Denver woman dies in 900-foot fall from Capitol Peak in Colorado – USA TODAY
A Denver woman died after falling from the knife edge of Capitol Peak into Pierre Lakes Basin. She had been hiking solo and had been trying to cling to a rock that gave way.
The woman’s body was found on Capitol Peak, one of Colorado’s towering “Fourteeners”, after a rock she tried to hold onto for support and leverage gave way.
The area around Capitol Peak is unstable, and only experienced mountaineers should attempt to climb it. Capitol Peak is a mountain near Aspen in the Elk Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains, and is considered one of Colorado’s most difficult mountains to climb. Avalanches and landslides are not uncommon, and “extreme exposure” poses safety risks as well, officials said.
The woman was hiking by herself when this deadly incident occurred. Her body was recovered over the weekend in Pierre Lakes Basin, about 900 feet below the summit and approximately 7 miles up Capitol Creek Road.
A recovery mission was planned and executed by Mountain Rescue Aspen, two Pitkin County Sheriff’s deputies, a Pitkin County deputy coroner and flight crews from Flight For Life Colorado, Montrose Helitack and EcoFlight.
Climbers have died before while attempting to reach the summit of Capitol Peak. This location is so dangerous, in fact, that the recovery of one deceased climber’s body could not be recovered.
To learn more about this deadly accident, please consider the news outlets listed below.
- Denver woman dies in 900-foot fall from Capitol Peak in Colorado USA TODAY
- Denver woman falls 900 feet to her death while climbing Capitol Peak, one of Colorado’s most difficult mountains to climb, sheriff’s office says CNN
- Denver woman falls 900 feet to her death near summit of Colorado mountain CBS News
- 900-foot fall from Capitol Peak kills Denver woman Saturday Summit Daily
- Woman falls to death on Colorado mountain while climbing New York Daily News