After two attempts at summiting two other fourteeners in the past two years, we felt confident with our expectations for bagging this challenging 14er...Capitol Peak. Capitol Peak is located in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass wilderness of the Elk Range about 3hrs west of Denver. Reared as one of the most difficult 14ers in the state, the class 4 climbing required would prove to be the most mentally challenging climb for Ray and I to date.Trying to set ourselves up for a successful summit, we decided to set up base camp below Capitol Lake at 11,500ft. This would allow us some acclimation time as well as get some good rest for a 4am alpine start. The trek to base camp was a beautiful 3hr, 6mile hike through the free range drainage basin of Capitol Creek. Hundreds of cattle seemed to be in grazing heaven amongst the lush valley that that roamed in.
Other than the giant mosquitoes that were constantly landing on us, it was a pleasant approach to base camp with an almost constant view of the summit that lie ahead of us.Food.....valuable lessons learned from the past about freeze dried food filled with 3k -4k mg of sodium...do everything in your power not to have to eat them!! With having a base camp we were able to justify the weight of carrying whole foods for the light trek to camp. Our meals consisted of cheese quesadillas w/ avocado and salsa, soup and rice, Pepperidge farm cookies, gummy bears, oatmeal w/honey and sliced almonds, peanut butter on tortillas and an array of energy bars.
4am we head out to find a way to where the sky meets the earth, with only the lights of our headlamps and the billions of stars guiding us. Even though the summit is only 3 miles away, it would take us three hours to.... traverse steep heart racing switchbacks, loose and slippery snowfields, boulder fields that offer no true route, a pass over a 13,600 ft peak named K2...and we have not even reached the challenging part yet. With only another 500ft of elevation to gain, our summit would take over an hour to achieve. 
This is where the mental part really kicks in. With narrow ledges and "Knife Edge" crosses all with extreme exposure, make damn sure your foot and hand holds are bomber. Sheer cliffs with 2000 ft drops on the North and South sides of the mountain really make your mind and body work overtime!
Successfully reaching the summit is only half the battle. Down climbing this granite behemoth was equally as challenging both mentally and physically. After reaching K2 on the descent the harrowing part was behind us with joyful success. As we approached the switchbacks that lead down to Capitol Lake, we decided to follow suit and go for a victory swim in the crystal clear, glacial lake. (See video clip below!)
I can't be thankful enough that each year I am capable and healthy to embark on this tradition Ray and I have kept going since college. Each year we set out on a new adventure, to test our skills, our limits and find something new about ourselves. Something that we can bring back to apply to our everyday lives. Disconnecting from the world, even if it is just for a short time. All the while " Making the world a little bit smaller every trip." (Quote from Ray on the way back to Denver)
*Click here to view all of my pics from this climb *
Video - Summit View
Video - Capitol Lake
Video - Glacial Butt Slide
