Pikes Peak
| Pikes Peak | ||
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 Pikes Peak from the east |
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| height | 4301 m | |
| location | Colorado , USA | |
| Mountains | Rocky mountains | |
| Coordinates | 38 ° 50 '26 " N , 105 ° 2' 39" W | |
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| First ascent | July 14, 1820 by Edwin James and two companions | |
Pikes Peak (formerly Pike's Peak ) is a mountain at 4,301 m (14,110 feet) in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains , near Colorado Springs , Colorado . It was named after Zebulon Pike , an explorer who led the Pike expedition to southern Colorado in 1806 . It is one of the 53 mountains in Colorado, the peaks of which rise higher than 14,000 feet and thus belong to the so-called Fourteeners (fourteen thousanders). There is a research institute and a small souvenir shop at its summit.
The first known ascent was made on July 14, 1820 by the botanist Edwin James and two companions who were part of an expedition led by Stephen Long .
Gold was found in the area in 1858, and Pike's Peak or Bust became the gold prospect's battle cry.
There was once a ski area on Pikes Peak, but it had to be closed due to lack of snow. Since the mountain is not exposed to enough natural snowfall, expensive artificial snow had to be produced, which was, however, always blown away quickly by the prevailing strong winds.
The original official name "Pike's Peak" was changed in 1891 to the current spelling. Since 1978 a law of the state of Colorado has made this spelling mandatory. Nevertheless, the old name can still be found here and there.
About a previously partly unpaved, paved consistently since 2011 winding track with impressive views, mostly without guardrails of the summit (The Summit) to reach by car.
The namesake Pike never climbed his mountain (which he initially called "Grand Peak"), he supposedly even thought it was invincible, but this was quickly refuted. In 1835, Pikes Peak was given its name, which is still valid today, in honor of Zebulon Pike, who at this point had been dead for many years.
On a clear day, Pikes Peak can even be seen from the border with the neighboring state of Kansas to the east .
On July 4, 1961, the mountain was recognized as a National Historic Landmark , on October 15, 1966 it was included in the National Register of Historic Places with the number 66000245.
Pikes Peak Marathon
Every year there is a marathon to the summit and back down, which runs on the Barr Trail .
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
On the above-mentioned slope to the summit every year since 1916 among motorsport enthusiasts world-famous mountain race , the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) , and "Race To The Clouds" called discharged. The track record for the 12.42 miles or 19.99 kilometers long race track with a total of 156 corners has stood at 7: 57.148 minutes since June 24, 2018 and was set by Romain Dumas with the VW ID R Pikes Peak .
Rack railway
Since 1891, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway, the world's highest cog railway , has operated right up to the summit of Pikes Peak . It last ran all year round, but the main season was in summer. While steam locomotives used to be used to reach the summit, later modern diesel multiple units drove over the 16 km long rail route, which offers impressive panoramic views.
The operation of the rack railway was stopped in October 2017. It is scheduled to reopen in 2021 with new technology.
Web links
- Information on Pikes Peak cog railway on the website of Pike's Peak Cog Railway (English)
- Website of the Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association (English)
- Image collection on 14ers.com (English)
- Pikes Peak Cog Railway - Driver's Eye View - Part 1 - The Long Climb - Cab ride to Pikes Peak
- Pikes Peak - Driver's Eye View - Part 2 - The Descent - Cab ride back to Manitou Springs
Individual evidence
- ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Colorado. National Park Service , accessed July 20, 2019.
- ^ Pikes Peak in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed July 29, 2017.
- ↑ www.pikespeakmarathon.org (English)
- ↑ Gregor Hebermehl: VW ID R Pikes Peak breaks all records: Romain Dumas is the first driver in under 8 minutes. In: auto-motor-und-sport.de. June 24, 2018, accessed June 24, 2018 .
- ↑ cograilway: Official website , accessed May 17, 2019