www.RogerWendell.com
Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
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12ers!

Roger J. Wendell on Peak One near Frisco, Colorado - June 26, 2005
Me on Peak One (unranked 12,805 ft) 		Thoughts, notes, and pictures that relate to peaks between 3,657 and 3,962 metres (11,999 & 13,000 ft) in height around my favorite state, Colorado, and other interesting places in neighboring states and around the world!
 
(Also referred to as "Twelvers!")  
 

NOTE: LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) was put into use many decades after I started hiking and climbing. LIDAR is a more accurate way of measuring the Earth's surface and, as such, has changed what was believed to be the elevation of many mountains and highpoints. As a result, the "prominence" (at least 300 feet above a connecting saddle) of many mountains has changed along with their elevations. A personal example, for me, is Republican Mountain - a previously "unranked" 12er near Silver Plume that I climbed in 2022 after learning that LIDAR had determined it now had 312 feet of prominence. Peak 8, near Breckenridge is another personal example of change brought on by LIDAR. When I originally climbed Peak 8 I believed it to be a 12er, only to learn later that it's actual elevation is 13,005 feet! So, in summary, many of the elevations you see on my pages may not (yet) be accurate - requiring an update someday in the future as time permits!

 

 

Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for my 14ers page...
Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for my 13ers page...
Ten Essentials Click Here for the Ten Essentials - Don't leave home without 'em!
Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for my page on highpoints...
Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for my general notes Climbing and Mountaineering.
Arrow Pointing Right Click Here for other peaks and mountaintops that I've summited...

 

How many Colorado 12ers are there and who was first to climb all of them??


YouTube - Climbing Bison Peak in Colorado's Lost Creek Wilderness (12,435 feet/ 3,790 metres) 		According to a December 17, 2010 Examiner.com article, by Jilly Salva; Bob Martin, Mike Garratt, Ken Nolan, Jack Dais, and Teresa Gergen were the first five people to have climbed all of Colorado's 12ers.

In the article, Salva asks Gergen, the first woman to complete all 1,313 of Colorado's ranked peaks over 12,000 feet, how many 12ers there are in the state:

"To answer that requires a little preliminary explanation. The elevation lists count "ranked" peaks. A ranked peak has at least 300 feet of prominence, or, in simple terms, rises at least 300 feet above the saddle connecting it with its next higher neighboring peak. Whether or not a peak has a name is irrelevant. Secondly, climbing 'all the 12ers' means climbing all the ranked peaks over 12,000 ft. There are 53 ranked 14ers (El Diente and North Maroon are unranked, and Challenger is ranked, hence the deviation from the traditional number of 54 14ers in the state), plus 584 13ers, and 676 12ers, for a total of 1,313 ranked peaks over 12,000 ft."

Having lived in Colorado most of my life, I probably climbed a couple dozen "12ers" either intentionally or by accident, by age 50, while looking for other peaks (especially before the days of GPS!). Unfortunately I didn't think of creating this page or recording any of those climbs until I accommpanied Sacha Bobst and Tom and Linda Jagger up Bison Peak (12,435 ft) on Veterans Day '11, when I was 55 years old...

After such a fun hike, through mixed conditions (some snow and ice), it seemed a good idea to start tracking 12ers with something more than just a "went hiking today" note in my outdoor log! So, as time permits I'll start entering my 12er data and pix here as I complete new peaks or find records of ones that I climbed in the past. Either way though, it's clear that 12ers can provide their own challenges, especially in winter, despite being considerably lower in elevation than that of the 13ers and 14ers I describe on my other pages.

- Roger J. Wendell

 

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List of Colorado 12ers I've climbed, so far...

Glacier Peak GPS Route Map - 10-30-2012
Glacier Peak GPS generated route map 		(I'm still searching my old notes for climbs that have yet to be recorded here!)
  1. Almagre Mountain (12,374 ft) Teller County - July 13, 2024 [A CMC trip lead by Christie Lee and me as co-lead!]
  2. Almagre Mountain, South (12,356 ft) Teller County - July 13, 2024 [A CMC trip lead by Christie Lee and me as co-lead!]
  3. AS P560 Benchmark (12,752 ft) - August 29, 2020
  4. Bethel, Mount (12,705 ft) - June 30, 2018 [with Chris MacCormick]
  5. Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness (12,435 ft) - November 11, 2011 [Led by Tom and Linda Jagger with Sacha Bobst]
  6. Bobtail Benchmark, Front Range (12,809 ft) - October 02, 2022
  7. Buckeye Peak, Tenmile-Mosquito Range (12,867 ft) - July 10, 2022 [With Claude Randy Neumann]
  8. Buffalo Mountain, Eagles Nest Wilderness (12,777 ft) - July 15, 2018
  9. Byers Peak (12,804 ft) - August 22, 2015 [CMC Trip ed by Norm Arlt]
  10. Chapin, Mount (12,455 ft) - August 05, 2023 [with Bob Huey]
  11. Chrysolite Mountain, Sawatch Range (12,822 ft) - October 02, 2022
  12. Charles Benchmark, Sawatch Range (12,054 ft) - September 01, 2024
  13. Colorado Mines Peak (12,497 ft) - November 17, 2012 [with Linda Jagger and Sacha Bobst]
  14. Coon Hill (12,757 ft) - July 09, 2016 [with Claude Neumann]
  15. Copper Mountain, Front Range (12,441 ft) - August 18, 2019
  16. Decatur Mountain (12,890 ft) - Ausugst 15, 2021
  17. East Spanish Peak (12,683 ft) - Ausugst 22, 2020
  18. Geneva Mountain (12,335 ft) - July 20, 2018 [With steve Bonowski]
  19. Glacier Peak (12,853 ft) - October 30, 2012 [CMC trip led by Dominique Hershberger with Beth Dwyer, Candace Winkle, & Eileen O'Leary]
  20. Greenhorn Mountain (12,347 ft) - June 01, 2013 [with Tom and Linda Jagger]
  21. Hallett Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park (12,713 ft) - July 07, 2018 [Also went ove Flattop Mountain, again, to get there...]
  22. Heartbeat Peak, Front Range (12,251 feet) - September 26, 2021 [CMC LIT for David Cassin conducted by Jeff Stevens]
  23. Independence Mountain, Front Range (12,614 ft) - August 14, 2020 [Also went over Bear Mountain to get there from Keystone]
  24. Kataka Mountain (12,441 ft) - October 10, 2019 [CMC trip led by Carol Munch]
  25. Kenosha Peak (12,100 ft) - May 07, 2018 [a CMC lead by Grover Cleveland]
  26. Keystone Mountain (12,408 ft) - August 08, 2020 [with Claude Neumann]
  27. Little Baldy Mountain, Pike National Forest (12,157 feet) - June 04, 2023
  28. Logan, Mount (12,870 ft) - November 06, 2012 [CMC trip led by Stan Moore]
  29. McCurdy Mountain (12,168 ft) - June 14, 2008 [CMC trip led by Joan Engel that also included Bison Peak]
  30. Neva, Mount (12,814 ft) Indian Peaks Wilderness - July 30, 2022 [with Bob Huey, I also did the slight detour up and over Point 12700]
  31. Otter Mountain (12,766 ft) - July 31, 2021
  32. Ouray Peak (12,961 ft), Sawatch Range - October 02, 2023
  33. Pawnee Peak (12,943), Front Range - July 25, 2021
  34. Peak 1, Tenmile Range (12,805 ft) - November 03, 2002 [CMC trip led by Jim Cullen]
  1. Peak 1, Tenmile Range (12,805 ft) - November 03, 2002 [CMC trip led by Jim Cullen]
  2. Peak 4, Tenmile Range (12,866 ft) - August 28, 2021
  3. Peak 8, Tenmile Range (12,987 ft) - October 01, 2019
  4. Peck, Mount (12,209 ft), Sawatch Range - July 02, 2023 [with Randy Claude Neumann and then we did Monarch Ridge]
  5. Ptarmigan Hill, Elk Range (12,143 ft) - July 03, 2021
  6. Ptarmigan Peak, Gore Range (12,498 ft) - August 07, 2021 (Heavy smoke from western fires...)
  7. Republican Mountain, Front Range (12,403 ft) - July 17, 2022 [with Jim Siebarth]
  8. Richtofen, Mount, Never Summer Range (12,945 ft) - August 14, 2022
  9. Saint Louis Peak, Grand County (12,256 ft) - October 22, 2022
  10. Saint Vrain Mountain, Front Range (12,175 ft) - July 08, 2023 [with Bob Huey]
  11. Sawtooth Mountain (12,304 ft) - July 27, 1997 [CMC trip led by Tim Musil]
  12. Sentinel Point, Teller County (12,543 ft) - October 14, 2024 14 June 2014 [CMC trip led by Debbi Sheinman with Mark Silas, Bob Huey, me, Mary and Tom Mauer and then alone on 10-14-2024]
  13. Sheep Mountain, Park County (12,818 ft) - July 13, 2019 [CMC trip led by Steve Bonowski]
  14. Silver Plume Mountain, Front Range (12,477 ft) - November 07, 2020
  15. Skysraper Peak, Indian Peaks Wilderness (12,383 ft) - July 09, 2022 [With Bob Huey]
  16. Sneva Peak (12,242 ft), Gore Range - July 29, 2023 [with Bob Huey]
  17. Sopris, Mount (12,953 ft) - July 26, 2014 [Smitty waited for me the entire time at the trailhead!]
  18. South Peak (12,892 ft), Mosquito Range - September 21, 2019 [Steave Bonowski CMC lead]
  19. Stanley Mountain, Front Range (12,521 ft) - July 06, 2018
  20. Sugarloaf Peak B, Front Range (12,513 ft) - October 10, 2020
  21. Toll, Mount, Front Range (12,979 ft) - July 25, 2021
  22. Twin Cone Peak, North (12,323 ft) - July 16, 2016 [with Steve Bonowski]
  23. Twin Cone Peak, South (12,340 ft) - July 16, 2016 [with Steve Bonowski]
  24. Uneva Peak, Front Range (12,522 feet) - 10-03-2020 [with Claude "Randy" Neumann]
  25. Unnamed 12029, (LIDAR 12,045) "Panorama Point," Tenmile-Mosquito Range (LIDAR 12,045 feet) - 10-21-2023 (while on my way to Madomma Dome)
  26. Unnamed 12,069, ("Burning Bear Peak") Front Range (12,069 feet) - 07-19-2020 [with Philip Straffin and Wendy Phillips]
  27. Unnamed 12313, "Eccles Peak," Front Range (12,313 feet) - 10-17-2020
  28. Unnamed 12331, "Madonna Dome," Tenmile-Mosquito Range (12,331 feet) - 10-21-2023 [I found KXØR operating SOTA on the summit when I arrived!]
  29. Unnamed 12585A, Front Range (12,585 feet) - 08-30-2020 [with Claude Neumann]
  30. Unnamed 12915, Sangre de Cristo Range (12,915 feet) - 07-06-2008
  31. Ute Peak, Gore Range (12,303 ft) - July 10, 20121
  32. Vasquez Peak, Front Range (12,947 ft) - October 03, 2015 [CMC trip led by Dean Cates]
  33. Volz Benchmark, Front Range (12,589 ft) - August 12, 2017 [CMC trip led by Dorthea Frohner]
  34. Woods Mountain (12,940 ft) - December 18, 2011 [CMC Parnasus/Woods trip led by Kathee Thomure]

 

12ers Outside Colorado:

  1. Arizona - Humphreys Peak (12,633 ft) - July 29, 2012 [with Aidan McGuire]
  2. Idaho - Borah Peak (12,668 ft) - August 12, 2012
  3. Japan - Mount Fuji (Ken-ga-mine 12,388 ft) - July 20, 2017 [with Dr. Roger A. Wendell]
  4. Montana - Granite Peak (12,799 ft) - July 29, 2015 [with Mark Zimmer]
  5. Utah - Manns Peak, La Sal Range (12,272 ft) - October 02, 2021
  6. Utah - Peale, Mount, La Sal Range (12,721 ft) - September 20, 2015 [CMC trip led by Steve Bonowski]
  7. Utah - Tukuhnikivatz, Mount, La Sal Range (12,482 ft) - September 20, 2015 [with Claude Neumann and Jesse Bray]
  8. Wyoming - Medicine Bow Peak, Alabany County (12,0016 ft) - July 07, 2024 [with 79-year-old Bob Huey!]

 

Unranked Sub Peaks: (12er Points of interest that I've climbed that don't have enough prominence to be considered a peak in their own right...)

  1. Colorado - Bear Mountain, Front Range (12,585 ft) - August 14, 2020 [On my way to Independence Mountain from Keystone]
  2. Colorado - Blaine, Mount (12,303 ft) - July 16, 2016 [with Steve Bonowski]
  3. Colorado - Flattop Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park (12,324 ft), via the Andrews Glacier Loop - June 15, 2012 [CMC trip led by Joe Leahy - I did it again, alone, on my way up to Hallett Peak on 07-07-2018]
  4. Colorado - Goliath Peak (12,216 ft) - November 29, 2014 Front Range [with Steve Bonowski and Patrick Thornley and then again on 10-15-2017 with Fred Jorgensen's CMC WTS class]
  5. Colorado - Panorama Point, Tenmile-Mosquito Range (12,041 ft) - October 21, 2023
  6. Colorado - Peak 1, Tenmile Range (12,805 ft) - June 26, 2005
  7. Colorado - Peak 5, Tenmile Range (12,855 ft) - July 19, 2014 [with Tony Chen] and again [with just me] on August 28, 2021
  8. Colorado - Peak 12812, Sawatch Range (12,812 ft) - August 19, 2023 [the same day I did Twining Peak, UN 13500, Igloo Mountain - I then repeated 12812 two weeks later on 09-02-2023]
  9. Colorado - Point 12915 - June 16, 2018 Front Range [near Loveland Pass - listed here only because it's a nice trail junciton to Sniktau...]
  10. Colorado - Point 12351, Sawatch Range - October 09, 2022 [while climbing Chrysolite Mountain]
  11. Colorado - Point 12700, Front Range, Indian Peaks Wilderness - July 30, 2022 [while climbing Mount Neva]
  12. Colorado - Point 12707 (12,714 ft) - June 08, 2014 Sawatch Range [while on Dean Cates' CMC climb]
  13. Colorado - Square Top Mountain (12.985 ft) [with Dean Cates and Peg Flick]
  14. Colorado - Terra Tomah Mountain (12,718 with 4,400 feet of gain) - 15 August 2015 [CMC trip led by Fred Radtke with Ken Yaphe, Dick, Phil, and me,]
  15. Colorado - Trelease, Mount (12,477 ft) - December 05, 2012 [CMC trip led by Eileen O'Leary and Candace Winkle]
  16. Colorado - Union Mountain (12,313 ft) - August 18, 2019

 

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Click on any of this page's "thumbnail" images for a larger view!

 

Humphreys Peak, Arizona (12,663 feet / 3,859 metres)

Humphreys is the highest peak in Arizona - with views (when it's not "misty" like the day I climbed...) of Grand Canyon just to the north. There are a few different routes up Humpreys - I started at the Arizona Snowbowl for the standard, 1,006 metre (3,300 feet) route up...
Snowbowl Trailhead
Humphreys Peak, Arizona by Roger J. Wendell - 07-29-2012
Snowbowl Trailhead 		Humphreys Peak, Arizona by Roger J. Wendell - 07-29-2012
Ski resort boundary 		Humphreys Peak, Arizona by Roger J. Wendell - 07-29-2012
Saddle 		Humphreys Peak, Arizona by Roger J. Wendell - 07-29-2012
Trail marker 		Humphreys Peak, Arizona by Roger J. Wendell - 07-29-2012
Further up... 		Humphreys Peak, Arizona by Roger J. Wendell - 07-29-2012
Aldo Leopold bench on top

 

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Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado (12,431 feet / 3,789 metres)

Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Linda near the top! 		The Lost Creek Wilderness (LCW) Area protects almost 120,000 acres in the Tarryall, Platte River and Kenosha mountain ranges in central Colorado. This relatively new wilderness (designated in 1980) is loaded with hiking, backpacking and climbing possibilities. Typical LCW landscape will consist of mixed and very dense forests, open meadows, small streams; somewhat the norm for Colorado's high country. Upon first sight, it's possible the casual climber or mountaineer may not be too impressed with the typical LCW mountain configuration. Dense, tree- laden slopes that frequently lead to tree-covered summits could easily rekindle a forgotten bad memory, a memory that includes your most frightening bushwhacking experience.
 
 
However, despite lacking the grand alpine scenery of other Colorado wilderness areas, one can argue that LCW may be one of the most unique Wildernesses in Colorado. Upon closer inspection the LCW has its own character that no other place in Colorado can match. Character that includes some of the most bizarre rock formations you will ever see. A lot of the LCW is dominated by these incredible rock formations, including massive polished granite domes and towering spires. With elevations ranging from 8,000 to 12,400 feet, many of the mountains here sport huge, wide-open plateaus providing easy hiking and excellent views. Getting to those plateaus is another story.
Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Linda near the top! 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Tom near the top 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Sacha takes a photo 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Summit register 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Summit box 		Roger J. Wendell on Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado - 11-11-2011
Me on top!
Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Trailhead: What's a "Weed Scout?" 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
On the way up 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Bison Peak Monolith with Tom 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
1894 Survey marker? 		Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado by Roger J. Wendell - 11-11-2011
Concrete on the summit 		Roger J. Wendell on Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado - 11-11-2011
Wooden tower on summit

 

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Miscellaneous 12er Pix:

Point 12707 by Roger J. Wendell - 06-08-2014
Point 12707, Colorado 		Roger Wendell on Kataka Mountain, 12,441 feet - 10-14-2019
Kataka Mountain, Colorado 		Sentinel Point by Roger J. Wendell - 06-14-2014
Sentinel Point, Colorado

Glass Jar Summit Register on Unnamed 12,915:

Summit Register on Unnamed Peak 12915 feet near Mt. Lindsey - 07-06-2008
Glass Jar Register 		Roger J. Wendell on the summit of Unnamed Peak 12915 feet near Mt. Lindsey - 07-06-2008
Roger and the Register 		Over the years I've also encountered dozens of "unofficial" summit registers - like this one inside a glass jar atop Unnamed Peak 12,915 feet (Near Mt. Lindsey). I would be curious to know who maintains these and where they're eventually archived - please email me if you have any info on the subject! Unfortunately I've discovered many of these glass jar summit registers either cracked, broken, or the lids so rusty that water leaks through and destroys the paper. So, I often try to air 'em out a bit when I find they're wet and then place them in a well protected portion of rock, on the summit, that's obvious for other hikers to find. Either way, it's always fun to find summit registers, even when they're on peaks as low as 12 thousand feet (3,657 m)!

YouTube Logo Click Here for a YouTube video I took on top Unnamed 12,915 feet (3,936 metres)!

 

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YouTube Logo Click Here for my YouTube video on top Bison Peak...
YouTube Logo Click Here for my YouTube video on top Borah Peak in Idaho...
YouTube Logo Click Here for my YouTube video on top Glacier Peak...
YouTube Logo Click Here for my YouTube video on top Humphreys Peak, Arizona...
YouTube Logo Click Here for my YouTube video on top Woods Mountain, Colorado...

 

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12er Waypoints

Compass For personal safety, and just for the fun of it, I usually take a GPS "reading" on the top of each peak, at the trailhead, or some other interesting point or curiosity along the way. WARNING: I cannot guarantee the accuracy of these waypoints as my own GPS bounces around a lot or I simply take an incorrect reading! Please rely on a more accurate source for your Waypoints! That being said, I still enjoy "cataloging" Waypoints and I keep a bunch of other locations, from around the world, on my 13ers, 14ers, Hiking, Waypoints, and other pages...

Bison Peak, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado N 39° 14.301' W 105° 29.870' 12,431 feet 3,789 metres
Borah Peak, Idaho N 44° 08.244' W 113° 46.866' 12,662 feet 3,859 metres
Colorado Mines Peak N 39° 47.699' W 105° 45.829' 12,497 feet 3,809 metres
Glacier Peak, Colorado N 39° 29.057' W 105° 53.065' 12,853 feet 3,917 metres
Greenhorn Mountain, Colorado N 37° 52.885' W 105° 00.801' 12,347 feet 3,763 metres
Humphreys Peak, Arizona N 35° 20.785' W 111° 40.677' 12,633 feet 3,859 metres
Mount Logan, Colorado N 39° 29.742' W 105° 37.883' 12,870 feet 3,923 metres
Point 12707, Colorado [unranked] N 39° 47.284' W 105° 50.294' 12,714 feet 3,875 metres
Sheep Mountain - Mosquito Range, Colorado N 39° 11.614' W 106° 06.720' 12,818 feet 3,907 metres
Sopris, Mount - Elks Range, Colorado N 39° 15.670' W 107° 09.888' 12,953 feet 3,948 metres
Trealease, Mount - Colorado N 39° 41.728' W 105° 54.175' 12,477 feet 3,803 metres
Woods Mountain - Front Range, Colorado N 39° 43.844' W 105° 50.385' 12,940 feet 3,944 metres

 

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Some Trailheads:

Chicago Lakes Trailhead 52 Roger J. Wendell by Steve Farley - 10-16-2011
Mount Evans Wilderness, Colorado
 
 
 
Ute Creek Trailhead, Lost Creek Wildnerness - 11-11-2011
Ute Creek Trailhead, Lost Creek Wilderness
Arizona Snowbowl (for Humphreys Peak) N 35° 19.876' W 111° 42.697' 9,278 feet 2,828 metres
Bartlett Trailhead, Greenhorn Wilderness, Colorado N 37° 52.703' W 104° 57.491' 8,000 feet 2,438 metres
Berthoud Pass trailhead - US Highway 40
Berthoud Pass summit 		N 39° 47.902' W 105° 46.563' 11,307 feet 3,446 metres
Borah Peak Trailhead (at the little cattle protected entrance through the wooden fence) N 44° 07.954' W 113° 50.042' 7,400 feet 2,255 metres
Continental Divide Trail at Henderson Mine Road, Colorado N 39° 44.260' W 105° 51.219' 10,496 feet 3,199 metres
Thomas Lakes Trail 1958, Elks Range, Colorado (for Mount Sopris) N 39° 18.236' W 107° 07.478' 8,540 feet 2,603 metres
Ute Creek trailhead, Lost Creek Wilderness, Colorado N 39° 11.885' W 105° 33.212' 8,750 feet 2,667 metres

 

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Prominence, a Definition:

In topography, "prominence" is the height of a mountain or hill's summit by the vertical distance between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit - Prominence is a measure of the independence of a summit. Only summits with a sufficient degree of prominence are regarded as independent mountains. For example, the world's second-highest mountain is K2 (height 8,611 metres, prominence 4,017 metres). While Mount Everest's South Summit (height 8,749 metres, prominence about 10 metres) is taller than K2, it is not considered an independent mountain because it is a subsummit of the main summit (which has a height and prominence of 8,848 metres).

 

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Yosemite Decimal System

The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of hikes and climbs. YDS is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. However, there are many different rating systems used around the world. Examples include the British trad grade, the French sport grade, and the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation's (UIAA) alpine grade. As for the YDS, it was first devised by members of the Sierra Club in Southern California in the 1950s. YDS was a refinement of earlier systems, particularly those developed in Yosemite Valley.
Class 1: Hiking on a trail.
 
Class 2: Simple scrambling, with the possibility of occasional use of the hands. Little potential danger is encountered.
 
Class 3: Scrambling with increased exposure. Handholds are necessary. A rope could be carried. Falls could easily be fatal.
 
Class 4: Simple climbing, possibly with exposure. A rope is often used. Falls may well be fatal.
 
Class 5: Is considered technical roped free climbing; belaying is used for safety. Un-roped falls can result in severe injury or death. Class 5 has a range of sub-classes, ranging from 5.0 to 5.15d, to define progressively more difficult free moves.
Classification of climbs can vary quite a bit depending on location and history. Indoor gym ratings tend to be inflated compared to outdoor ratings. Ratings tend to be lower in outdoor areas where climbing routes were developed in earlier years. Guidebooks have often raised the ratings on older climbs to make them more comparable to newer ratings. The YDS grade system also involves an optional Roman numeral grade that indicates the length and seriousness of the route. The grades are:
Grade Duration
I One to two hours of climbing
II Less than half a day
III Half a day climb
IV Full day climb
V A climb lasting 2–3 days
VI A climb lasting 4–6 days
VII A climb lasting a week or longer

 

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Wim and Roger A. Wendell at Station 5 (2,300 metres) on Mount Fuji, Japan - 06-25-2007
Tired hikers on Mount Fuji (12,388 ft) 		Links:

  1. 10th Mountain Division
  2. 13ers
  3. 14ers
  4. 14ers.com
  5. Aconcagua
  6. Africa (Eastern) - Kenya, Tanzania, and my Kilimanjaro climb
  7. Africa (Southern) - Our trip through Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  8. AIARE - The American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education
  9. Alpine Resuce Team - Evergreen, Colorado
  10. Amazonia and Ecuador
  11. American Alpine Club
  12. American Avalanche Association
  13. Antarctica
  14. Argentina and Brazil
  15. Australia Main Page
  16. Australia Two Page
  17. Barefoot
  18. Bolivia
  19. Camping
  20. Champ Camp
  21. Climbing
  22. Climbing Photos
  23. CMC - Colorado Mountain Club
  24. Cross Country Ski Areas Association
  25. COHP - County High Points
  26. Colorado
  27. Colorado Avalanche Information Center
  28. Colorado Fourteener Iniative - A Partnership for Preservation
  29. CORSAR - Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card
  30. Everest News
  31. Gear - Stuff for the Backcountry...
  32. High Altitude Medicine Guide
  1. Highpointers Club
  2. Highpoints
  3. Hiking
  4. Japan
  5. Leave No Trace - Center for Outdoor Ethics
  6. Lightning Safety
  7. LOJ - Lists of John
  8. Margy's Hut
  9. Mazamas - Oregon
  10. Mountaineers - Seattle
  11. Mountain Project
  12. New Zealand
  13. Other Peaks and mountaintops that I've summited
  14. ORIC - Outdoor Recreation Information Center - Colorado
  15. Peakbagger.com
  16. Peakery
  17. Pikes Peak
  18. Russia
  19. Silk Road
  20. Skiing - in the backcountry!
  21. Skins, Wax and Waxless Skis
  22. Snow Caves and Quinzhees
  23. Snow Day
  24. Summitpost.org
  25. Survival in the backcountry
  26. Ten Essentials - Don't leave home without 'em!
  27. Tibet
  28. Travel and Travel Two - my travel pages!
  29. UIAA - International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation
  30. United Kingdom - England
  31. United Kingdom - Wales and Scotland
  32. Walking softly in the backcountry
  33. Waypoints

 

Warning! Climbing, mountaineering, and backcountry skiing are dangerous and can seriously injure or kill you. By further exploring this website you acknowledge that the information presented here may be out of date or incorrect, and you agree not to hold the author responsible for any damages, injuries, or death arising from any use of this resource. Please thoroughly investigate any mountain before attempting to climb it, and do not substitute this website for experience, training, and recognizing your limitations!

 

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