These 10 classic peaks in the Elk Range to the west of Aspen, Colorado are revered among mountain lovers. 7 are above 14,000 ft elevation, including some of the most difficult 14ers in Colorado. Beware of loose rock on the Bells & Pyramid! Not for novices. Completing this challenge is a great achievement... just be sure to save some extra money to celebrate afterward in the upscale "mining" town of Aspen.
Highest peak
Castle Peak
14,272 ft / 4,350 m
Most prominent peak
Castle Peak
2,365 ft / 720 m prom
Most summited peak
Castle Peak
57 summits
Most difficult peak
Castle Peak
Class 2
Difficulty breakdown
Class 1/2 1 peak
Class 3/4 4 peaks
Highlights
Latest summits

"6:15am start, main summit at 10:00, continued on to the west peak and returned the way I came, finishing about 2:00. Perfect fall day with leaves near peak color.
https://youtu.be/YjYLf9hXb_I" — cheeseishappiness • Oct 10, 2020

"Capitol Peak, the so-called “hardest 14er” has eluded me for years, sending me back home multiple times through wildfires, floods and even an overturned trailer of pigs shutting down Glenwood Canyon. Finally, my car was at the trailhead. We battled relentless cold, soaking rain and trails of flowing mud to reach our camp below Capitol Lake, then hastily pitched our tents and jumped in our sleeping bags, trying to regain some morale and feeling in our appendages. The weather finally broke in the afternoon, long enough for us to partially dry out and not spend the night hypothermic, and the next morning the sun rose as we reached a frost-covered K2. Luckily the rising sun burned off most of the remaining ice on the SW ridge as we climbed across the knife’s edge and up the wild terrain thereafter, reaching the summit at 8:30AM. You didn’t make it easy, but thanks for finally letting me up ol’ Cap. " — LGH-Dan • Aug 30, 2020

"Way back when while living in Snowmass Colorado, I headed out to climb my first Colorado 14'er, Capitol Peak. I had heard stories of how scary it was, and the leader of our group himself, John Placek, who was an outstanding athlete, himself had been struck by lightining and survived up there, gaining the nickname "Johnny Lightning". To say I was nervous about this trip is an understatement. A strong skier and hiker I was, but a mountaineer or rock climber, I was not, and I had no idea what to expect. To compound things i had a fear of heights i was working to get over. The picture of the peak you see here when i was on my way to standing on top of that mountain. All I had with me was three co-climbers, a fear of heights I was working to overcome, no rock climbing gear, no rock climbing skills, a gung-ho attitude, physical fitness, a small bottle of water, and a cheap camera. The photo was taken at approximately 10 AM. The tiny red dot you see on the ridge near the bottom is one of my friends, there were three of them. When I took that picture, I had fallen and frozen in my tracks unable to force myself to move for twenty minutes, afraid i was going to fall to my death, and my..." — davesinlv1 • Aug 3, 2019

"I hiked Castle and Conundrum via the standard route, starting at a campsite very low on the road. The weather was perfect all morning with zero wind. After Conundrum, I decided to re-summit Castle instead of taking the saddle descent." — WaxDr • Aug 19, 2017

"I hiked Castle and Conundrum via the standard route, starting at a campsite very low on the road. The weather was perfect all morning with zero wind. After Conundrum, I decided to re-summit Castle instead of taking the saddle descent." — WaxDr • Aug 19, 2017