First of all we would like to thank everyone for your input on what our official Rocky Mountain Half hike should be. We got a lot of good suggestions and insights, and we appreciate it. We think we’ve got a good hike picked… but it’s a challenge.
This is Hallett Peak.  At a hiking distance of 10 miles roundtrip and a 3,238 ft elevation change, this is not an easy hike. Although it is difficult, it is definitely doable. National Geographic ranks it as one of the Top 10 Walk-Up Summit Hikes in the U.S. Parks.
To reach Hallet Peak, hikers ascend the Flattop trail. Once there, there is some minor scrambling to reach the top of Hallet Peak. From the summit of Falttop to Hallet Peak there is no clearly marked trail, but is an easy climb to the top. It is a truly breathtaking hike, climbing along the continental divide. Once at the top, many landmarks of Rocky Mountain National Park can be seen. Grand, Granby, and Shadow Mountain Lakes are clearly visible on the west side of the Continental Divide, as are many of the lakes on the east side of the Divide.
So before we make this official, we want to hear your thoughts. We know it is a challenge, but it is definitely worth it. Anyone hiked it before? Anyone have any reasons we shouldn’t do it? Any reasons why we absolutely must do it? Leave a comment!
Check this article out for a more detailed description of the Hallet Peak hike.
Flattop Mountain is a nice hike. I haven’t taken the extra stroll over to Hallett Peak so I’m not sure about the nature of the rock as you approach the summit. My only concern would be ensuring safety of participants, given that it involves an off-trail scramble up to what appears a fairly steep dropoff by people with no guaranteed experience in mountain climbing. Common sense goes a long way, to be sure, but I’d hate for your race program to become involved with someone becoming disoriented in the cross country zone up there.
Thanks for the insight Clinton. We have the same concerns. Like you said, the scramble to the top is pretty straight forward and doesn’t require mountain climbing expertise. That being said, there is still a danger. We would hate for anyone to get hurt. We would be pretty explicit about the difficulty of the hike and warn hikers that if they go they go at their own risk. Definitely something we need to consider.
What are you going to call this club? Angels Club is already taken and wouldn’t make sense anyway.
Great question! We were wondering the same thing. Any ideas? Continental Club? Hallett Club? Should we try and stick with the “club” thing?
Yes, I think sticking with the ‘club’ theme would kind of make it your Thing. Plus it really is a special club to be able to do a major hike after a half. Continental Club is a fabulous name..