I’m going to Colorado in two weeks to do some sightseeing and am tempted to sandwich in some hiking while I’m out there. My dream is to summit 2-3 “easy” peaks over a week’s time. Basically, I’m wondering if I need a reality check.
For the record, I’m no mountaineer. I’m a desk jockey (division VP), but haven’t been exercising much in 5+ years. I’m 42 years old, just over 6 feet tall and weigh all of 162 lbs, putting me about six inches and 80 lbs below The Rock and making me thin, thin, thin. Somehow, my mind is telling me “thin” is qualification enough to hike big 14,000-ft. mountains, but that’s about my only selling point and my stamina is Desk Jockey Average. Running 2 miles at a good clip would be a challenge, unless the alternative was being dragged behind an SUV.
I live in the lower mid-Atlantic at just over 300 feet in elevation. I will have about 2 days to acclimate before hitting the trail. While I’ve got a bulldog’s determination and lots of confidence (at least at work), I’ve no training, no hiking experience, and no athletic background.
Do I stand a reasonably good chance of summiting a couple of Colorado’s easier 14er peaks?
When I moved here it took me a lot longer than two days to adjust to the altitude, but you might have better luck, as previous to that I lived at sea level.
I’m a dayhiker at best, but if you come to Boulder I’d be happy to grab a cup of coffee with you.
Carnac, I did a little bit of hiking at about 11,000 feet this summer. I was in ok but not especially fit (I had done a decent amount of walking in the week before, but was relatively inactive before that.) I’m also about your height/weight.
It was pretty tough. You might be able to make it, but if you lead a very sedentary lifestyle it’s definitely going to be a challenge. If I were you, I’d start a walking or jogging regimen before going.
Also, are you going to be hiking/sightseeing with anyone else? Are they going to be significantly more fit than you, and annoyed if you can’t keep up? Just something to think about.
I’m 6’4” and 210lbs. 44 years old. Also a desk jockey. I live at 11,200. Right across from 2 14teeners.
I don’t know where you are starting from, or what peaks you plan on bagging. But you have a chance of getting altitude sickness. Two days is really not enough to acclimate. People are different.
A LOT of it depends on how close you can get to the top by driving. A few you can actually drive to the top.
My advice. If you can, take aspirin, start taking it 2 a days before you come out. Drink lot’s of water and avoid alcohol. If you try to take a peak, take rain, cold weather gear, water and some energy bars. At least a big day pack. It’s near winter now. Stay to the trail, and don’t push it.
I’ve done a few 14’ers and 13’ers while on vacation from sea level back east. I took 3-4 days before climbing high, spending those days hiking to 11-12K and sleeping at least at 8,000’.
Different people react quite differently to altitude. Your best bet is to take your time, try to get a few high hikes in before you tackle a 14’er, stay away from alcohol and cafine, drink lots (and lots) of water, and get an early start. Peaks like Massive and Elbert, while big, are just gentle walkups for the most part. There are several others that are fairly gentle climbs as well.
Will you make it? Hard to tell if you’ve never been to altitude and you only have two days to acclimatize. Enjoy whatever hike you choose, and have fun. Getting to the summit is optional, getting back to your car isn’t.
Ummm…. This worries me. Determination and confidence without experience or training gets people killed.
We loose people on Quandary, a 14,000 in Summit County about one a year (falls mostly).
See how you feel once you get to altitude. Start early. Go slow. Have a route (follow the trail). Know when you’re going to turn back if you can’t get to the top by noon or so. And follow your plan. Winter is here. Darkness and cold comes very, very fast.
Why not do what we did and just drive up to Pike’s Peak? It’s 14,110 feet high, you park your car just a little below that elevation, and treck around probably another 25 feet up, and yowzah, there you are! http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/GeneralInformation.htm
You gotta be kidding me, doc! I’m looking to challenge me, not my rental car.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for bragging rights. (A 14er doesn’t strike me as that audacious.) What I do want is a real (but reasonable) challenge. I want the whole experience: The huffing, the puffing, the slow clawing up a peak, and the thrill of knowing “I Did it My Way,” not the Avis way.
I hiked up to Kala Patar in Nepal. Its where all the great shots of Mt. Everest are taken from. Its over 18,000 feet and it just about kicked my ass. Near the top I could only take a few steps before having to sit down again. I hiked for over three weeks to get there so I was somewhat acclimated to the altitude. I spent 2 days at 12,000 feet and and another 2 days at 14,000 feet, like I was supposed to, but I still felt like shit at 18,000 feet.
Conditioning certainly helps, but the altitude can defeat anyone. I was running 5 miles a day before I left, but it didn`t seem to make much of a difference when I finally got really high in the mountains.
At 13 I hiked up Bierstadt when I was in mediocre shape after acclimating at medium altitude for a week or two and high altitude for a day or two, and a few short hikes beforehand. At times we had two walk 50 yards or so, stop and catch our breath, and then go a little more, but we made it and it wasn’t all that bad. Make sure to let someone know where you’re going and to sign the register at the start of the path. Also be aware that it can hail in August. We had to cut off the trail to get off the summit when the thunderstorm was approaching. A pair of binoculars is useful for finding the cairns that mark the trail if you get lost, and for general sightseeing.
I find it takes me more like 2 weeks, rather than 2 days, to reacclimate after just visiting low altitudes, and I don’t even remember how long it took the first time. My advice is to stay on a trail, and keep track of how you’re feeling. If you start to feel wiped out, by all means turn around and go back, whether you’re ten miles down the trail or ten yards. Feel free to sit down and rest whenever you need it, and bring plenty of water. If you’re not used to altitude, you will almost certainly not make it to the top. Don’t take that as a personal slight, just accept the limitiations of your body and of your short visit.
and have failed on several occasions to summit Long’s Peak.
Start early. If you hike up Bierstadt, which is a walk-up, it’s fairly easy to traverse over to Evans and meet somebody with a car to drive you back down. This might be easier than hiking down because people who aren’t familiar with mountaineering can be surprised–not in a good way–by how hard it is go hike down for miles. I would also say Bierstadt is the easiest.
Gray’s & Torreys’ are popular because you can bag two peaks in one day. Also close to Denver.
Quandary is easy but is farther from Denver (I don’t know where you are starting from–it’s near Breckenridge). The great thing about Quandary was you used to be able to hit the trail head at about 12,000 feet, which made the altitude gain much less. I think Breckenridge sits right about 11,000. But this was a logging trail, definitely 4WD, and I don’t know if it’s still accessible, haven’t climbed Q in years.
Elbert is easy, but it’s a long drive if you’re starting from Denver.
When climbing peaks at this time of year you want to get an early start so you can summit before any inclement weather. (Although inclement weather can happen at any time.) I once climbed Bierstadt in Oct. and the weather was beautiful. But it is getting kind of late for the inexperienced. I have friends who climb year round but they have special equipment.
I took a visiting New Yorker up Quandary when he’d only been in town 2 days, but he was mid-20s and in pretty good shape (not like me!). (I note on preview that somebody in Summit says 1 a year is lost on Quandary due to falls. They must have been hot-dogging, it’s a walk-up if you take the right route–straight up the ridge.)
You have to consider that (1) none of these have all that much altitude gain because, for instance, Evans or Bierstadt you’re starting from Guanella Pass which is 11,000 feet, Grays & TOrrey’s the trailhead is at least 10,500 (the guidebook is in my kid’s room and he’s asleep or I’d check).
DO get a guidebook of the one you’re climbing, which will also have tips on what to take. (Sunscreen, hat that can be tied on cause it can get very windy up there, sunglasses, warm clothing in layers). And here isa tip you probably won’t find. Take a thermos of hot water and some Jello, and when you get to the top, dissolve a couple of spoonfuls of Jello in about as much water as you’d use for coffee and drink it. This will help your muscles not be so sore. Do this again when you get back to your car.
oops I forgot (2) what can be a mellow hike one day can be dangerous the next, and if you can find an experienced mountaineer to go with that would be a plus.
I also want to mention that in the last few years climbing 14ers has gotten very, very popular. The traverse between Gray’s & Torreys, the last time I did it, had about as many people on it as Denver’s 16th street mall at lunchtime. So I would also recommend going on a weekday.
If you are going to do something ‘real’ (not Pikes Peak or Evans) then please check in with the local Ranger Station. They will inform you about conditions, what to watch out for, and, if somethings goes wrong, will save your happy ass if needed.
I’ve done most of the easy ones and a few biggies (Crestone Peak was a religious moment for me). But I do have a suggestion that will be a balance between the two: Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s about 45 minutes or so from Boulder and has some GREAT hiking trails with stunning views. I don’t think you can summit a 14’er, but it doesn’t matter- You really won’t be able to tell the difference. I think they have a few 12’s, but the 14’ers are further backcountry from there.
Get into shape by hiking first in local state parks and then maybe try a stretch of the Appliachian Trail. If you are Anything-Atlantic there should be some part of the trail within driving distance as it goes from Maine to Georgia. It’s not as easy as it might look on OLN especially after you pack the days worth of food, water and supplies on your back. Try to not go alone and if you have to be alone make sure that a number of people you trust know where you are planning to be and when. If you don’t show up to work on Monday at least the rescuers will have a frame of reference to start their search. A GPS would be pretty nice too and at least a topo map of the area and a compass. You do know basic navigation right? Trying to do all this in two weeks seems a little last minute-ish, considering it takes even professional football players a bit of time to adjust to the altitude out west. You will need a few days to adjust to the elevation and the difference in oxygen at elevation will make what would be a normal activity here on the east coast more difficult. If you do do this make sure you buy good hiking boots and socks. Cheap boots (or even new, not broken in boots) and tube socks ain’t gonna cut it. You would do good to go to an REI type outfitter and talk to a few people before setting out to conquer the Rockies.
You state that running 2 miles would be a challenge, yet think you can hike a 14er? Boy, you’re optimistic. Add in that you’re not acclimated, and you’re really asking for trouble. I once did a 13er with a friend who was in GREAT shape - biked every day, ran, was in his 20s, very thin & muscular. He lived at sea level, and was visiting us in Boulder. We almost couldn’t get him down off the mountain. The altitude sickness was so bad that he had tunnel vision, and when he sat down to rest he laid down and fell asleep, and we had to pull him to his feet to get him going again.
If you do this, please don’t do it alone. You really could get yourself hurt. And I’d say that to anyone - in shape or not, acclimated or not - hiking a 14er by yourself is not a smart thing to try.
Also, before you try it - do drive up Pike’s Peak or Mount Evans, and hike around on the top and assess how you feel. Most people have trouble even walking at that elevation. Heck, I’ve had people get sick just hanging out in Boulder with us.
Sheesh, you flatlanders… thinking you can just go do mountains without a second thought.