Ed'n Lauky
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Mt. Washington is listed #17 on Outside Magazine's 20 most dangerous hikes. http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoo...ing/The-10-Most-Dangerous-Hikes.html#slide-17
Outside Magazine's 20 most dangerous hikes
- Thread starter Ed'n Lauky
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Raven
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Interesting list. Interesting to read 3000 people take the Mist Trail on Half Dome on a good day in summer, that hikers actually fall into an active volcano in Guatemala when they get too close to the edge (that would suck), and that the picture shown for Mount Washington is not actually Mount Washington, but the Northern Pressies over Great Gulf from Mount Washington, a classic shot of course.
There's a few on this list I'm not in a rush to do.
sardog1
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I did one of my SAR dog handler certifications among the lush greenery of #19. At the time it had yet to acquire its now notorious reputation. 
With bear attacks, is popular Anchorage trail overdue for overhaul?
With bear attacks, is popular Anchorage trail overdue for overhaul?
iagreewithjamie
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Interesting. Most of those hikes are dangerous for the ill-prepared. Like Mt Washington and the Devil's path - if you hike smart, they're actually very enjoyable.
Couple of notes:
Hua-Shan: That's an old picture. They now have steel cables that you hook onto for the entire journey, and the chains are there for handholds. There is a gut-wrenching Youtube video of a guy doing it with no harness, and his nonchalance about the whole thing is nerve wracking.
El Caminito Del Rey - There have been so many deaths, the government is redoing the entire path, and hope to open to the public in 2016.
MISSING: I would totally think Capitol Peak in Colorado would've made the list. The Knife Edge there makes Acadia's namesake feel like the summit of Guyot. 800ft and 1000ft sheer drop on each side.
Couple of notes:
Hua-Shan: That's an old picture. They now have steel cables that you hook onto for the entire journey, and the chains are there for handholds. There is a gut-wrenching Youtube video of a guy doing it with no harness, and his nonchalance about the whole thing is nerve wracking.
El Caminito Del Rey - There have been so many deaths, the government is redoing the entire path, and hope to open to the public in 2016.
MISSING: I would totally think Capitol Peak in Colorado would've made the list. The Knife Edge there makes Acadia's namesake feel like the summit of Guyot. 800ft and 1000ft sheer drop on each side.
sardog1
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Indeed. Haven't climbed it, but I was camped for several days in front of it. And I do believe this guy would second its nomination for the list: Fort Collins hiker, Daniel Palmer, describes harrowing Capitol Peak ordeal
DougPaul
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On a world scale, the Katahdin Knife Edge is nothing--it is simply a hiking trail along a ridge.
This one looks a bit better... http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4043/1652/1600/IMG_1168.jpg And this one isn't hard either: 'The promised "spectacular knife-edge ridge" that must be climbed à cheval was a stroll, but several "fourth-class" sections required an attentive belay.' (This is in the Tetons. http://themountainworld.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html, scroll down to Aug 29.)
Here is a shot of Capitol Peak knife edge: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/1202922
If you want to see some more: http://www.google.com/search?q="knife+edge"+climbing+cheval
Doug
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DougPaul
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Yes--perhaps the best approximation to a view from the top if one is unable to ascend Walter's Wiggles (part of the route to Angel's Landing above Refrigerator Canyon). Here is the corresponding view from the top (of AL): http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/angelslandingpix4.cfm (first two pics). RC is out of view, below to the right.
I recommend the entire route description and photos: http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/angelslanding.cfm http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/angelslandingpix.cfm
BTW, the ridge leading to AL is more difficult than Katahdin Knife Edge. (But the difficulty has been reduced with cut steps and a hand chain.) The drop-offs are also more intimidating...
Doug
iagreewithjamie
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Good article, SarDog. I remember reading last year about a hiker who died on the North Face because he didn't want to go across the knife edge. I think if I were faced with it, confronting 20 feet of trail terror would be worthwhile to avoid descending a technical route with no ropes.
The best quote from the article is something I bet you've witness often in SAR - "Going forward, I’ll definitely be a lot more careful and less cocky about it." How many accidents are cause by these two things working together: carelessness, and cockiness.
The best quote from the article is something I bet you've witness often in SAR - "Going forward, I’ll definitely be a lot more careful and less cocky about it." How many accidents are cause by these two things working together: carelessness, and cockiness.
Thanks for the links, I remember those from the research I did before I hiked Angel's Landing in early April this year. Much better than the photos I took! I actually have a photo almost exactly like the one in the slideshow link from the OP, taken at a similar time of day, late in the afternoon.
Katahdin's Knife Edge is on my list for the future. Interesting to know your take on the two.
DougPaul
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Those pics brought back some nice memories for me too. (Except I got chased off by a squall line... The run-off and instant waterfalls in Refrigerator Canyon were spectacular.)
The majority of the KE is just a trail on a ridge that is much wider than the trail itself. There is one short scramble where one needs to use one's hands. Technically it is all very easy--the risk is mostly psychological and a small number of exposure-adverse or scramble-adverse hikers freak out. (The difficulty is not worth all the worry and verbiage that is found on the web.)
In contrast, a difficult knife edge might be an inch or so wide at the top and you have to negotiate it à cheval (sitting on the top with one leg on either side, as on a horse), with hands on the top and feet down on holds on the side, or downclimb and traverse the face below the edge. The ridge on Capitol Peak appears to be like this plus it it broken up so one would have to switch between techniques frequently. This should give you a better idea of what the KE on Capitol Peak is like: http://vimeo.com/71757831
A knife edge ridge might also be covered with unstable snow and cornices with no reliable protection. Some Alaskan ridges are infamous for having cornices on both sides.
In my personal experience, I have climbed (and descended) a narrow snow ridge a single foot-track wide with considerable exposure on both sides. (Mönch, 4099m, SE ridge, F/PD). It was an easy walk except when passing other climbers... (However, if one falls, it is a long way down with no hope of self-arrest. The climbers rope up and if one falls, the other one has to jump off the other side to provide a belay.)
Doug
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Stan
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I can't believe Zion's Angels Landing is on that list. The biggest danger I think is heat stroke hiking up the canyon to get to that last half mile. Avoid doing it in the noon time summer sun.
Snowflea
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Gosh Doug, I'm glad I didn't watch that video before doing Capitol Peak in 2009.
I was solo and intended to go as far as I was comfortable. It was kind of scary but didn't really seem THAT bad and I was able to summit. Having to return by the same route was a bit anxiety producing, however! The so-called "K2" section before the Knife Edge was actually trickier for me as there was more than one way to go and, of course, a slip would probably prove fatal. I did get a kick out of meeting a paying client being short roped by his Aspen guide that day. And meeting FIVE black bears feasting on a dead cow at ~11,000 feet on the way up was pretty adrenaline producing...
iagreewithjamie
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I can't believe that hiker didn't swear more traversing the ridge. I was nervous just watching it...
DougPaul
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Haven't done it myself, but here is my take:Gosh Doug, I'm glad I didn't watch that video before doing Capitol Peak in 2009.
The distorted perspective and disorientation in the video make it look harder than I think it really is. I turned my "rock climber's eye" (and "perspective correcter") on the details in the video and I didn't see any hard moves--it appears to be good footholds (perhaps even a small ledge) a few feet below the knife-edge ridge-top handholds. Very exposed, but pretty short. The rating (for the entire route) is class 4 so it can't be too hard.
I can see how some might want/require a guide...
Doug
sierra
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Class 3 and 4 routes in CO are varied and ones experience on rock can be the difference to a simple scamper or a epic climb. As a rock climber, I find class 3 routes to be easy and class 4 routes to be ok as well, so long as the rock is solid. Some peaks like Pyramid are class 4 and loose, that bumps up the difficulty in my eyes. Capitol is also a great example of the diffence between NH peaks and CO peaks. Ive had discussions in the past with people who insist on saying the Whites are just as hard as the 14ers, just without the elevation. This is not true in my opinion. While there are many 14ers that are just walk-ups, there is a good list of those that are way harder. You never hear anyone describing any 4k has having deathfall potential, some 14ers most surely do.
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