Capitol Peak (Colorado)
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| Capitol Peak | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 14,130 ft (4,307 m)[1] |
| Location | Colorado, United States |
| Range | Rocky Mountains, Elk Mountains |
| Prominence | 1,750 ft (533 m)[2] |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Capitol Peak |
| First ascent | 1909 by Percy Hagerman and Harold Clark |
| Easiest route | Northeast "Knife" Ridge: exposed scramble (Class 3/4) |
Capitol Peak is the thirty-second highest mountain in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Elk Mountains in southern Pitkin County west of Aspen, within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. It lies on the long ridge connecting the heart of the Elk Mountains with Mount Sopris to the northwest.
Capitol Peak is one of the most difficult of Colorado's fourteeners to climb. The only non-technical route, the Northeast Ridge, requires crossing the famously exposed "Knife Edge," the northeast ridge of Capitol. Fatalities have occurred on this route. Other routes require technical rock climbing, for example, the Northwest Buttress Route (Grade IV, Class 5.9). These routes have significant rockfall danger due to a great deal of loose rock; however the rock is substantially more solid than on the more famous Maroon Bells or on Pyramid Peak.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Capitol Peak on Topozone
- ^ Colorado high-prominence peaks
- ^ Louis W. Dawson II, Dawson's Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners, Volume 1, Blue Clover Press, 1994, ISBN 0-9628867-1-8
- Walter R. Borneman and Lyndon J. Lampert; A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners; Pruett Publishing Company; ISBN 0-87108-751-0 (1992)
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
- Surrounding area map from Google Maps
- Location in the United States from the Census Bureau
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