I agree that K2 is the hardest part of this hike. I made the mistake of traversing around it, and at one point both of my handholds were moving. Looked down to see a baseball sized rock careening 1000 feet down the mountain. Literally the most scared ive ever been in my life. Not just on a mountain, but anywhere. Congrats on your summit and great job on the video!
hey girl! fellow solo female hiker here. i am so so inspired by your determination and grit to keep going one step at a time even when its terrifying. thank you so much for sharing your journey with us!
I'm so happy youtube introduced us. Your video was lots of fun to watch, good job on that. And congratulations on getting Capital done in good style. You are studly in the most beautiful way. And that "way" is your authentic passion for adventure in the true sense of the word. You were gifted the most beautiful day, and to have the summit to yourself is so memorable too. The mountain has the ultimate say. However, you stacked the deck with courage, preparation, and good judgment. I agree that the El Diente connecting ridge is a tad more sketchy but I thought some of the loose sections towards the home stretch on Capital were the most dangerous parts, but I'm six inches taller so I liked the back of K2 :) Instant subscriber, can't wait to see what else you have done and will be doing.
Beautiful and inspiring in every way -- thank you for taking me along. (I also thoroughly enjoyed your spontaneous and earnest fact check at the 10:14 mark, regarding the scariest hike you have ever done.) You have a wonderful spirit. Stay safe on your walk in life. P.S. Nurses are the best.
For a young woman you have big balls, especially to do that solo. All of my trips have mostly been solo, at 65 I would sill like to attempt that route. KUDOS to you young lady!
Great video and congrats on your accomplishment! Great commentary also. I'm planning on doing Capitol next month and this was very educational. One step at a time.
Much respect girl! Amazing to do by yourself. I usually am by myself as well since traveling to the 14ers from the SE US, and my wife hates that I do. Started doing the 14ers 5 years ago and slowly about 2 a year working through a few. I watch everything on Capital cause I know it scares me just watching every video. Always amazed at how focused on climbing makes you forget where you are, and how scary it (should be), I echo your comment, you will never forget that one! Something you can tell your grandkids and they'll never believe you-ha, Great job - be safe!
“How scary it should be”- exactly! Even if an experienced climber, these mountains are no joke and should be taken seriously and given respect ;) I’m with you there. I also enjoy watching others’ experiences on these mountains on TH-cam. Have you entered into any class 3 or 4 territory yourself yet? Maybe I’ll see you out there one day! Thanks for your comment ☺️
@@Kelly_Explores In MT right now, will head back to BV and plan on doing La Plata sometime between 17th and 19th before heading back to GA. No to 3 or 4's. Think a 100 ft section on top of Yale in deep snow was class 3- according to others I talked to. You are still just awesome and BRAVE. I have no idea how you did what you did but just respect your courage and determination to conquer. So cool - and amazing!!!!
Another great adventure! A favorite is your four pass loop with your doggie. I think you need to remake that hike/video now that you figured out the widescreen feature! :-)
Nicely done! Huge respect for going alone. I do all my trail running and usually 14er hikes alone but this one… idk if I could. Still building the courage for it but might try a few other tricky 14ers and make capitol my grand finale when the day comes. Thanks for the good vid!
@@jojozita thank you so much! I did follow AllTrails, yes. Through the talus field, it was relatively easy to lose the trail, but there were cairns that were helpful and I just kept the all trails app pulled up. When I approached K2, I pulled up photos from 14ers.com to make sure I was ascending and descending it the correct way. I did the same for everything after the knife’s edge- 14ers.com photos + AllTrails. It wasn’t too difficult overall. I never lost the trail.
@@thereisnocarolinHR thanks so much! And I hear you! I asked all of my hiking friends if they wanted to join beforehand and no one was interested so I kind of said- screw it, I’m going to try, and I can always turn back if need be 😅
Thanks for this video. I feel like no one spends much time to explain K2, and it's the part of the climb that worries me the most. (Heading up in 2 weeks.) I've also done Wilson-El Diente) and thought it was sketchy as hell in some spots. Congrats and thanks again!
I’m glad it was helpful ☺️ K2 worried me most as well leading up to the hike, and it was possibly a little more challenging than I expected because people didn’t touch on it much, as you said. The good news is that you can always go around it for a class 3, and if you’re taller than me (5’2 lol), I think you’re naturally going to have an easier time if you choose to summit it. I felt I was really at a disadvantage as I struggled to reach the handholds and footholds. Let me know how it goes for you! You’ve got this! And it’s so nice to connect with someone else who’s done the el Diente-Wilson traverse! I haven’t spoken to anyone else who’s done it. Curious if you’ve done any other traverses?
@@Kelly_Explores I attempted the Traverse solo, and my usual partner had already done it, and told me he wouldn't do it again. Fortunately I found a great partner before summiting El Diente. We're positive we must have been off route in places, and that cat walk was no joke. I did Columbia-Harvars but that's the only other Traverse I've done. I don't plan on doing any others, (I've got kids at home!)
@@ToblerX I felt the same- almost sure I was off route due to just how technical/sketchy it was in places. I was climbing vertical walls. Luckily, these walls had awesome handholds/footholds but one misstep and I’m falling down the 30 foot wall. I wouldn’t do it again either, UNLESS I was with an experienced climbing partner. I feel you on being done with traverses! I can’t say I’m done for sure but it’s likely, lol. Have you done any other class 4s? Outside of Wilson and soon to be Capitol?
I am a longtime hiker. I am now 78 years old and facing some surgery so I will not be hiking this summer. So I have been enjoying watching hikes like yours on TH-cam. Thank you for the fabulous video. As a woman, I would be terrified to camp alone and hike alone. You are a very brave person. What I would be afraid of is other human beings.… The weird character… I’m just a little too distrustful of other humans.
Impressive hiking and climbing. Would love to be able to do Capital Peak, but I'm not really comfortable doing class 3. If I did make it to the summit, I don't think I would be able to enjoy it being so nervous about making it back. Congratulations.
Lol, that’s exactly how I felt. I didn’t truly start celebrating until I had made it back down K2 and back into class 3 territory. It was only then in which I truly felt on cloud 9!
Wow! You’re a tough young lady! Great documentary of your adventure, I started to feel kinda anxious when you got to K2 and beyond. And you’re right, you will remember this all your life. It will beg the question: “Which is harder… summiting Capital Peak, or not telling anyone you summited Capital Peak… ?”
@@biancaluedeker you know, I used to say the same thing! For years, I told myself I’d only do class 1-3s and had no interest in even entertaining the idea of class 4s. Longs was like the gateway drug to me though 😂 it was my first class 3 and really got my adrenaline pumping and I felt obsessed with that feeling of accomplishment and overcoming the fear. I got home and literally just out of curiosity, I looked at the route to Capitol. That got me thinking… wait, why CAN’T I do this?!? Morale of the story- never say never. But, if you have no interest, that’s totally okay too! Safety first always.
She seemed to be at the limit of her ability given the fact that she doesn't seem to actually have any climbing experience, aka class 5, belays , leading, following, rapping, no ropes or self belaying technique. She did it, though, so congrats for sure. One more coment, this mountain is clearly not hiking but actual mountaineering. She might want to take a course or two on some basic climbing techniques, rope handling anchors, rapping , self rescue. If she goes onto to other places like the tetons it could make life safer for her.
@@stevensilverberg605 Thank you! 😃 it was out of my comfort zone for sure, but not out of my capabilities. You’re right in that I don’t have rock climbing experience, but I still felt that I had the skill for this. I’m just kind of a wuss and get in my head a lot about everything that could go wrong! Because of that, though, I’m very cautious and calculated in every move. I definitely don’t disagree that some mountaineering courses would be helpful though 😁 I have goals to climb far bigger peaks one day so I have a lot of learning to do!
I agree that K2 is the hardest part of this hike. I made the mistake of traversing around it, and at one point both of my handholds were moving. Looked down to see a baseball sized rock careening 1000 feet down the mountain. Literally the most scared ive ever been in my life. Not just on a mountain, but anywhere. Congrats on your summit and great job on the video!
Strong work, and great self-talk to keep yourself calm and focused. That's not easy when you're solo.
Awesome achievement! Thanks for sharing. Love how you acknowledge your fears, stay calm, and press on. That is the way to do it.
hey girl! fellow solo female hiker here. i am so so inspired by your determination and grit to keep going one step at a time even when its terrifying. thank you so much for sharing your journey with us!
@@kb1482 Aw, thank you so much for the kind words! 🧡
Congratulations! Excellent video!
Your perseverance and do it all attitude is highly commendable.
You rock!!
Keep on climbing and exploring!!
I appreciate the kind words! ☺️
This was amazing! Planning my first solo soon and this was great. I love the calm self talk!! Way to kill it!
@@SuzetteTurner-j7f thank you! Best of luck to you during your solo climb! I’d love to hear how it goes for you 🙂
I just whipped through your 65 comments. Not one hater, another outstanding accomplishment!
Right?! 😂 I fully expect them whenever I post a video. It’s just a matter of time I’m sure lol
@@Kelly_Explores No hate can get through your force field.
I'm so happy youtube introduced us. Your video was lots of fun to watch, good job on that. And congratulations on getting Capital done in good style. You are studly in the most beautiful way. And that "way" is your authentic passion for adventure in the true sense of the word. You were gifted the most beautiful day, and to have the summit to yourself is so memorable too. The mountain has the ultimate say. However, you stacked the deck with courage, preparation, and good judgment. I agree that the El Diente connecting ridge is a tad more sketchy but I thought some of the loose sections towards the home stretch on Capital were the most dangerous parts, but I'm six inches taller so I liked the back of K2 :) Instant subscriber, can't wait to see what else you have done and will be doing.
@@ticklefritz5406 thank you so much! 🥰
Beautiful and inspiring in every way -- thank you for taking me along.
(I also thoroughly enjoyed your spontaneous and earnest fact check at the 10:14 mark, regarding the scariest hike you have ever done.)
You have a wonderful spirit. Stay safe on your walk in life.
P.S. Nurses are the best.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this kind comment! 💙 I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
Congratulations, and thanks for taking me along!
For a young woman you have big balls, especially to do that solo.
All of my trips have mostly been solo, at 65 I would sill like to attempt that route.
KUDOS to you young lady!
Awesome job and great video! Thanks for sharing.
@@linuxsurfer2002 thank you! 😀
Great video and congrats on your accomplishment! Great commentary also. I'm planning on doing Capitol next month and this was very educational. One step at a time.
Hell yeah! Would love an update on how it goes for you!
Well done! Mentally and physically.
Much respect girl! Amazing to do by yourself. I usually am by myself as well since traveling to the 14ers from the SE US, and my wife hates that I do. Started doing the 14ers 5 years ago and slowly about 2 a year working through a few. I watch everything on Capital cause I know it scares me just watching every video. Always amazed at how focused on climbing makes you forget where you are, and how scary it (should be), I echo your comment, you will never forget that one! Something you can tell your grandkids and they'll never believe you-ha, Great job - be safe!
“How scary it should be”- exactly! Even if an experienced climber, these mountains are no joke and should be taken seriously and given respect ;) I’m with you there. I also enjoy watching others’ experiences on these mountains on TH-cam. Have you entered into any class 3 or 4 territory yourself yet?
Maybe I’ll see you out there one day!
Thanks for your comment ☺️
@@Kelly_Explores In MT right now, will head back to BV and plan on doing La Plata sometime between 17th and 19th before heading back to GA. No to 3 or 4's. Think a 100 ft section on top of Yale in deep snow was class 3- according to others I talked to. You are still just awesome and BRAVE. I have no idea how you did what you did but just respect your courage and determination to conquer. So cool - and amazing!!!!
Another great adventure! A favorite is your four pass loop with your doggie. I think you need to remake that hike/video now that you figured out the widescreen feature! :-)
Hahaha! I TOTALLY agree! That was my first TH-cam video and I had no idea what I was doing 🤣 hiking it again would be awesome as well.
Nicely done! Huge respect for going alone. I do all my trail running and usually 14er hikes alone but this one… idk if I could. Still building the courage for it but might try a few other tricky 14ers and make capitol my grand finale when the day comes. Thanks for the good vid!
Thank you for your cool video. You rock!
Wow. A truly great effort. Well done :)
@@movingourmind thanks so much 💚
great video and congratulations! Did you follow the all trails route to the summit? Did you have to do any trail finding?
@@jojozita thank you so much! I did follow AllTrails, yes. Through the talus field, it was relatively easy to lose the trail, but there were cairns that were helpful and I just kept the all trails app pulled up. When I approached K2, I pulled up photos from 14ers.com to make sure I was ascending and descending it the correct way. I did the same for everything after the knife’s edge- 14ers.com photos + AllTrails. It wasn’t too difficult overall. I never lost the trail.
I have done some significant hiking alone but man I will not be doing Capitol alone. Amazing job!
@@thereisnocarolinHR thanks so much! And I hear you! I asked all of my hiking friends if they wanted to join beforehand and no one was interested so I kind of said- screw it, I’m going to try, and I can always turn back if need be 😅
Wow. That was amazing
Congrats!
@@mmcleod111 thank you ☺️ one of my biggest hiking accomplishments!
Not an easy one, congratulations! That hike in is also no joke, the switchbacks from the parking lot suck going back up haha
Thank you! I was DEAD by the end haha
Thanks for this video. I feel like no one spends much time to explain K2, and it's the part of the climb that worries me the most. (Heading up in 2 weeks.) I've also done Wilson-El Diente) and thought it was sketchy as hell in some spots. Congrats and thanks again!
I’m glad it was helpful ☺️ K2 worried me most as well leading up to the hike, and it was possibly a little more challenging than I expected because people didn’t touch on it much, as you said. The good news is that you can always go around it for a class 3, and if you’re taller than me (5’2 lol), I think you’re naturally going to have an easier time if you choose to summit it. I felt I was really at a disadvantage as I struggled to reach the handholds and footholds. Let me know how it goes for you! You’ve got this!
And it’s so nice to connect with someone else who’s done the el Diente-Wilson traverse! I haven’t spoken to anyone else who’s done it. Curious if you’ve done any other traverses?
@@Kelly_Explores I attempted the Traverse solo, and my usual partner had already done it, and told me he wouldn't do it again. Fortunately I found a great partner before summiting El Diente. We're positive we must have been off route in places, and that cat walk was no joke. I did Columbia-Harvars but that's the only other Traverse I've done. I don't plan on doing any others, (I've got kids at home!)
@@ToblerX I felt the same- almost sure I was off route due to just how technical/sketchy it was in places. I was climbing vertical walls. Luckily, these walls had awesome handholds/footholds but one misstep and I’m falling down the 30 foot wall. I wouldn’t do it again either, UNLESS I was with an experienced climbing partner. I feel you on being done with traverses! I can’t say I’m done for sure but it’s likely, lol.
Have you done any other class 4s? Outside of Wilson and soon to be Capitol?
@@Kelly_Explores yea I've done Lindsey. I did the Needle but don't think we ever went above class 3.
@@Kelly_Explores Hey Kelly, we got Capitol done today. What a blast! Thanks again for you helpful video.
I am a longtime hiker. I am now 78 years old and facing some surgery so I will not be hiking this summer. So I have been enjoying watching hikes like yours on TH-cam. Thank you for the fabulous video. As a woman, I would be terrified to camp alone and hike alone. You are a very brave person. What I would be afraid of is other human beings.… The weird character… I’m just a little too distrustful of other humans.
99.9% ofbweirdos don't have this commitment 😅
Wow, well done, an incredible accomplishment.
Thank you so much! I was on cloud nine after this one, that’s for sure.
That's way spookier than I realized
Impressive hiking and climbing. Would love to be able to do Capital Peak, but I'm not really comfortable doing class 3. If I did make it to the summit, I don't think I would be able to enjoy it being so nervous about making it back. Congratulations.
Lol, that’s exactly how I felt. I didn’t truly start celebrating until I had made it back down K2 and back into class 3 territory. It was only then in which I truly felt on cloud 9!
Well done!
Wow! You’re a tough young lady! Great documentary of your adventure, I started to feel kinda anxious when you got to K2 and beyond. And you’re right, you will remember this all your life. It will beg the question: “Which is harder… summiting Capital Peak, or not telling anyone you summited Capital Peak… ?”
That’s a great question 😂
Cool 👍
Gutsy climber is what you are. Quite impressive climb and obviously very skillful too. Congratulations on the impressive 14er.
you are a Badass!!!
Impressive!!
Awesome girl!
That’s crazy !!!
Awesome
legend
Katydid. Of some particular species.
Otherwise, very nice effort!
@@changingground Ah! Thank you!! Haha
I can’t do Capitol. Too scary. I just hang out on Long’s and Sneffles. 😢
Come with us! It’s super fun
@@biancaluedeker you know, I used to say the same thing! For years, I told myself I’d only do class 1-3s and had no interest in even entertaining the idea of class 4s. Longs was like the gateway drug to me though 😂 it was my first class 3 and really got my adrenaline pumping and I felt obsessed with that feeling of accomplishment and overcoming the fear. I got home and literally just out of curiosity, I looked at the route to Capitol. That got me thinking… wait, why CAN’T I do this?!?
Morale of the story- never say never. But, if you have no interest, that’s totally okay too! Safety first always.
@@Kelly_Explores thanks for the personalized response.
@@RIVERLOPEZ ok!
But then you have to do the Grand Canyon rim to rim with me.
She seemed to be at the limit of her ability given the fact that she doesn't seem to actually have any climbing experience, aka class 5, belays , leading, following, rapping, no ropes or self belaying technique. She did it, though, so congrats for sure. One more coment, this mountain is clearly not hiking but actual mountaineering. She might want to take a course or two on some basic climbing techniques, rope handling anchors, rapping , self rescue. If she goes onto to other places like the tetons it could make life safer for her.
@@stevensilverberg605 Thank you! 😃 it was out of my comfort zone for sure, but not out of my capabilities. You’re right in that I don’t have rock climbing experience, but I still felt that I had the skill for this. I’m just kind of a wuss and get in my head a lot about everything that could go wrong! Because of that, though, I’m very cautious and calculated in every move. I definitely don’t disagree that some mountaineering courses would be helpful though 😁 I have goals to climb far bigger peaks one day so I have a lot of learning to do!
The ridge is class 4.
You don't need climbing experience for any of the standard 14er routes in CO.
@@fosatech Exactly. This is why I went for it.
Keep on Rocking girl 😊