While the exact date and identity of the first person to climb Pikes Peak is unknown, Zebulon Pike, an American military officer and explorer, is credited with the first documented ascent of the mountain in 1806.

He was initially unable to reach the summit due to heavy snow, but his expedition provided the first detailed account of the mountain and its surroundings, leading to its subsequent naming.

It's important to note that Native Americans had likely climbed the mountain long before Pike's expedition, but their accounts were not documented.