Repeating The Great Colorado Fourteener Climb

• 645+climbers in 1976

• 55 peaks summited

• 2,000 original applicants

A Colorado Century, One Summit at a Time

The story of the 1976 climb begins not with a bold plan, but nearly without one. When the Colorado State Centennial Commission floated the idea of a commemorative climb of all the state's 14,000-foot peaks on August 1st, 1976, Colorado's 100th birthday, they ran into an unexpected wall: the Colorado Mountain Club had significant concerns about organizing it. The CMC, based in Boulder, worried about the risks of opening such an event to ordinary climbers, the potential for injuries, and the logistical impossibility of recruiting enough teams for all 54 peaks in one day.

Enter Colonel Dave Hughes, the force behind Colorado Springs' Pikes Peak or Bust by '76 Committee. He disagreed. With just five weeks until the August 1st deadline, he struck a deal with Centennial Commission director George Barrante: get the Denver Post and Colorado's major media to announce the climb statewide, and the Committee would handle the rest. The response was staggering.

"Before I even took out my key to open the front door of the office at 9AM I could see through the glass that ALL four lines on our roll-over telephones were lit up."
— Col. Dave Hughes

By the end of that single Sunday, every one of the 54 peaks had been claimed. Within a week, 300 groups representing some 2,000 climbers had applied. Hughes ultimately recognized 100 official climbing parties, limiting the ten most technically challenging peaks to one vetted party each, while allowing two parties on the remaining 44. A 55th peak, Grizzly Peak, was added after a determined doctor called from Europe to argue (successfully) that it had once been officially recognized as a fourteener in 1876. In the end, over 645 climbers in 55 groups stood on top of Colorado on August 1st, 1976.

Then and Now: The CMC's Evolving Role

The irony is rich: the organization that had concerns with organizing the 1976 climb is now a central partner in its 2026 reprise, and a natural one. In the decades since, the CMC has built exactly the infrastructure that makes a repeat possible and responsible.

Summit 2026 is one of twelve signature initiatives developed by the America 250/Colorado 150 Commission to honor Colorado's shared history and look toward its future. The campaign explicitly reimagines the spirit of the 1976 Bicentennial climb — and this time the CMC is not only willing but uniquely equipped. With over a century of experience leading groups into Colorado's high country, a deep bench of trained trip leaders, and members spanning every corner of the state, the CMC is a natural anchor for an effort of this scale.

The vision is both ambitious and inclusive. Aspiring climbing teams from across Colorado and beyond will apply for the chance to summit a fourteener as part of this historic event, with peak assignments matched to experience levels. Whether that means roping up for a technical route, joining an organized group ascent, or simply embracing the spirit of outdoor adventure — the Commission's goal is that every Coloradan finds their own fourteener.

What's the Same, What's Different

Hughes' 1976 operation ran on newspaper ink, four phone lines, and the sheer will of Colorado's ordinary people. He trusted everyday climbers when the experts wouldn't — and they showed up in droves. The spirit is the same in 2026: the mountains belong to everyone, and the skills to climb them safely can be learned and shared. What's different is the infrastructure. Educational and safety messaging, Leave No Trace principles, coordination with search and rescue — all woven in from the start. The CMC's century-plus of responsible mountain stewardship means the ambition of 1976 can be met with the accountability of 2026.

"There is something irreplaceable about standing on a Colorado summit in community with others." — Graham Ottley - Education Director, Colorado Mountain Club, Summit 2026

If you are a CMC-trained or certified trip leader, this is your moment. The Summit 2026 coordination team is currently gauging leader interest for peak assignments. Fill out the Peak Interest Form on the CMC's Summit 2026 page, note the peaks you're qualified to lead, and indicate your summer availability.

Fifty years on, the mountains are the same. The call to climb them together, in celebration, in community, in Colorado, is exactly the same too.