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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Ten Class 5 Colorado Mountaineering Classics

Longs Peak, Mount Meeker, & the Diamond. Shows
Pervertical, Kiener's and The Flying Buttress

There is nothing more exciting than a technical alpine route. The adventure, the scenery, the danger all combine to make for the ultimate challenge for a mountaineer. High, hard and exposed, these mountaineering classics demand such a level of expertise that they shine above all others in the minds of the climbers and alpinists who live in and visit this state. The following list would be an ambitious ticklist of some of the most famous, and most fun technical alpine climbs on a high peak in Colorado.

It is difficult to go about creating a list like this, as so many opinions exist about each and every one of these routes. I started by first establishing several criteria to reduce the number of worthy candidates to a manageable category. For example, I decided that to be included as a "mountaineering classic" the climb must be a summit route on a mountain higher than 12,000 feet. This eliminated many of Colorado's most classic lines such as The Naked Edge (6 pitches, 5.11b) in Eldorado Canyon, Otto's Route (4 pitches, 5.9) on Independence Monument outside Grand Junction, as well as anything in The Black Canyon or at Lumpy Ridge, etc. All of these climbs were worthy of being listed as Colorado Classics, but were they mountaineering? I considered expanding my criteria to include. But really, they didn't quite fit what I was looking for. I wanted to look at alpine routes, the kind that require a grueling approach and reach the top of a high peak. There seemed to be an intellectual line that defined what "mountaineering" meant, and the need for a strict definition waned.

Sunlight Spire (13,995') (5.10c)
With the 1988 datum bumping up the elevations on most mountains in Colorado, Sunlight Spire now just barely touches the 14,000' mark. However, most mountaineers still refer to the classic 1927 datum, so the Spire is usually still listed at 13,995'. Though it does not have 300 feet of topographical prominence, it holds the title as the hardest 14,000 foot summit in Colorado (if you adhere to the 1988 datum), perhaps in the entire United States. Sunlight Spire is a coveted and elusive summit for the true Colorado mountaineering master.

Vestal Peak and Wham Ridge

Vestal Peak (13,864')-Wham Ridge (Center Shift) (5.6)
The unique profile of Vestal Peak's Wham Ridge is unmistakable. It is one of Colorado's most beautiful and most astounding high alpine faces. While the standard Wham Ridge line alone is quality enough to warrant inclusion in this list of classics, the so-called "Center Shift," or direct variation, is the best way to experience the full value of this amazing mountain.

Hallett Peak (12,713')- Culp-Bossier (8 pitches, 5.8+)
The Culp-Bossier route is one of the classic alpine moderates. Located in Rocky Mountain National Park, this little mountain offers big adventure and big rewards. 8 pitches of good climbing including mostly solid rock, runout sections, and some solid "old school" 5.8.

Longs Peak (14,255')- Kiener's Route (5.4, moderate snow)
In my opinion, other than the Diamond, Kiener's Route is the best way to take on Longs Peak. Kiener's is an involved climb, with a long approach, a steep snow couloir, tremendous exposure, a little technical rock and a lot of route-finding. It's other name, The Mountaineer's Route, was given for the multiple skills necessary for a successful ascent.

Jagged Mountain (13,824')- Standard Route (5.2)
Jagged Mountain should be one of Colorado's most coveted mountaineering prizes. It is deep in the wilderness, impossible to see from almost any vantage in civilization, has an amazing route to the top, and is one of Colorado's 100 highest. There is exposure, loose rock, and patience necessary to make an ascent of this unique peak possible. It takes a broad spectrum of mountaineering and backcountry skills to climb reticent Jagged.

Climbers on the Longs Peak's Diamond

Longs Peak (14,255')- Pervertical Sanctuary (IV 5.10c)
Any one of the routes on Longs Peak's Diamond deserve to be here. I picked Pervertical Sanctuary for this list. It is the second-easiest way up the Diamond and one of the highest quality in terms of rock and position. Does Longs Peak deserve two routes listed here on this page? It probably deserves more....

Crestone Needle (14,197')- Ellingwood Ledges (5.7)
A mega classic that would deserve to be listed here even if it had not been included in the famous book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. Other than the numerous routes on Longs this is one of the best technical climbs on any 14er in Colorado. First climbed in 1925 by legendary Albert Ellingwood, this route is steeped in history. It is also very high quality and worth making this list.

Mount Meeker (13,911')- The Flying Buttress (6 pitches, 5.9+)
The Flying Buttress on Mount Meeker is yet another classic alpine climb in Rocky Mountain National Park. This excellent route follows a salient feature on the Meeker side of the world-class Longs/Meeker cirque that includes Longs Peak's east face and the Diamond. This route is a worthy objective of its own, easier than the Diamond but harder than many other of the classic RMNP climbs.

Petit Grepon (12,000')- South Face (8 pitches, 5.8)
This slender alpine tower was also included in Fifty Classic Climbs, thus cementing its place in the canon of Colorado mountaineering. Besides being a part of this exclusive club, this mountain is fully worthy of being listed as one of the best alpine mountaineering routes in the state in terms of the quality of its rock and of its position. Just don't climb on a weekend or risk having to wait in line for your ascent.

Kit Carson (14,165')- The Prow (5.8)
The Prow is one of the more interesting and unique features on any Colorado mountain. It is an exposed, aesthetic ridgeline that dances up typical Sangre conglomerate cobbles. While most of the route is 5.6 or easier, the crux comes as the first move, committing you to the route. Escape is difficult and the exposure is amazing. A true alpine classic.

RELATED ARTICLES
Ten Class 3 Colorado Classics- for those too timid or too inexperienced for the class 5 list, check out these classic class 3 scrambles.

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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