14ers.com is the ultimate online guide to the 53 official 14ers and is full of routes, advice and reports on Colorados greatest peaks. It’s also advisable not to go out in shorts. Tragic news from mountains of Colorado as a climber died yesterday after falling from the east side of “knife edge” ridge on Capitol Peak. We lost five hikers in less than two months, largely a result of what has become known as Death Gulley. In The Atlantic, writer Sarah Tory brought up the issue of social media luring aspiring summit seekers beyond their limits. The "Knife Edge" of the northeast ridge on Capitol Peak. Dziezynski says of the smaller peaks: “They’re a little lower than the mileage on most fourteeners, but they’re a great place to figure out your body, figure out your pace.”. Member of the all volunteer MRA gathered at the rescue center and were sent into the field on foot as well as being inserted into the field on a Flight For Life helicopter from Summit County. Stick to paths, don’t cut switchbacks. Death Gully looks like a shortcut, a roughly cut path likely carved as much by mountain goats as hikers, that will take you down to Capitol Lake without having to traverse the entire way across the Knife Edge. A climber fell to his death from the iconic “Knife’s Edge” on 14,137′ Capital Peak, CO on Sunday, according to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. Like anything worth celebrating, these challenging peaks take proper preparation and gear. A Flight for Life helicopter was dispatched to the scene and dropped rescuers on the mountain. Cameron Rescue Center to start a rescue mission. Search for a topic, destination or article, We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. Either way, all require a level of fitness, dedication, preparation and planning before attempting an ascent. Canyoning is your next outdoor obsession. And finally, respect the eco system, leave no trace. If you don’t have a clear answer to each of the following points, do more research: It all comes down to trip planning. So many hikers have fallen victim to the deception that the area earned a permanent name, of sorts. Last summer, it seemed Colorado couldn’t go more than a few days without a headline in The Denver Post detailing another fallen hiker on Capitol Peak. If you don’t feel ready to attempt a 14er, there are plenty of 13ers and 12ers to attempt and use as training for 14ers. His body was unable to be recovered by search and rescue crews yesterday. Here’s where to try it. Daily afternoon storms during the summer mean that it is best to summit early, and begin your descent to be back below the tree line before storms set in. As we've reported, the first Capitol Peak death of 2017 took place on July 15, when Parker's Jake Lord lost his life there. The rock faces, already giving way to a no-mercy 2,000-foot tumble on both sides, become slick with rain and thus are often harder to cross on the way back down. Many climbers will just grab the top of the ridge and smear their feet below, but even that is a little sketchy: if you miss a hold, you’re looking at a good 2,000 foot drop! This legs-over-the-edge scramble is as two-faced as the Devil himself. What hikers can’t see from the top is the cliffline that separates the path from the destination. Hyperventilating on Capitol's Knife Edge - Colorful Language - … Rescuers were able to report “that the hiker had injuries that were not compatible with life,” according to a Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office’s news release.