Summits that people claim but didn't get?

[Trotter]

I've realized theres a few specific summits that I think people claim, but they didn't actually summit them. Probably by accident or ignorance.

For instance, almost every time I've climbed Mt Sniktau, there's people taking a long break at the unranked 13152 bump before Sniktau. And the ones I've talked to, all thought they were on the summit of Sniktau until I pointed it out. Then most of them didn't go get Sniktau after that, but hiked back down. I've always wondered how many people claimed it as a summit.

Another one is South Bross. Because just south of Mt Bross within 50 yards is two separate subpeaks, that have large windblocks built on them. I always assumed one of those was the south Bross summit and had counted south Bross myself, until I went up there a second time and saw the real south Bross is really like a half mile south. I have a friend who thought the same.

Another is people claiming Kelso Mtn, when they climb Kelso ridge on Torreys. I knew someone who did this out of ignorance.

The road bikers who claim Mt Evans when they bike the road up. I biked it once, and out of about 20 bikers up there that day, I think about 3 of us actually walked the last 100 feet to the summit. Skipping the summit there I think is less about ignorance, and more about not wanting to walk in clip in bike shoes.

Another other peaks like that come to mind?

[HikerGuy]

The granddaddy of them all, Sunlight Peak.

[Eli Boardman]

Iztaccihuatl--most of the guides and plenty of other people seem to stop at the first bump when you get to the summit crater coming up from the normal south ridge. The true summit is a scree hill on the far (north) side of the summit glacier.

Rainier--apparently plenty of guided groups stop at the edge of the crater coming up DC, and I'm sure plenty of people have counted it without reaching Columbia Crest. I was on top solo at 1 a.m. though, so no first-hand observation of people doing that.

Same deal with Kili/Stella Point.

[Snow_Dog_frassati]

If you wanted to be a real summit jerk you could say that Snowmass doesn't count unless you stand on the little spire on the top. Lots of peaks have those little spires or rock piles that technically would be "the true summit".

Sunlight Peak is kinda well known for people not doing that last move on the summit block. I felt the last move was one of the iconic 14er moves so I went for it but I know some who sat it out. For what its worth I took my dog on Sunlight and obviously he didn't do the last move with me but I still count it for him (because he really cares deeply about how many big piles of rocks he's climbed)

Its not a Colorado mtn but I know someone who claims Granite Peak in Montana without having gone past the snow bridge.

[CaptainSuburbia]

North Star Mountain - some will claim the false mistakenly and not go out the ridge.

Pennsylvania Mountain - I've noticed summit claims of the false. This is understandable with the large cairn, and the real summit looking the same height across a flat plan and not really looking like a summit.

I also know some that claim Belford, Redcloud and Shavano twice when they summit again on their descent.

[justiner]

I would say Kangchenjunga as the top is sacred, or Manaslu, as everyone seems to not actually hit the true summit

[Wentzl]

If you wanted to be a real summit jerk you could say that Snowmass doesn't count unless you stand on the little spire on the top. Lots of peaks have those little spires or rock piles that technically would be "the true summit".


Ha ha. Check it out. I am on the little spire on top! (see avatar)

On topic, I mistook one of the wind shelters on Bross as South Bross until I actually hiked to South Bross the next year. It is a bit odd because South Bross seems more like West Bross when you hike to it and the wind shelters seem more Southernly.

attached is rubbish found, not carried.

IMG_1283[1].JPG (121.67 KiB) Viewed 2797 times

[cougar]

Sanitas, trail ends before the actual highpoint and there is a sign. This is "Sanitas Mountaineer Top"

Mt Carbon - have to tag the green when no golfers are present.

Horsetooth Mt - trail leads to north summit Rock but the south one is higher with the benchmark.

Numerous ones with a trail to a viewpoint or tower vs the actual hp in a nearby jungle of vegetation, or behind a fence, radio towers. Highpoints inside a summit home.

Mt Marathon in Seward, AK.

Not a summit, but Quoddy Head easternmost point in US is actually a good ways east of the monument on tidal rocks. Southernmost pt in Key West is actually on the navy base.

[AnnaG22]

Iztaccihuatl--most of the guides and plenty of other people seem to stop at the first bump when you get to the summit crater coming up from the normal south ridge. The true summit is a scree hill on the far (north) side of the summit glacier.

Same deal with Kili/Stella Point.

The funny thing with both of these is that the walks between those points and the actual summits are just easy slogs. I'm still thankful to the partner who talked me into going the extra distance to the true summit of Izta...I was tired and ready to call it at that second highest bump, but it was worth it to get to the cross.

Add Zugspitze to the list. Some folks call it at the summit viewing deck, but the summit itself is a smidge higher and the mini via ferrata over there is extremely exposed.

[Jon Frohlich]

Sanitas, trail ends before the actual highpoint and there is a sign. This is "Sanitas Mountaineer Top"

Sanitas isn't ranked though....

Some of the 10ers and 11ers its really hard to tell the actual highpoint. I climbed Saxon and Thorodin over the weekend and neither has a clear highest rock (or register).

[Mtnman200]

Whitney Peak and Snowmass Mountain come to mind.

Whitney Peak (13,276').JPG (83.05 KiB) Viewed 2700 times

Snowmass Mtn (14,092').jpg (60.42 KiB) Viewed 2699 times

[dpage]

Horsetooth Mtn in Ft Collins. The trail goes to the north tooth but the south tooth is the actual high point. It's a fun scramble and has a wonderful off trail route directly to the base of the south tooth for an easy class 3 scramble.

Just realized Cougar beat me to this.