What are the top 10 toughest 13ers/12ers?

[12ersRule]

What do you think the top 10 toughest ranked 13ers are? How about the top 10 toughest 12ers?

The only data I can easily figure out how to get is the class 5 peaks.

Per LoJ there are 7 ranked class 5 13ers: Dallas, TeaKettle, Jagged, Peak 15, Coxcomb, Lizard Head, and Whitney. I know that Whitney is not in the top 10 since it's just the summit block.
Do the other 6 belong in the top 10? What else belongs here?

For the 12ers LoJ also shows 7 ranked class 5: pt12740, Sharkstooth, 12500, Silver Plume, Twin Peaks, McReynolds, Turret Ridge. Definitely scratch Silver Plume off the top 10 toughest list. I've been on several 12ers that are tougher. How about the other 6? What else?

Thanks. Greatly appreciate it!!

[Scott P]

If interested, here is a cut and paste from an email sent to be my Gerry Roach back in 2006:

CO's hardest peak over 13,000 is Lizard Head, which requires 5.8/5.9 climbing.
Hardest over 12,000 is either Twin Peaks or Turrett Ridge at 5.9/5.9+.

That should solve which ones are #1 or #2, but maybe you already knew that though.

Sometimes overall difficulty can be more than the hardest move. Thunder Pyramid, for example, isn't very technical, but it is considered to be nasty because of loose rock.

Good question though. It will be interesting to hear from those who have climbed them all.

[12ersRule]

Thanks Scott! Not that I have any designs on climbing them all (13ers or 12ers), but discussions like this always seem to help uncover some gems out there.

[SarahT]

Without putting a ton of thought into it, here is my toughest 13er list. This is taking into account a combination of overall technical difficulty and danger/scare factor due to loose rock, not how long the approach is. With some discussion I could probably be swayed on a few of them...

In no particular order: Dallas, Jagged, Peak Fifteen, Coxcomb, Lizard Head, Peak Nine, Peak L, "V10", "P2", & South Lookout. Runners up/honorable mention: Teakettle, Pilot Knob, UN 13017 by Rio Grande Pyramid, El Punto, UN 13222 by El Punto & Peak Q.

[ptyrg]

Tough? How about Vestal peak?

An 11er? Catamount peak...Lost Creek Couple hundred feet of fourth/5.0/5.2 all kinda the same. The summit register has been up there since 1988.

[d_baker]

Sarah, is 13,222 in the Cimarrons/Big Blue?
I see on 13ers.com that there's an A & B for 13,222'.

Curious as to why you place Pk L in the top 10? Kind of nice to hear that since you placed El Punto in the runner up list.

[spadflyer12]

This sounds like a good thread to turn into a climbing itinerary for next summer.

[WSN]

Is "Sunlight Spire" considered a peak?

[Scott P]

Is "Sunlight Spire" considered a peak?

Yes, but not a "ranked" peak.

[climbing_rob]

Tough? How about Vestal peak?

An 11er? Catamount peak...Lost Creek Couple hundred feet of fourth/5.0/5.2 all kinda the same. The summit register has been up there since 1988.

Both of these have class-3 routes to the top. I think some argue Vestal is only class 2. I'd say 2.5. MUCH for fun climbing it via. Wham, though. I just repeated Catamount... I love that peak. The "standard" route on summitpost is class 5, but if you just boogie around to the south side there are easy ramps to the summit, one class 3 move near the top. It is tough to get to the south face, I've only been able to wrap all the way around the north then west sides to get there.

[Scott P]

An 11er?

I'm not sure, but Chimney Rock may be the toughest 11er?

[Teresa Gergen]

Chimney Rock is CO's hardest ranked 11er by its easiest route. Squaretop is the only other technical ranked 11er. I believe Class 4 routes have been found now on the harder LCW ranked 11ers. There are a lot more low-elevation technical ranked peaks than 12ers and above.

Turret Ridge is considerably harder and more difficult to protect than either Lizard Head or Twin Peaks.

Eagle Mtn (12007) is at most Class 3+/4, but the summit block is quite dangerous and difficult to protect.

"Dragons Back" is probably only Class 4, but people often prefer a rope at least on the descent, and there are rap slings in several spots.