Nature
Capitol Peak, a 14,136-foot summit in Colorado’s Elk Mountains, is one of the state’s most dramatic and dangerous fourteeners. Rising sharply above the Roaring Fork Valley and Snowmass Village, it was named by the Hayden Survey for its resemblance to the U.S. Capitol. Its standard Northeast Ridge is the only non-technical route, but the exposed Knife Edge makes the climb especially serious, while harder routes add technical rock and rockfall hazards. First climbed in 1909 by Percy Hagerman and Harold Clark, the mountain has earned a grim reputation among climbers because of its high fatal accident rate, even as it remains admired for its commanding alpine setting and summit views.
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Colorado · United States
