El Diente Peak
Encyclopedia
El Diente Peak is a fourteen thousand foot
mountain peak in the U.S. state
of Colorado
. It is located in the Lizard Head Wilderness
in the San Miguel Mountains of the San Juan Mountains
, in Dolores County
approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Rico
.
The topographic prominence
of El Diente Peak is only 239 feet (73 m), so by a strict 300 feet (91.4 m) cutoff rule it would not be counted as a separate peak from its higher neighbor Mount Wilson
. However the 3/4 mile (1.2 km) connecting ridge is a significant climbing challenge (Class 4/5
), making El Diente more independent than its prominence would indicate.
Hence it is often regarded as a full-fledged fourteener
.
El Diente is one of the more dramatic peaks in Colorado in terms of local relief and steepness. As a result, it is one of the most challenging climbs among Colorado's fourteeners. All routes involve at least class 3
scrambling on loose talus
, and poor route-finding can expose the climber to more difficult and dangerous terrain.
Fourteener
In mountaineering terminology in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet above mean sea level. There are 547 fourteeners in the world. The importance of fourteeners is greatest in Colorado, which has the majority of such peaks in North America...
mountain peak in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It is located in the Lizard Head Wilderness
Lizard Head Wilderness
The Lizard Head Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado. It contains 41,309 acres and is jointly managed by the Uncompahgre and San Juan National Forests. It is 10 miles southwest of the town of Telluride and is named for a prominent rock formation that is said to look like a...
in the San Miguel Mountains of the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
, in Dolores County
Dolores County, Colorado
Dolores County is the seventh least populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 1,844 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Dove Creek.- History :...
approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Rico
Rico, Colorado
Rico is a Home Rule Municipality in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. The population was 205 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rico is located at ....
.
The topographic prominence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
of El Diente Peak is only 239 feet (73 m), so by a strict 300 feet (91.4 m) cutoff rule it would not be counted as a separate peak from its higher neighbor Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson (Colorado)
Mount Wilson is a fourteen thousand foot mountain peak in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Lizard Head Wilderness in Dolores County approximately 10 miles north of Rico and 10 miles southwest of Telluride. It is the highest peak in the San Miguel Mountains, a subrange of the San...
. However the 3/4 mile (1.2 km) connecting ridge is a significant climbing challenge (Class 4/5
Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing classification system. Originally the system was...
), making El Diente more independent than its prominence would indicate.
Hence it is often regarded as a full-fledged fourteener
Fourteener
In mountaineering terminology in the United States, a fourteener is a mountain that exceeds 14,000 feet above mean sea level. There are 547 fourteeners in the world. The importance of fourteeners is greatest in Colorado, which has the majority of such peaks in North America...
.
El Diente is one of the more dramatic peaks in Colorado in terms of local relief and steepness. As a result, it is one of the most challenging climbs among Colorado's fourteeners. All routes involve at least class 3
Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers in the United States and Canada. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing classification system. Originally the system was...
scrambling on loose talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
, and poor route-finding can expose the climber to more difficult and dangerous terrain.
See also
- Mountain peaks of ColoradoMountain peaks of ColoradoThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Colorado.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of North AmericaMountain peaks of North AmericaThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of greater North America.This article defines greater North America as the portion of the continental landmass of the Americas extending northward from Panama plus the islands surrounding that landmass...
- Mountain peaks of the Rocky MountainsMountain peaks of the Rocky MountainsThis article comprises three sortable tables of major mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains of North America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain peaks of the United StatesMountain peaks of the United StatesThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the United States of America.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- Mountain ranges of ColoradoMountain ranges of ColoradoThe following table lists the major mountain ranges of the U.S. State of Colorado.-Mountain Ranges:-See also:*4000 meter peaks of Colorado*Colorado mountain passes*Geography of Colorado*Lists of mountains*Mountain peaks of Colorado...
- Southern Rocky MountainsSouthern Rocky MountainsThe Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and extreme eastern portions of Utah...