Challenger Point, Mountain summit in Saguache County, Colorado, US
Challenger Point is a mountain summit in the Sangre de Cristo Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in Saguache County, Colorado. It belongs to the group known as fourteeners, peaks above 14,000 feet (about 4,267 m), and sits right next to Kit Carson Mountain.
The peak was named in 1987 by the United States Board of Geographic Names to honor the seven crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger, who died in January 1986. It is one of a group of summits in the area named after each member of that crew.
A memorial plaque at the summit carries the Latin phrase 'Ad Astra Per Aspera', meaning 'through hardship to the stars'. The phrase draws a natural connection between the effort of climbing and the story of the astronauts being honored.
The most common approach starts at Willow Creek Trailhead, which sits at around 8,900 feet (about 2,700 m) and requires solid physical preparation. Weather at this altitude can shift fast, so warm layers and enough water are necessary for the climb.
All seven summits named after the Challenger crew are clustered together in the Kit Carson massif, so experienced climbers can reach several of them on a single trip. This concentration in one place is unusual for a memorial of this kind.
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