Top 10 Colorado 14ers (peaks/routes)

Wish I had the opportunity to tag all 53, but I'll settle with a Top 10 for now!
From experience, what would you consider your favorite or a noteworthy Colorado 14er peak/route. I've heard good things about Mt. Elbert, Mt. Sneffles, Mt. Wilson, Longs Peak, North Maroon Peak. Not looking for anything too technically demanding (nothing harder than 5.9 or WI4.)

Aside from a very few of the 14ers you should look elsewhere for technical climbing.

Not much good technical on 14ers but some really nice routes on a few. Check out Capitol - you can do the NW face at about 5.7 if you stay to the left (?) of the smooth slab at the start of the route:

. Been 40 years since I've been there so I can't remember for sure.

Crestone Needle is the other one that will get mentioned.

1)Longs peak - diamond (of course)
2 & 3) Little Bear to Blanca Traverse
4 & 5) N. Maroon to S. Maroon traverse
6 & 7) Elingwood ledges on Crestone Needle then traverse to Crestone Peak
8) The Prow on Kit Carson
9) Sunlight
10) Capitol

I basically agree with Jeff G but would substitute Pyramid for Sunlight.

Maroon Bells (via the traverse)
Pyramid (up one ridge, down the other)
Longs (any route)
Capitol (via the Knife Edge Ridge)
Little Bear and Blanca (via the traverse)
Crestone Peak, Crestone Needle, and Kit Carson (Ellingwood Ledges & the Prow)

That's ten.

Close behind would be:

Torrey's and Grey's (via the Kelso Ridge)
Bierstadt and Evans (via the Sawtooth Ridge)
Wilson and El Diente (via the ridge)
Sneffles
Quandary (via the Inwood Arete)
Eolus, Windom, and Sunlight

You could wander a little bit on Evans and make it technical

A pretty good scramble is kelso on Torreys. You can even write a book and overly-describe your self-indulged epic dipshittery.

Seriously, you've heard good things about Elbert... I guess for those that use a walker

There must be some fun ways to the top RangerJ!

Thanks John, I have Dawson's guide I'll be sure to check out Capitol topo. Creston seems to a theme I'm seeing here. Will definitely check it out.

Jeff and Josh thanks for the solid list guys. Route research begins now. Think I'll start with Longs.

Capital peak
Little bear - Blanca (the traverse is amazing, climb the hourglass on LB, traverse to Blanca, tag captain bivwacko tower for the bonus points - and if you have the energy continue to ellingwood point then descend the west ridge back to the lake) )
If your climbing Wilson, you should traverse to El Diente (you can climb el Diente's north buttress then traverse with about 50 ft of 5.easy climbing, or climb Wilson and rap 50 ft. on your traverse back to el Diente).

Pyramid- with thunder pyramid

Ski the east coulie on Eolus.

climb the sunlight spire (climb the third class east ridge stay the ridge true to Sunlights summit, then decent the gulley and scramble to the spire. climb the spire, then climb the broken north northwest face of Windom, if theres time tag Jupiter.

Then go climb the stuff in the grenadiers. Jagged, Pidgeon, Turret peaks. The Trinities, wham ridge on Vestal peak and Arrow peak.

Casual Route looks amazing.

I tend to go for longer scrambling routes that you don't need to carry a rope on so here's some of my favorites.

-Longs: Keiners up, Keyhole Ridge down OR Crescent ridge up Pagoda, traverse to Longs, descend Keiners or Keyhole Ridge.

-Maroon Bells: Bell Chord up, do the Bells traverse finishing on N Maroon, continue north and descend the N Couloir. (Spring/early summer only obviously)

-Capitol: Knife edge ridge is a good time. Feeling particularly lucky? Traverse Satan's ridge to Snowmass.

-Pyramid: Megamidal traverse is super fun. Lots of good scrambling, nothing too crazy.

-Little Bear/Blanca/Ellingwood is a fun day that has a lot of good scrambling over a relatively short distance. (Bring a 4x4!)

I've also heard good things about the Crestones but haven't made it down there yet!

Season is a big component. Assuming summer, dry, and <5.9 I'd go with:

1. Kieners (ok, this might have a bit of easy snow). It's so damn classic. Edit - descending Keyhole Ridge per above is a good idea.
2. Pyramidal Traverse. Thunder to Pyramid. A bit of snow eases the way up Thunder, or start with Megamidal.
3. Bells Traverse. Best to start with the Cord in spring snow. Traversing on to Sexton makes it a bit more adventurous as the standard traverse is short and quick.
4. LB NW Face to Blanca to Ellingwood SW Ridge descent. Hourglass is nice if there's snow.
5. Capitol via ridge direct. Locals say the S Ridge is better.
6. El Diente N Buttress to Mt Wilson. Best in early summer and descend snow
7. Sneffles N Buttress. The climbing isn't that great but the line is cool and views are high quality. The Snake is a similar snow alternative.
8. Ellingwood Arete to Crestones Traverse. While I think Ellingwood is overrated in the context of 50 classics, it is still a cool 14er line.
9. Snowmass S Ridge
10. Chi Basin, all around a pretty cool area and trip.

(eh I could flip flop on order)

Eric Klammer wrote: -Longs: Keiners up, Keyhole Ridge down

I'm running a hundred miler in Colorado in July and I'm heading out there in June to get some altitude in. What's the earliest I could think about doing this route? (Assuming a standard snow year)

Austin Baird wrote: What's the earliest I could think about doing this route? (Assuming a standard snow year)

Year round, but late June is primo in my opinion with just trail runners and aluminum crampons/ax. Slabby parts of Kieners just above the crux can be a bit sketchy when wet. Some use tent stakes instead of an ax and run up Glacier Rib , but I think it detracts from the quality.

Another fun descent for Kieners is Gorrell's traverse and down the Loft.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks guys for all the detailed descriptions, enough to keep me busy for the next couple of years.

This thread is quite inspiring!

Klammer where would you put the Ellingwood Ridge on your sampler's list? I think we like the same things and that list is pretty tasty.

Buff Johnson wrote:Seriously, you've heard good things about Elbert... I guess for those that use a walker

The west ridge is pretty fun. Descend the standard route and it makes for a pretty nice outing.

It's also the state's highpoint, so that's nice.

Eric Klammer wrote:I tend to go for longer scrambling routes that you don't need to carry a rope

Seeing as you don't think Megamidal is just plain stupid, I posted an obscurity you might like:

Finnegan Gold Dust

Pretty cool stuff, Ryan!

For longer scrambles sans rope, outside the fourteeners mentioned.... check out gladstone peak, ice mtn and the apostles, almost anything in the gore range-Ripsaw ridge comes to mind, the partner peaks traverse, spider rand the fly etc...
also worth repeating although still not above 14 k feet, the Grenadiers & everything in vestal and ruby basin's.