Longs Peak. Despite its fame, Maroon Peak apparently does not see near as much traffic as other 14ers.

Honorable Mentions

Capitol Peak, Ellingwood Point, Windom, and Pyramid Peak were all next up if we extended this list past eight. Also North Maroon, North Eolus, and El Diente would have made the top 8, but we did not include any "unranked" peaks that didn't have at least 300 feet of topographical prominence.

Analysis

There were a few surprises when the data was finally crunched to create this list. Some of these peaks, like the Maroon Bells, are quite famous, and  thus seem more popular than they are. If we were to create a list of most pageviews or photographs on these websites, a whole different set of mountains would have emerged. But popularity in terms of mythical status and internet fame did not equate to reported ascents. What wasn't surprising was that Culebra topped the list. There's one way to reduce a peak's use: charge $150 to climb it. It is also not surprising that some of the state's hardest peaks are the least busy: Sunlight, Mt. Wilson, Maroon Peak, Little Bear. And if we rounded out the list to 15, we would also have seen Pyramid Peak, Capitol Peak and both Crestones. In fact, all of these mountains here (except Culebra) are at least class 3 by their standard routes. Distance from Denver was also a clear factor, as every mountain in the top 8 is from the Sangre De Cristo, Elk and San Juan ranges. 

An interesting note that reinforced just how busy even these least popular 14ers are, Colorado's highest 13er, Grizzly Peak (which was once considered a 14er until a better survey proved otherwise) would have easily topped this list. In fact, even among the busiest 13ers we could think of (Silverheels, Meeker, Mt. Sheridan, etc.) we weren't able to find any with more reported ascents than Culebra.

Enjoy these peaks. Climb them, take care of them, but even on these mountains don't expect solitude on a summer weekend.

RELATED ARTICLES
-Ten Mountains You Probably Haven't Climbed But Should
-14ers the Hard Way
-Top 8 Busiest 14ers
-14ers are Dead

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Statistical Analysis of Deaths on Colorado 14ers this Decade (2010-2016)

The Elk Range, statistically one of the most dangerous
ranges in the state

(NOTE: A new version of this article has been published that includes data from the 2017 mountaineering season)

The blossoming popularity of hiking and climbing on Colorado's 14ers has also brought an increase in accidents on these peaks. This article is an attempt to analyze the statistics from these terrible incidents and (hopefully) discover some useful conclusions to prevent such tragedies from occurring again in the future.

While every effort has been made to ensure that the data is complete, it is quite possible that some or several accidents have been overlooked. Every year there are accidents that go unreported and sifting through the barrage of information on the internet is not easy, especially regarding events that may have occurred several years ago. Still, this information can prove a useful tool in keeping all of who venture into the highest places of  this amazing state safe.

STATS AT A GLANCE

Total deaths on Colorado 14ers (2010-2016): 46
Deaths by mountain: Longs Peak (8), Maroon Bells (7), Crestone Needle (5), Crestone Peak (3), Kit Carson (3), Capitol (2), Snowmass Mountain (2), El Diente (2), Harvard (2), Evans (2), Missouri (2), Torreys (2), Quandary (1), Windom (1), Antero (1), Princeton (1), Little Bear (1), Yale (1)
Deaths by gender: M (41), F (5)
Deaths by age range: >20 (2), 20-29 (10), 30-39 (13), 40-49 (6), 50-59 (11), 60 or over (5)
14er deaths by mountain range: Sangre De Cristo (12), Front Range (12),  Elk Range (11), Sawatch Range (7), San Juan Range (3), Tenmile-Mosquito Range (1)
Deaths by Cause: fall (28), falling rocks (5), avalanche (3), heart attack (2), lightning (1), unclear (7)
Deaths by Year: 2010 (10), 2011 (10), 2012 (6), 2013 (5), 2014 (6), 2015 (4), 2016 (5)

(Note: I have combined the Maroon Bells in the above list due to the number of accidents that occurred on the traverse between them making it hard to attribute these deaths to one or the other of these peaks) 

ANALYSIS/CONCLUSIONS

There are a few glaring details from the above statistics that are immediately apparent. For one, half of these deaths (23) occurred on only five mountains (Longs Peak, the Maroon Bells, and the two Crestones). While none of these should really come as a surprise, it is interesting to see just how concentrated this list is. Longs Peak attracts a high number of accidents (almost all of which occurred on the standard Keyhole Route) because it's steep and exposed from every approach. The numbers are further inflated, however, because Longs is by far the busiest of any 14er in the state. On the Crestones, it is noteworthy that half of the eight deaths between the two of them occurred on Crestone Needle's Ellingwood Arete, a technical (5.7) multipitch climb, and only three fatal accidents have occurred on their standard routes. Per capita, the Deadly Bells lead for the dubious prize so far this decade as the most dangerous 14ers by their easiest lines. It doesn't take a Nobel Prize winner to understand why: these stunning peaks maybe be beautiful but their rock is far from it.

Another glaring and thought-provoking statistic is the ratio of males to females that have died on Colorado 14ers. A staggering 89% of the 14er fatalities this decade were males. From an analytical standpoint it is hard to say whether this reflects the numbers of males attempting 14ers over the numbers of females or some other factor (i.e. male tendency towards risk-taking, etc.)

It is also quite clear that the 14ers of the Sangre De Cristo and Elk Ranges are the deadliest. While the Front Range is tied with the Sangres for most fatal accidents total, this stat is skewed by the sheer number of attempts, as the Front Range 14ers (particularly Longs) are some of the state's most popular.

Analyzing the cause of death was somewhat challenging. Some of the information listed multiple causes, i.e. a falling rock strikes a climber causing them to lose their grip and fall. This sort of accident makes it difficult to categorize the accident. With other accidents vague reporting (often by reporters who have little or no mountaineering experience) made determining the actual cause of death very difficult. One thing is clear, however, is that the majority of 14er deaths involved a fatal fall on a mountain. The cause of these falls, however, is vitally important and sometimes difficult to say. My guess is that most occur due to breaking hand or footholds. The other leading causes of accidents are rockfalls/landslides and avalanches.

SOME SURPRISES

Capitol Peak has been site of two fatal accidents
so far this decade

What can also be useful from a data set like this is considering not just what is there but what is not. For example, neither Sunlight Peak, Wilson Peak, nor Pyramid Peak appear on this list. These three mountains are oft-touted as some of the hardest/most dangerous in the state yet nobody has died on any of them so far this decade. Also, there was only one death on Little Bear, another peak that is often regarded as the most dangerous of all the 14ers. In all these instances, however, these low numbers could be the product of much fewer numbers of attempts.

The San Juans. A beautiful range with a large number of rugged 14ers notorious for crumbly rock, yet we only see three deaths from this range. This again, could partially be a product of their distance from the populous cities of the Front Range, and therefore enjoy a proportionally smaller number of attempts. Or maybe the San Juans are not as fierce or chossy as their reputation makes out.

HOW TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT

Statistically speaking, there are a couple of easy things you can do to virtually eliminate your odds of ending up on a list like this in the future:

1) If your main goal in Colorado mountaineering is simply not to die, then do NOT climb the Maroon Bells, Longs Peak, or the Crestones. Again, over half of the fatal accidents this decade have occurred on these five peaks. Of course, many people simply cannot put their backs to the siren call of these dangerous peaks. For those, perhaps extra care should be taken to exercise the greatest possible caution: climb in good weather, wear a helmet, start early, avoid crowds, and tread lightly!

2) Be a woman. Apparently simply being a woman slices your chances of dying on a 14er considerably. However, I have not been able to find reliable stats on the ratio of female to male climbers attempting 14ers, or even better, starting out on individual peaks, so it is hard to know a woman's odds of dying are actually slimmer or if the difference is merely proportional.

3) Avoid falling. Of course this is always the goal, but most of the fatal accidents on 14ers involved the victim falling. From my experience reading about these accidents, breaking/crumbling hand or footholds is almost always the cause of falling related accidents. Maintain three points of contact on the difficult sections of steep mountains at all times, carefully test hold before weighting them, and rope up if it is safe and practical (which, unfortunately, is often not possible on the loose rock of some of Colorado's most dangerous mountains).

FINAL THOUGHTS

Though many of us like to say we "live" for the mountains, probably none of us wants to die there before our time. We accept a certain degree of risk knowing risk is the only path to reward. These 46 deaths are all tragic. The widespread consequences of losing even one life can ripple out and touch so many. But compared to the tens (perhaps hundreds) of thousands of people that attempted Colorado's 14ers this decade, 45 deaths is a very small percentage. We all venture to these high places knowing what risks we take and the potential consequences of our actions. We are willing to accept these calculated risks because it is only in the mountains that we truly feel alive.

RELATED POSTS

-2016 mountaineering deaths in Colorado
-Climber dies on Thunder Pyramid
-Climber dies on Maroon Peak
-Climber Dies on Capitol Peak

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The Five Hardest Cruxes of Colorado's 14ers (with videos)

A countdown of the five most stomach-clenching cruxes of Colorado’s 53 tallest peaks.

Climbing 14ers is the most popular mountaineering pursuit in Colorado’s high country. While more than 2/3rds of these noble peaks can be “climbed” by mere endurance and a pair of hiking boots, a handful of these popular mountains require a bit more technical skill and engagement with risk to reach the top. This list counts down the five most difficult sections (not most dangerous, that might yield a different list altogether) of all the fourteeners by their standard routes.

#5- The Summit Cap (Mt. Wilson)

Some nice exposure and steep scrambling awaits aspiring mountaineers who have reached the top of this San Juan monarch. Luckily, this vertigo-inducing crux is relatively short-lived. There is some loose rock here, however, and some mistimed flailing could prove disastrous. The following video  is a bit shaky but shows a detailed look at those final relatively intense minutes of climbing.

#4- Jumping the Gap (Sunlight Peak)

Much is said about the final move on famous San Juan 14er, Sunlight Peak. There are many that consider it the crux of all Colorado's highest peaks. In fact, Gerry Roach even makes that claim in his book Colorado's Fourteeners. This difficult move is no doubt exposed, and will get all but the most exposure-hardened of mountaineer's attention. But it is short and if you can put aside the dizzying swirl of air all around you, is not as difficult as fear might make it seem.

#3- The Knife Edge (Capitol Peak)

Perhaps the most infamous crux on any Colorado 14er is the Knife Edge of Colorado's Capitol Peak. While some may argue that this is not even the most difficult section of this peak, there is no doubt that the Knife Edge is the mental crux of this stout and infamous mountain. However, wary aspiring ascentionists can take heart with the knowledge that the Knife boasts some of Capitol's most solid rock and that, barring bad weather, as long as you keep your cool and move with deliberation, there is no reason this crux should prove anything other than exhilarating.

#2- The Chimney (North Maroon Peak)

There is no doubt that the Deadly Bells have earned that forboding moniker. As a resident of the Roaring Fork Valley, I can attest to the frequency at which Search and Rescue gets summoned to these beautiful mountains. Unfortunately, these rescue missions all-too-often become recoveries. The hardest section of these two peaks by their standard routes is the "chimney" of North Maroon that is a mildly sustained section of vertical climbing that many consider to be that hardest technical crux of any standard route on any fourteener.

#1- The Hourglass (Little Bear)

For my money the Hourglass on Little Bear Peak in the Sangre De Cristo Range deserves the title for the crux of all 14er cruxes. It is long, sustained, steep and dangerous. It is class 4 if you pick the best possible line, maybe even a little harder if you don't. Add in the immense danger of falling rock and this section is for real. Tread carefully and lightly here as a number of terrible accidents have occurred at this spot.

NOT HARD ENOUGH?

Think these cruxes were too easy? For a real hard man the following 14er cruxes on non-standard routes will put those five to shame.

Pitch 1 of Kit Carson's Prow (5.8R)

The start of this exhilarating and exposed alpine climb is worthy for the more  technically adept Colorado mountaineers out there.

climbers on Longs Peaks Diamond

Pitch 6 of the Casual Route (5.10a)

Sure, if I wanted to go crazy, there are much more difficult lines on the Diamond. After all, Tommy Caldwell established the wall's first 5.14 in 2014. But the Casual Route is the "standard" way to climb the Diamond and thus its crux gets the nod here.

Summit tower of Sunlight Spire (5.10c)

It's a good thing for those of us weenie everyday-Joe mountaineers that 14,000' Sunlight Spire does not have enough prominence to be considered a ranked peak because it's summit cap is a dozy. First freed in 1988 by Jeff Achey and graded 5.10c, this angling splitter crack is a magnificent achievement for any tough-guy (or gal) mountaineer. Really want something to hold over the heads of all those mere mortal 14er "finishers"? Tell them you free-climbed the Sunlight Spire and challenge them to match the deed.

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Five Most Iconic Colorado Mountains

What are the defining peaks of Colorado? With 637 "ranked" peaks higher than 13,000', it is hard to pick just five. What criteria could be used to quantify such a selection? Sheer beauty? Ruggedness? Fame? By any of these definitions on their own you might get a different set of peaks. Certainly Elbert could be cast as one of Colorado's most famous mountains, but without question it is not as photogenic as some of these rugged peaks. Then there are peaks such as Lizard Head, as rough and rugged as they get but so obscure that none but the most interested of fanatics have ever heard of it. And of course, every individual person brings their own biases, their own aesthetic preferences.

So for our selections here in this article, we have attempt to combine these characteristics: beauty, fame, ruggedness, to create a list of five of Colorado's most iconic and defining peaks. No matter if you agree of disagree, it is hard to deny that these are five mountains that Colorado can be proud of.

The classic Maroon Bells image from
Maroon Lake

1. The Maroon Bells (14,156'; rank #24)
In terms of sheer beauty the Maroon Bells are hard to beat. The classic image of the twin peaks framed in the U-shaped valley from Maroon Lake, has become one of the most iconic and defining images from the Colorado high country. Add in that these peaks both top that coveted 14,000' benchmark, and that they have a fearsome reputation as being two of the more formidable and dangerous summits to reach in the state and it seems clear that these mountains deserve their spot here on this list. (Maroon Bells profile page)

2. Crestone Peak (14,294'; rank #7)

Crestone Peak with a dusting of snow

Crestone Peak in the rugged Sangre De Cristo Range is one of Colorado's most beautiful mountains. Rugged, burly, prominent, it towers above its lesser adversaries like a monarch. There can be no doubt that Crestone is one of Colorado's most aesthetic and formidable mountains. It is a peak that Coloradoans can hold against nearly any other peak anywhere in the lower 48. Add in the unique prominence of the Sangres and you get a mountain that at times resembles a misplaced member of a more formiddable range like the Alps or Tetons right here in our backyards. (Crestone Peak's profile page)

3. Mount of the Holy Cross (14,005'; rank #51)

W.H. Jackson's famous 1873 Holy Cross
image

It is not just the namesake feature on Holy Cross's East Face that makes it beauiful and famous. This gem of the Sawatch Range is rugged and impressive from all of its aspects. Coupled with an amazing surrounding wilderness and you can see why it makes this list. The fame of the mountain, which originated with William Henry Jackson's 1873 photograph and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's subsequent poem, has piqued the imaginations of hikers, religious zealots and mountaineers for well over a century. This is a famous and amazing mountain that deserves to be named among the greats. (read Angels and Demons: The Two Faces of Holy Cross) 

4. Capitol Peak (14,130'; rank #29)

Capitol Peak from the north

Capitol Peak enjoys an oft-touted reputation as Colorado's most fearsome mountain. While many debate on whether this reputation is overstated, there can be no doubt that the mountain has caputred the imaginations of modern mountaineers more than almost any other of Colorado's great peaks. But not only is Capitol a rugged and challenging mountain, it is also stunningly beautiful with its sharp ridges and impressive faces. No matter which direction you approach this mountain from it is a formidable spire. Without question Capitol is one of Colorado's most aesthetic and treacherous mountains. (Capitol Peak's profile page)

5. Longs Peak (14,255'; rank #15)

Longs Peaks North Face with the Diamond
also visible.

Highly visible, intensely rugged, shockingly popular, and classically famous, this list would not have been complete without Longs Peak. As the crown jewel of Rocky Mountain National Park, this mountain has attracted a great deal of attention for many years. It is also one of Colorado's most complicated massifs. Few peaks offer the sheer volume and diversity of routes. The standard route, the Keyhole, is most likely the most popular route on any mountain in the state. Longs Peak also boasts by far the largest number of viable technical mountaineering routes around. From the relatively mild North Face (5.4) to the mixed snow and rock of the dramatic Kiener's Route (5.4, steep snow) to the many world-class alpine multipitch climbs on the 1,000-foot Diamond, this mountain is a rock climber's paradise and one of Colorado's most impressive mountains. (Longs Peak profile page)

Honorable Mentions

Mt. Sneffels. (Debivort at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) )

Mount Princeton (14,197'; rank #18)
The massive prominence of Mt. Princeton, especially as viewed from the east in the Buena Vista area, make this mountain one of Colorado's most impressive peaks. It towers with more than 6,000' of prominence over the Arkansas River Valley just a few miles away. In the winter, this stunning peak looks even more dramatic and the effect can be quite breathtaking. (Mt. Princeton tip report)

Mount Sneffels (14,150'; rank #27)
This San Juan gem is one of the most beautiful and rugged peaks in the state. Viewed from the north it boasts a staggering 8,000' of prominence over the plains near Montrose making its rugged profile one of the most sheer and impressive in the Rockies. (Mt. Sneffels profile page)

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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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LIST: Ranked Class 5 Peaks over 13,000 feet

There are seven "ranked" peaks over 13,000 feet that require class 5 climbing to reach the top. In other words, by their easiest route, these seven mountains are the most difficult high peaks in the state. Mountains like Longs Peak or Crestone Needle which have difficult class 5 routes but easier hikes or scrambles as well would not be included. This list also does not include mountains like "Coffeepot" which require fifth-class climbing to reach their summit but do not meet the requirements for being "ranked" (i.e. they have less than 300 feet of topographical prominence).

There are three peaks in the Centennial list (100 highest) that require 5th class climbing. As you will see below, there are four other 13ers that also fall in this intimidating category. It is interesting, though not altogether surprising, that all of the mountains on this list (except the debatable "Whitney Peak") are found in the San Juan Range.

NOTE: I believe this list is complete but there are 637 mountains in Colorado that are above 13,000 feet and have more than 300 feet of topographical prominence. Many of these peaks are quite obscure and have seen only a handful of ascents. If you know of a ranked summit that requires 5th class rock climbing by its easiest route than please let me know!

Dallas Peak from Blue Lake Pass

1. Jagged Mountain (13,824 feet) (5.2)
Deep in the Weminuche Wildnerness lies one of Colorado's most reclusive and inaccessible mountains. Jagged Mountain is a jewel of Colorado mountaineering and deserves a larger reputation than it has. This hard-to-reach mountain is one of the few in the state that requires more than one day to climb. The route itself is a winding, complicated multi-pitch climb with dangerous scrambling, loose rock, tricky routefinding, and several technical cruxes that probably necessitate the use of a rope. There is a great deal of exposure, including a narrow ledge traverse with thousands of feet of air whipping at your ankles.

2. Teakettle Mountain (13,819 feet) (class 5.2)
Teakettle is part of a rugged portion of the San Juans that includes several challenging peaks: Sneffels, Coffeepot, Dallas, and Teakettle. Of the three Centennials on this list, Teakettle is probably the easiest summit to reach. There is a 50-foot 5.2-5.3 summit pitch leading up the unique summit cap (hmmm...why did this mountain get its name?) to an exhilarating and tiny summit.

3. Dallas Peak (13,809 feet) (class 5.3)
Dallas Peak is often cited as the most difficult of Colorado's 100 highest peaks. Dallas's challenging summit cap is generally given a high-end 5.3 rating. The last two hundred feet on Dallas are steep, junky and full of class 4 and 5 terrain. The most difficult moves are just below the summit. You can rappel from near the summit directly past most of the hardest difficulties.

4. Peak Fifteen (13,700) (class 5.2)
Peak Fifteen is the next-door neighbor to more famous 13er Turret Peak and both of these rugged mountains lie in Weminuche Wilderness Area in the San Juans. This technical and committing route is one of the hardest all-around climbs of all the standard routes in the state and most people bring a rope. Peak Sixteen, Peak Fifteen's unranked neighbor, is also a technical mountaineering goal requiring 5th class climbing to reach its summit and together these three mountains for an amazing and impressive massif.

5. Coxcomb Peak (13,656 feet) (class 5.3)
Probably the easiest peak on this list, Coxcomb involves just a short section of class 5 climbing. This flat-topped peak is not particularly imposing but can surprise you. Coxcomb is known for loose rock, poor protection, and some exposure on the summit ridge. Be prepared to rappel.

6. Whitney Peak (13,276') (class 5.6)
Inclusion of this peak is up for debate, as the "class 5" section of it is one boulder. Apparently, however, this boulder is the highest point on the peak and thus to truly climb the peak in the eyes of some you must stand on the top of the boulder. Apparently, scaling this boulder takes a few moves of class 5.6 "climbing."

7. Lizard's Head (13,113 feet) (5.8+ R/X)

Lizard Head Peak- Colorado's most difficult summit over 13,000'

Simply put, Lizard's Head is Colorado's hardest ranked peak above 13,000 feet. This intimidating spire is a rotten, exposed nightmare and thus is rarely climbed. The easiest route is the Southwest Chimney, a three-pitch climb on runout choss. There are other possibilities too, all of which are going to require equally or more difficult technical climbing.

Honorable mention:
Sunlight Spire (13,995 feet) (5.10c)
Though it does not meet the criteria to be a ranked peak as it has only 215 feet of topographical prominence, Sunlight Spire is one of Colorado's most dramatic and difficult summits to reach. To add to its allure, the summit pitch is a beautiful and bomber splitter-crack that clocks in at the high 5.10 level. This crack can be freeclimbed or aided (see this photograph for a good view of the amazing summit cap). Based on the more accurate but less syndicated 1988 datum, Sunlight Spire just overtops 14,000 feet, possibly making it the most difficult 14,000 foot summit in the contiguous 48, even more difficult than the famous summit cap on California's Thunderbolt Peak, which, by the way, is also "unranked" by Colorado standards yet considered one of the must-do California 14ers.

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Feature: Lost in the San Juans

The Grenadiers:
A Week of Rain, Lightning and Getting Lost in Colorado’s Largest Wilderness
by Brian Wright

Arrow and Vestal Peak coming out of the fog

I’d lost my fiancée. Sometime between when she yelled ahead to tell me she wanted to stop and take photos of some flowers and when I’d sat three minutes later on a log to wait for her to catch up, we’d gotten separated. “Ella!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, running in my heavy hiking boots back up the steep trail towards Vestal Basin. My legs were tired, my ankle injured. We had just spent the previous day battling up the 1,500-foot trail from Elk Creek to the base of Vestal Peak in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness on a trail that had proven not to be a trail at all. What we had hoped would be a short, albeit steep, hike had turned into a multi-hour obstacle course of downed lumber and loose rock.

An hour had gone by since we’d last seen each other. The worst of all possibilities were surfacing in my mind. Maybe she’d fallen on the uneven “trail”. Maybe she’d had to go back to camp for a forgotten item. The horrifying thought even occurred to me, since she’d seemingly disappeared without a trace, that a mountain lion had dragged her off the trail. At that point, anything seemed possible.

The clouds were building, again. Although we had had a morning of beautiful blue skies, already the storms that had dominated every afternoon of our week-long backpack trip were returning. I ran farther up the trail, almost all the way back to our camp from the previous evening. There was no sign of her. “Where did you go?” I yelled fruitlessly. I’d read about people in situations like this, but I’d never been in one myself. I needed to find someone to help. I needed to find her. As the storms built and my desperation deepened, I knew there was no way I could leave Vestal Basin until I found her.
*                              *                             *
The Weminuche Wilderness Area is the largest wilderness in Colorado. At nearly half a million acres, it encompasses a huge swath of the San Juan Mountains in-between the towns of Durango and Silverton. There are over 500 miles of trails through the Weminuche, including a portion of the popular Colorado Trail, and countless other rugged passes and unmaintained routes.

Wham Ridge of Vestal Peak in the Grenadier
Range of the San Juan Montains

But it wasn’t the trails that we had come for, but the mountains, and no other place in the state boasts so rugged and dramatic a collection of high peaks. In ten square miles at the heart of the Weminuche, there are 10 of Colorado’s 104 highest peaks, including four fourteeners (Sunlight, Eolus, North Eolus, and Windom) and many of Colorado’s most classic thirteeners. Our sights had been set on the Grenadier Range, a sub-range of the San Juan Mountains that runs east to west a few miles south of Silverton. The Grenadiers are a chain of dramatic quartzite peaks that form one of Colorado’s most unique and dramatic mountain skylines. Great ramps of solid, dark rock angle into the sky. In his book Colorado’s Thirteeners: 13,800 to 13,999 Feet, Gerry Roach says that the mountains of the Grenadier Range “take on a new dimension as peaks leap from a mold that could belong to another planet.” It was this unique architecture that drew us to these mountains, for some of the best and most popular technical alpine climbs in the state reside here.

Our plan had been to start at the Molas Trailhead (thereby foregoing the $85 train ride from Durango into the Animas River Canyon, which would have saved us over six miles and 1,800 feet of both elevation gain and loss) and hike down along a portion of the Colorado Trail until we could turn south into the Vestal Basin. We wanted to establish a high camp in the Vestal Basin at 11,500 feet at the very foot of the Grenadier Mountains. There we would be in perfect position to attempt the North Ridge of Arrow Peak (III 5.6) and, more importantly, Wham Ridge of Vestal Peak (II 5.4).

In every good story, however, the heroes (us) are thrown into a vibrant setting and obstacles are strewn in front of their path, the more the better. Such was the case for us as we started our journey in the rain on my 30th birthday. We encountered massive, drenching storms with wild lightning and pounding hail. We met hungry animals, steep hills, downed lumber, deceptive forks in the trail. We faced all of these with 70-pound packs laden with a week’s worth of gear and our entire supply of climbing gear hanging from our shoulders. But none of it was as frightening and mentally exhausting as losing each other.

Rainy and foreboding, views like this dominated our trip

An hour into my frantic search and there was still no sign of her. My voice was rough from shouting. It all seemed impossible, like a bad dream I couldn’t shake. I wanted to go home. After four days of rain and lightning and never having a weather window for us to attempt either peak, I was spent.

The only logical solution, I concluded at last, was that somehow she had gotten ahead of me. But how? I had sat and waited on the trail and she had never passed me. The only choice, it seemed, was to head down. It was a difficult decision; if she was in trouble and needed help I might be her only hope for a rescue. Shouldering my pack reluctantly, I start down the long hill.

Quickly, I found myself somewhere unrecognizable and the harsh truth settled in: it had been me who had taken the wrong trail. I had to back-track until I realized exactly where I had gotten off course. Finally back on the right path, I started downhill as fast as I could, knowing that somewhere below Ella was likely in a desperate panic just like me, thinking I too was lost. I found footprints fresh since the rain of the night before. They had to be hers.

At the bottom of the hill we were reunited at last, each as emotional as the other. We sat together resting, exhausted by our simultaneous searches for each other. After the emotions subsided we were able to laugh it off like a bad joke.

The trip wasn’t quite what we’d hoped it would be. We didn’t make either summit, we got rained on incessantly, and both of our bodies were breaking down with the enormous effort. But as we settled next to the Animas River for our last night before we hiked up the big hill back to our car, we were happy. We’d had a great adventure in one of Colorado’s most breathtaking places.

Note: This article first appeared in the September 2013 edition (Volumne Eight, Issue Five) of Our Backyard, which is a special edition inside The Nickel, the Moab Times Independent, the Fruita Times, and the Palisade Tribune

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