El Diente Peak

El Diente Peak is a high summit in the San Juan Mountains range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14165 ft peak is located in the Lizard Head Wilderness of San Juan National Forest, 16.9 km north by east (bearing 8°) of the Town of Rico in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. "El Diente" is Spanish for "The Tooth", a reference to the shape of the peak.

Climbing
The topographic prominence of El Diente Peak is only 239 ft, so by a strict 300 ft cutoff rule, it would not be counted as a separate peak from its higher neighbor Mount Wilson. However, the 3/4 mile (1.2 km) connecting ridge is a significant climbing challenge (Class 4/5), making El Diente more independent than its prominence would indicate. Hence, it is often regarded as a full-fledged fourteener.

El Diente is one of the more dramatic peaks in Colorado in terms of local relief and steepness. As a result, it is one of the most challenging climbs among Colorado's fourteeners. All routes involve at least class 3 scrambling on loose talus, and poor route-finding can expose the climber to more difficult and dangerous terrain.

Historical names

 * El Diente
 * El Diente Peak