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Capitol Peak (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
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 notable for its impressive vertical relief, for example it rises 7,000 feet above the town of Redstone, Colorado
8 miles to the west.
Capitol Peak is one of the most difficult of Colorado's fourteener
s 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
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It is located in the Elk Mountains
Elk Mountains (Colorado)
The Elk Mountains are a high, rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of west-central Colorado in the United States. The mountains sit on the western side of the Continental Divide, largely in southern Pitkin and northern Gunnison counties, in the area southwest of Aspen, south of the Roaring...
in southern Pitkin County
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
west of Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, within the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Elk Mountains of central Colorado. The wilderness was established in 1980 in the Gunnison and White River national forests. Within its boundaries are of trails, 6 of Colorado's fourteeners and 9 passes over ....
. It lies on the long ridge connecting the heart of the Elk Mountains with Mount Sopris
Mount Sopris
Mount Sopris is a high, twin-summitted mountain peak located at the northwest end of the Elk Mountains in western Colorado in the United States. The mountain is located in western Pitkin County, south of Carbondale and southwest of the confluence of the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers. It lies in...
to the northwest. Capitol Peak is notable for its impressive vertical relief, for example it rises 7,000 feet above the town of Redstone, Colorado
Redstone, Colorado
Redstone is a census-designated place in Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 130.The U.S. Post Office at Carbondale now serves Redstone postal addresses...
8 miles to the west.
Capitol Peak is one of the most difficult of Colorado's fourteener
Fourteener
In mountaineering terminology in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet above mean sea level. There are 547 fourteeners in the world. The importance of fourteeners is greatest in Colorado, which has the majority of such peaks in North America...
s to climb. The only non-technical route, the Northeast Ridge, requires crossing the famously exposed "Knife Edge," the northeast ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
of Capitol. Fatalities have occurred on this route. Other routes require technical rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, for example, the Northwest Buttress Route (Grade IV
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
, Class 5.9
Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing classification system. Originally the system was...
). These routes have significant rockfall
Rockfall
Rockfall or rock-fall refers to quantities of rock falling freely from a cliff face. A rockfall is a fragment of rock detached by sliding, toppling, or falling, that falls along a vertical or sub-vertical cliff, proceeds down slope by bouncing and flying along ballistic trajectories or by rolling...
danger due to a great deal of loose rock; however the rock is substantially more solid than on the more famous Maroon Bells
Maroon Bells
The Maroon Bells are two peaks in the Elk Mountains, Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak, separated by about a third of a mile. The mountain is on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, Colorado, United States, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen. Both peaks are counted as fourteeners...
or on Pyramid Peak
Pyramid Peak (Colorado)
Pyramid Peak is a fourteen thousand foot mountain in the US state of Colorado. It is the 47th highest mountain peak in Colorado, and 78th highest peak in the United States. It is located in the Elk Mountains in southeastern Pitkin County, approximately southwest of Aspen...
.
See also
- List of Colorado fourteeners
- Mountain peaks of ColoradoMountain peaks of ColoradoThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Colorado.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain ranges of ColoradoMountain ranges of ColoradoThe following table lists the major mountain ranges of the U.S. State of Colorado.-Mountain Ranges:-See also:*4000 meter peaks of Colorado*Colorado mountain passes*Geography of Colorado*Lists of mountains*Mountain peaks of Colorado...