What peaks would you suggest for a Colorado adventure with an exposure-averse partner? Have to start with some lower exposure routes to build up tolerance, so I could use some suggestions.

Thanks for any help!

twin sisters or pikes peak

Thanks! I know it's an odd request!

Assuming you're looking for a 14er and don't mind crowds, then Huron has everything, views of nearby peaks, big valleys and zero exposure until you're on the summit.

If you can tolerate even more crowds and more of an airplane view, do Elbert from the SE TH, that's the route a Jeep took after WWII.

Enjoy your visit.

Thanks! (Personally, I hate crowds, but in this instance, I guess a compromise is required.)

If you have 4wd, the hike from Argentine Pass to Edwards is a good choice because the scenery is great, you'll probably see mountain goats, and there's no exposure. You also have the option of continuing to Grays and even Torreys (both 14ers). There won't be much in the way of crowds to Edwards, but after that, expect them. An added bonus is proximity to Denver if that's where you're flying into.

http://www.summitpost.org/via-argentine-pass/338019

That said, bear in mind that a lot of novice hikers find exposure on Class 2 routes that many of us here don't even see. With that in mind, consider Flattop Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. You have a maintained trail all the way to the top. You can also add Hallett from there, and it's Class 2 that way.

http://www.summitpost.org/flattop-mountain/152200

The standard route on every Sawatch 14er is, I believe, no more than Class 2, so if you go to the Sawatch page here, you can easily find a lot of options.

From my CO experience, South Arapahoe could work, no crowds likely.

Grays or Quandary for 14ers and a few more folks.

If you don't like crowds and don't need a major summit, consider Chalk Rock Mtn on the Continental Divide. Brand new trail from Cottonwood Pass to the Mineral Basin Divide, then a rocky scramble to the summit. No exposure unless the loose rock is a problem. Here's the view from the summit:



You can see the Cottonwoods Pass road and the pass in the distance. You can see the entire trail in Google Earth's 2011 pics. Above timberline the entire way.

I would agree with Bob, and go for Flattop and Hallet. Making it up to Hallet would be better from a view standpoint, but the view of Glacier Gorge on your hike down would make the whole day worthwhile regardless. This might be a busier hike, but from my experience, if you are taking someone that isn't familiar with this type of terrain, having a few extra people around will be comforting to them. From a scenery standpoint I just much prefer RMNP to the Sawatch (My $0.02)

Awesome suggestions! Thanks so much. We'll be driving down from South Dakota, so starting in the RMNP area is really easy, but we can go anywhere. I was starting to worry that we'd have trouble finding good mountains, given our restrictions, but it seems like these suggestions might keep us busy for awhile.