At 14,440 feet Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Sawatch Range, the highest peak in Colorado and the second highest peak in the contiguous United States just 65 feet short of Mount Whitney.
How to Hike Mount Elbert?
There are many routes to get to the top of Mount Elbert. Some of the popular routes are:
- North Mount Elbert Trail: A 10.4 mile out and back trail with an elevation gain of 4500 feet.
- Mount Elbert Southeast Ridge Trail: This trail is an alternative route to the more heavily used North and South Mount Elbert Trail. This trail is 11 miles long and an elevation gain of around 5000 ft.
- Mount Elbert East Ridge Trail: A 14.7 mile long trail with an elevation gain of 4,895 ft. The East Ridge is the easiest route from the other routes. The East Ridge trail offers beautiful views of Twin Lakes.This is the trek we choose for our first attempt.
The Trek to the top of Mount Elbert is strenuous but the incredible views of the surrounding Rocky Mountains are worth the effort.
How hard is Mount Elbert?
Colorado is home to 58 Fourteeners (Mountains Higher than 14,000 feet). They range in difficulty from hard to extremely difficult.
Mount Elbert sits more on the easier side alongside with peaks like Grays Peak, Torreys Peak, Pikes Peak…It’s certainly a good candidate for your first fourteener.
Climbing any fourteener comes with difficulties, challenges and risks that you should be aware of.
Lightning risk
While hiking in the Rocky Mountains, especially at higher elevations, you should plan to be off the summit before noon to avoid the notorious afternoon thunderstorms that frequent the mountains during summer.
An early start is always a good idea to avoid the crowds, allow yourself enough time to make it up to the summit and to avoid thunderstorms.
High altitude sickness
Hiking at high altitude has significant effects on the human body and mind. The human body performs best at sea level. Once you reach around 7,000 feet above sea level, the atmospheric pressure and percentage of oxygen starts to decrease at a rapid rate.
At this altitude breathing becomes difficult. Many people start experiencing high altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness.
Where to stay before climbing Mount Elbert?
What to pack for Mount Elbert
In addition to the The 10 Essentials of Hiking, here are a few things that will make the journey more comfortable: