-Note: I have not finished the 14ers yet. * will go next to the ones I have not climbed. My father however is a centennial finisher and has loaned me much knowledge in ranking these.
F Tier (Not worth climbing for enjoyment. Only climbed by 14er/centennial finishers. Poor Trails, Lengthy, and sucky views/wildlife.
Tabeguache peak: One of the worst. Long ways from shavano, poor Standard route. Unimpressive views.
Antero: Trail up a mining road that doesn't amount to much. Long haul up baldwin gulch if you don't have a 4wd.
Bross/Cameron: Dirt mounds on the decalibron that are only climbed to say you did decalibron.
Oxford: An all for nothing slog from Belford with no significant payoff.
D tier (Justifiable to climb but still very low-end and still mostly done to check off a list).
Sherman: Another Mosquitto Range dirt mound. Only not in F because of how easy it is.
*Challenger: Long Haul on a loose trail from willow lake that's only relevant because Kit Carson is nearby.
Sunshine: Lots of energy required to get this one from Redcloud. Not particularly attractive to loop in for the climb.
Lincoln - Not as bad as cameron/bross but not really worth it otherwise the completion.
C tier (Decent climbs but have significant shortcomings limiting there enjoyability)
San Luis: Interesting Hike in a deceased forest with vibrant grassland. Long however and in the middle of friggin nowhere. A tier if you like moose-spotting lol.
Shavano - CFI efforts have made the trail better. Ok peak with one of the better available snow routes in the state.
Culebra: Actually a quite nice hike in a cool part of the state on an easy trail. Paywall though
Grays: Easy, but mid. Inferior to Torreys but a nice intro climb.
Columbia: Long hike but on a good trail in a pretty basin. Other Sawatches outrank it though.
Harvard: Same case as columbia
Redcloud - Fine trip but gets outshined by many of the other lake city 14ers.
Princeton - Cool views but a slog without 4wd. Better options in the Sawatch.
Ellingwood Point: Doesn't bring much to the table in the Blanca Masiff. Difficult trail but adds in some unique views.
Conundrum - Not entirely Redundant and not too far from castle. Most cases not worth doing though.
B Tier (Good mountains worth climbing. Not the best by any means but still worth it)
Uncompahgre - Great Climb, Great views. High commitment if you don't have 4wd though.
Windom - Good option for non-climbers looking to explore the Chicago Basin. Least enjoyable of them otherwise though.
Democrat - Best the Decalibron has to offer. Easy hike with good scenery.
Pikes - Rough it out from the Barr or go up the less scenic crags. Famous peak though with a killer summit house.
Mt Bierstadt - fun intro climb in a nice area. Solid all around
Blue Sky- Sawtooth connection from Bierstadt is a nice intro to traverses. Going from summit lake is also quick/easy.
Torreys - Keslo ridge is a great class 3 venture and makes Torreys fun.
Little Bear - An infamous climb with great views of Blanca. Very dangerous though with extreme commitment. Lots of Awesome/Awful here.
Elbert-Fun Walk up with good views. Tallest in the state!
*Massive - Second tallest and second to Elbert. Still a nice day though.
Missouri - Nice area with a high-quality hike.
Eolus - Solid venture but has awkward route finding and is inferior to its North Twin.
Belford - Best out of the Bell-Ox-Mizzou trio. Solid Sawatch venture.
Blanca - Queen of the Sangres. Very long approach though with Lake Como Road. A real rewarding slog.
*Kit Carson - Same boat as Blanca, but great views and a nice reward on the summit.
Castle - Only non-technical route in the Elks that offers some nice views. Long day without 4wd though.
Quandary - Nice beginner peak with a fun 3rd class alternate route.
Yale - Wonderful accessibility with an easy climb in a nice area. Decent views but not amazing.
Lindsey - Would be A tier if it wasn't illegal haha. Great area though with a fun climb up the ridge. (I did it in 2018).
A tier (Very fun mountains that I would return to).
La Plata - Beautiful area with a nice climb. Great access!
*Snowmass- Either an enjoyable journey the long way or loose talus scramble from LKB. Beautiful area with good views.
Wetterhorn - Best views out of any lake city 14er. Great 3rd class climbing with a nice trail.
Huron - Easy climb with an awesome view of the three apostles. Some of the best the Sawatch has to offer.
Holy Cross - The 14er finisher's pilgrimage. A big commitment but great area to be in.
*Crestone Peak - Great 3rd class climbing and amazing views. The drop down to cottonwood lake is its weakness though.
North Eolus - Best views in the Chicago basin IMO. Easy climb and a very short detour from Eolus.
Sunlight - excellent 4th class climbing on a solid route. Great views with a vomit-inducing summit block.
Wilson group Trio - All great mountains in their own respect. Would recommend doing any of them. (* Wilson/El Diente)
Longs - An infamous climb in Rocky Mountain National Park. Hard, but rewarding. Great intro into tougher colorado mountaineering.
Humbolt - Arguably the best view out of any Colorado 14er. Nice walk up with a wonderful picture of the Crestones from the summit.
S tier (The best of the Best, Colorado's true gems)
Handies - Garden of Eden if it was in the alpine. Easy, Beautiful, and rewarding.
Sneffels - Great climb with incredible views. Yankee Boy Basin is truly a treat.
Maroon Bells - So much Pain but so much Joy. Premiere climbing in the Elks.
Capitol - Wonderful approach coupled with a great climb. Difficult but it pays off well extra.
Crestone Needle - Incredible climb, Incredible Basin. Exceptional experience!
Pyramid - My father's 14er finisher. According to him, a wonderful day with some incredible views/climbing.
- Let me know what y'all think of this I'd love to hear your thoughts! Colorado's Rocky Mountains are an incredible place to be and every sub range within it has great things to offer.
Happy Climbing
