In the course of a cold October evening in 2025, my two pals and I suited up on the Cottonwood Creek trailhead and began a trek into the Sangre de Cristo mountains of Colorado. It was once a bit of under freezing as we were given shifting at 1:30 a.m., and the Moon illuminated the snowy mountaintops above us.
Our packs have been a bit of heavier than commonplace as a result of we have been hauling extremely correct surveying apparatus to the summits of 2 peaks, every over 14,000 toes (4,267.2 meters). The peaks, Crestone and East Crestone, have been shut sufficient in peak, with a brief sufficient saddle in between, that most effective the taller of the 2 would depend as a real 14er and the opposite as a sub-peak.
Crestone had historically been considered taller and sees loads of ascents every yr. East Crestone, historically believed to be shorter, sees just a fraction as many ascents. Colorado has 58 mountain peaks over 14,000 toes that peakbaggers imagine 14ers. For locals and guests alike, bagging a 14er is a recreation, and a few other folks submit studies about having climbed all 58.
I sought after to measure which was once taller, since I suspected earlier measurements other folks had depended on for years may well be misguided.
GPS lets in Eric Gilbertson to measure the peaks of Crestone and East Crestone in Colorado in October 2025.
Eric Gilbertson
I educate mountain surveying, and I climb and analysis mountains world wide for a laugh. I’m seeking to climb the best possible mountain in each nation on Earth. I’ve to this point climbed 147 of 196, together with difficult, high-altitude technical ones equivalent to K2 with out supplemental oxygen in Pakistan and Pobeda in Kyrgyzstan.
Thru my revel in hiking, I came upon that no longer all nations on this planet were surveyed appropriately sufficient to grasp the rustic’s true excessive level. The excessive level is geographically important, because it’s the best possible herbal level or top within the nation, state or province. Incessantly, excessive issues are a supply of nationwide or state pleasure. I taught myself surveying to decide and examine those excessive issues by myself.
Finding excessive issues world wide
I’ve to this point came upon new excessive issues in seven nations: Colombia – Pico Simón Bolívar; Saudi Arabia – Jabal Ferwa; Uzbekistan – Alpomish; Togo – Mount Atilakoutse; Gambia – Sare Firasu Hill; Guinea Bissau – Mount Ronde; and Botswana – Monalanong Hill.
Ginge Fullen, a hiking spouse of Eric Gilbertson, sits atop the height of Pico Simon Bolivar in Colombia in December 2024.
Eric Gilbertson
I’ve surveyed over 60 peaks within the U.S. and Canada. In 2025 I came upon a brand new state excessive level in Michigan, Mount Curwood, at 1,979.3 toes (603.3 meters), and a brand new provincial excessive level of Nova Scotia, Western Barren, at 1,743.2 toes (531.3 meters).
I’ve decided the 100 best possible peaks in Washington state, the place I are living and paintings, and studied how local weather trade is affecting the elevations of ice-capped peaks. My analysis confirmed that, whilst traditionally the contiguous U.S. had 5 ice-capped peaks, most effective two stay – Liberty Cap and Colfax, each in Washington state. Mount Rainier used to have as its best possible level an ice dome named Columbia Crest at the western rim of the summit crater. However since 1998, Columbia Crest has melted greater than 20 toes (6 meters) and is not the best possible level at the mountain. The best possible level is now a rock 436 toes (133 meters) to the south, at the southwest fringe of the summit crater.
On the very most sensible of South Reflect Symbol Top in Washington, Eric Gilbertson makes use of an Abney degree to measure close by mountain heights.
Matthew Gilbertson
The way to survey mountain excessive issues
Surveying mountains is difficult because of the altitude, lengthy approaches, tricky climate prerequisites and technical hiking. To get correct surveying apparatus to the summits calls for ingenuity and specialised tools. Apparatus must be as gentle as imaginable and adaptable to tough terrain. For those causes, only a few mountains were surveyed to the extent of accuracy I will reach.
Traditionally, measurements have normally been made out of a distance with theodolites. Those are mechanical units that may measure an perspective as much as a mountain summit very appropriately. The space to the mountain will also be measured by means of different manner, and trigonometry can be utilized with the space and perspective to calculate the summit elevation. But when the dimension is taken too a ways away, the mistake in elevation will also be excessive. Theodolites are heavy and no longer simple to hold on the subject of a top.
Schematic diagram of the way a theodolite is used to measure an perspective to the summit of a mountain.
Eric Gilbertson
I from time to time raise a 30-pound (13.61 kg) theodolite to a summit, but when the mountain is technical, that is difficult and calls for difficult rope methods to haul it up. Extra regularly I deliver an Abney degree, which is a lighter mechanical tool that still measures angles. I deliver this to a summit to measure relative angles between close by issues to spot which is the best possible level at the mountain.
A theodolite is a mechanical units that may measure angles as much as a summit very appropriately. Right here one is used on Cardinal Top in Washington in June 2023.
Eric Gilbertson
I then use a extremely correct, survey-grade GPS to measure absolutely the elevation of the best possible level. The GPS calls for an hour or extra to get a correct dimension, so it wouldn’t make sense timewise to measure many close by issues with this tool. I’ve discovered time is typically restricted when surveying a summit, because of incoming storms or coming near darkness when descents want to be made in sunlight for protection. Because of this I first establish the best possible level with an Abney degree or theodolite.
Many satellites overhead ship knowledge down this is gathered by means of the GPS tool and used to calculate the tool’s place. To avoid wasting weight, I take advantage of a tool that then sends measurements over Bluetooth to my telephone as an alternative of requiring a devoted pc.
A GPS receiver normally must be fixed on a vertical rod that touches the precise summit. I measure the GPS peak, subtract the rod peak, and that provides the summit peak. To stay the rod completely vertical I take advantage of a tripod, and this additionally calls for innovation.
Eric Gilbertson makes use of a GPS to measure East Fury in Washington.
Courtesy of Ross Wallette
From time to time a summit is so sharp that common tripod legs aren’t lengthy sufficient to the touch the bottom. On this case, I strap on mountain climbing poles to increase the legs. Some other answer is to make use of a tripod with versatile legs, and I mould the legs to adapt to the form of a pointy boulder. That is what I used to measure the excessive level of Uzbekistan.
Some other device I take advantage of is LiDAR, which stands for gentle detection and varying. This works by means of an plane flying over a mountain and bouncing gentle indicators off the summit. Via the usage of the aircraft’s location and the time it takes the sign to dance again, the mountain’s elevation will also be calculated.
Colorado 14ers
All measurements will have mistakes. I traveled to Colorado as a result of I suspected LiDAR measurements of Crestone Top, thought to be a 14er, may well be misguided. LiDAR measurements were taken for just about all mountains in Colorado, and those measurements are normally essentially the most correct to be had for mountain elevations.
LiDAR measurements hit the bottom each few toes of horizontal spacing and will pass over the highest of sharp summits, resulting in an underestimate of summit peak. They are able to additionally hit issues equivalent to trees, resulting in an overestimate of summit peak.
LiDAR knowledge confirmed Crestone Top and East Crestone inside a couple of toes of the similar peak. However, apparently, it confirmed a 3-4 foot (0.9-1.2 meter) spike at the most sensible of Crestone. I climbed Crestone in 2020 whilst doing the Rocky Mountain Slam, a problem to climb all of the Colorado 14ers, Wyoming 13ers and Montana 12ers in two months, and knew the summit was once lovely flat. I speculated that spike may have simply been an individual, which supposed the LiDAR elevation of Crestone may well be too excessive.
East Crestone has a pointy boulder at the summit, which LiDAR may simply pass over as a result of the horizontal gaps between measurements. In order that elevation was once perhaps too quick. In Colorado some extent wishes 300 toes (91.44 meters) of prominence to depend as a separate top. Different states have other regulations, like in Washington the place 400 toes (121.92 meters) is needed. Prominence is a measure of the way excessive a top sticks up above a saddle connecting it to a taller top. The saddle between Crestone and East Crestone is brief sufficient that most effective the taller of them is a real top and the opposite is a sub-peak.
On East Crestone I first arrange a tall tripod, however the wind blew it down, just about over a cliff. I switched it out with a shorter one, which was once extra solid.
Eric Gilbertson hiked Crestone, one in every of Colorado’s 14ers, to decide its true peak.
Elijah Gendron
I then scrambled over to Crestone Top and fixed any other similar GPS tool. That summit was once at the fringe of a cliff, and I had to prolong one tripod leg with a mountain climbing pole so it will contact the bottom.
I logged knowledge for over two hours with each units concurrently. This ensured each have been receiving the similar satellite tv for pc indicators – so any atmospheric distortion will be the identical – and that sufficient knowledge was once logged so I may get elevations correct to the closest inch. This gave me a large number of time to respect the perspectives and take photos, however I additionally had to test at the apparatus each 5-10 mins to verify it was once operating correctly.
After packing up, mountain climbing down and flying house to Seattle, I spent a couple of weeks poring over the knowledge. The consequences confirmed East Crestone is 0.3 toes (0.09 meters) taller than Crestone, with greater than 99.9% self assurance that East Crestone is taller.
This implies Colorado has a brand new 14er: East Crestone. Crestone is, in truth, a sub-peak. Discussions are ongoing about whether or not this implies the 14ers checklist that peakbaggers climb must retain Crestone and upload East Crestone to be 59 peaks, or whether or not East Crestone must substitute Crestone so the checklist remains at 58 peaks.
I’m making plans to proceed my paintings surveying mountains in Colorado and world wide to decide correct summit elevations. My subsequent plan is surveying a number of nation excessive issues in Africa this iciness. The Benin nation excessive level remains to be no longer recognized, and I’m hoping to unravel that thriller subsequent.
