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Hiking a Colorado Fourteener
I had heard about the Knife Edge long before I ever saw it. Known as one of the single most dramatic hiking experiences in the Rockies, the 14,130-foot Capitol Peak’s easiest route traverses a 100-foot long ridge of solid, but inch-wide, granite. My hands were clammy with anticipation.
I parked at the Capitol Creek trailhead, nine miles up a rough dirt road from the town of Snowmass, nearly six hours earlier as the sun was striking Capitol’s dramatic peak in the far distance. The journey to Capitol Lake, a steady uphill grind through pristine meadows and peaceful stands of Aspen forest, was reward enough for my effort. If I had stopped there my day would have been complete. Instead, I continued up the steeper slopes towards the mountain’s tough east ridge, gaining 1,000 feet for every half mile.
At about 12,000 feet, I encountered a long, lazy snowfield whose end abuts K2, the eastern sub-peak below the summit ridge. It was July and I had packed light for the long summer hike, bringing only running shoes, water, a couple of PowerBars® and a raincoat. My feet were wet, but thus far, this was relatively easy. But as I rounded K2’s knobby top at 13,662 feet and descended slightly to the start of the final ridge climb, I caught my first glimpse of the famous traverse.
The guidebook hadn’t exaggerated; the fin of rock protruded like a ship’s hull, belly-up into the thin air. On either side, the rock faded swiftly, dropping more than a thousand feet to piles of gnarly rubble far below. It was, like I’d been warned, narrow enough to wrap around the palm of my hand. The guidebook suggested a rope and belay on this portion of the climb, but since I was alone, that was impossible. I relied instead on the best tool you can have for a summer climb in Colorado’s high peaks — experience.
With a deep breath, I recognized that panic would be my downfall, and that the key to making this traverse and the rest of the climb safely, would be to keep a cool clear head. The sky was clear and the rock was dry. The conditions couldn’t be better for a safe traverse. I could walk the ridge like a tightrope — glamorous, but not my style. I could crawl across it on my belly, legs straddling the ridge — slow and less than elegant. That wouldn’t work either. I grasped the ridge top with both hands like a bicycle handlebar, opposing the pressure of my feet and stepping my body fully onto one side of the ridge with a deep breath. My heels hung out over the empty space, my toes pasted to the slab of rock only by the friction of their rubber soles, and the view grew more stunning with every foot gained. This was the single most enjoyable moment I have ever had in the mountains
By the time I reached the other side of the ridge, cotton-like cumulus clouds were building near the summit. I had a few hundred feet to go, and the timer had started ticking. Given the stage of the day’s weather buildup, rule of thumb said that if I weren’t descending the summit by 12 p.m. — in less than an hour — I would be forced to turn back for fear of Colorado’s notorious afternoon thunderstorms. I persisted, weaving delicately up gullies of loose rock, letting the small ones bounce off my helmet, and praying the big ones stayed put. I tried not to pull on anything, or step too hard. Every move was the product of deliberate decisions and balance. In this way, after hiking 13 miles and gaining over 3,000 feet in elevation, I finally reached the summit. My reward was a Rocky Mountain panorama that remains unrivaled after climbing 14 more of Colorado’s highest peaks. This is the most beautiful spot I know in the entire state.
There are 54 peaks in Colorado that surpass 14,000 feet, with routes ranging from easy hikes and drive-ups to roped rock climbs. Climbing all the “fourteeners” is among the most coveted claims of outdoor athletes, and while some spend a lifetime signing their names to ragged summit registers, others race to climb the peaks in a matter of days. The current record in Colorado is just over 10 days. Of all the peaks, many say Capitol is the most worthwhile.
While some routes are nothing more than easy hikes, others are serious business. All require caution and preparedness, even in the lazy warmth of summer. Snow and ice storms are frequent every month of the year, and while summer mountaineering usually avoids the treacherous snow and frozen slippery conditions, it comes with the predictably unstable thunderstorm trends of warm weather. To be safe, plan your trip so that you are off the summit before 1 p.m., and having some back-pocket knowledge of mountain weather trends wouldn’t hurt either. If you see the weather changing early, or you’re just not feeling in your prime, turn back. Survival means you can come back to try again. Having good route finding skills is also important, especially in the Rockies, where being 10 feet off a steep route can mean a substantial difference in difficulty.
Most of Colorado’s Rockies, especially the Sawatch, Ten-Mile, and Elk Ranges, are notorious for loose rock. Piles, known as scree slopes, can extend for miles, and in some cases one harsh move, trip, or jump can unbalance an acre worth of rock. Helmets are prudent, and climbers should beware not only of rock falling from above, but also of setting loose objects, which may hit climbers below
Capitol Peak, one of the most dramatic in the state, is also reputed to be one of the most serious climbs, with its easiest route rated at class 4. When you review route ratings, classes 1-2 are considered steep walking, class 3 requires caution, route finding ability and awareness of loose rock, and class 4 is more of the same, with a rope sometimes recommended. Class 5 is roped rock climbing. If you have some experience in the mountains, or are traveling with an experienced guide, class 3-4 routes are among the most rewarding. But there are plenty of area fourteeners that are substantially less demanding.
In Summit County look into Quandary Peak, where a rough road to Blue Lake will lead you within two miles of an easy walk to the summit register. If Aspen is your base, consider nearby Castle Peak, or an approach of Mount Elbert, the highest summit in the state, from Independence Pass. There are numerous guidebooks to help you along the way. My time-tested bible is Gerry Roach’s Colorado’s Fourteeners, an easy-to-use directory of varied routes organized by peak.
Abrahm Lustgarten is an award-winning freelance photojournalist and author based in San Francisco, CA. His work documenting sports, travel and culture has appeared in various publications, including Newsweek, Men's Journal, and Outside.
Aspen and Snowmass
With a deep breath, I recognized that panic would be my downfall, and that the key to making this traverse and the rest of the climb safely, would be to keep a cool clear head. The sky was clear and the rock was dry. The conditions couldn’t be better for a safe traverse. I could walk the ridge like a tightrope — glamorous, but not my style. I could crawl across it on my belly, legs straddling the ridge — slow and less than elegant. That wouldn’t work either. I grasped the ridge top with both hands like a bicycle handlebar, opposing the pressure of my feet and stepping my body fully onto one side of the ridge with a deep breath. My heels hung out over the empty space, my toes pasted to the slab of rock only by the friction of their rubber soles, and the view grew more stunning with every foot gained. This was the single most enjoyable moment I have ever had in the mountains
While some routes are nothing more than easy hikes, others are serious business. All require caution and preparedness, even in the lazy warmth of summer. Snow and ice storms are frequent every month of the year, and while summer mountaineering usually avoids the treacherous snow and frozen slippery conditions, it comes with the predictably unstable thunderstorm trends of warm weather. To be safe, plan your trip so that you are off the summit before 1 p.m., and having some back-pocket knowledge of mountain weather trends wouldn’t hurt either. If you see the weather changing early, or you’re just not feeling in your prime, turn back. Survival means you can come back to try again. Having good route finding skills is also important, especially in the Rockies, where being 10 feet off a steep route can mean a substantial difference in difficulty.