# What's the highest elevation you've ever been? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606 "2011-05-03T19:24:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/21 "2011-05-03T21:59:02Z")
Pikes Peak (14, 115ft) - a few times - while visiting a friend in COS Brian ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/22 "2011-05-03T22:04:39Z")
Ditto Pike’s Peak. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/23 "2011-05-03T22:24:33Z")
> [@bump](#): > > 11,711 - Mt. Phillips, Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, NM. That’s the highest I’ve gotten under my own power, though I’ve made it up to 12,183 along the Trail Ridge Road at Rocky Mountain National Park, then hiked down a ways to 10,759 at Milner Pass. (I might have topped that while young and visiting the Swiss Alps but I doubt it.) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/24 "2011-05-03T22:26:00Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > For me, just 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) – the height of [Mount Kosciuszko](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kosciuszko). It was an easy walk to the summit. Ditto. I’ve done the walk to the top a couple of times. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/25 "2011-05-03T22:43:09Z")
12,095 feet at Independence Pass on the Continental Divide in Colorado. We drove there when we were in Aspen for a wedding a few years ago ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/26 "2011-05-03T22:49:49Z")
Slightly edited copy of my post on the 'raffe (edited since it was in a thread about "what’s the manliest thing you’ve ever done: > [@](#): > > I’ve hiked Long’s Peak, which is an 8 mile one way, 4500 foot elevation change journey. The last two miles also has about the highest foot-losing-danger-and-plummetting index of any mountain that can still be called just a “hike” and is one step away from that Eastern monastery that can only be reached from rickety planks on a vertical cliff. > > Highlight was when I was inching my way across a five inch ledge on the edge of a cliff it looks less dangerous in person, actually, when I slipped on some black ice. If I hadn’t been inching along and leaning on the cliffside, I’d put my chances of tumbling at more than 10%. > > And then we get to the dangerous part of the hike: the 45 degree slope at the end, with literally only a couple handholds on the entire 300 foot scramble (which granted ran the face of the climb but still). If the trail had still gone on and no one was climbing up it, I would have walked on thinking it was just a cliff. > > Just when I was at the top of the mountain, scrambling up a nearly bare rock wall (i.e. one slip backward and down the mountain you go), the sole of one of my boots came totally off. After pushing on an summiting, I hiked the hardest 2 of the 7 miles back with only 1 effective boot – 2 miles of only bare ledges and steep rock slopes. > > And then I sort of stole a replacement shoe from someone. it was just abandoned on the side of the trail practically yelling out “try me on!” > > And then I made the hike even worse by my own mistakes. I didn’t sufficiently hydrate or nutrient myself so going downward I was passed by little children and injured elderly people (no joke the elderly person who had taken a tumble and gashed his head gave _me_ some of _his_ water ) ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/27 "2011-05-03T22:50:49Z")
Another vote for Mt. Whitney. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/28 "2011-05-03T23:28:48Z")
Another who has reached the top of Mount Whitney. Altitude sickness is no fun. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/29 "2011-05-03T23:42:39Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > I’ve been to the Visitors Center of Mt. Haleakal on Maui - 9740 ft (ETA: corrected). Aw crap, I picked the 10-15k option as I thought I’d been past the 10k mark on Haleakala. Guess not! ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/30 "2011-05-03T23:43:37Z")
Another one for Whitney. We came in at Onion Valley and spent five days on the trip. Whitney was the last day, and it was great weather. We had a brief thunderstorm the night before (sending me running into a 2 1/2 person tent that already had two people in it). Got buzzed by two training jets while up there (China Lake? Edwards? Probably the former). They come flying straight at the peak, then spin around the top about 150’ off the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/31 "2011-05-03T23:56:15Z")
[Mount Evans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Evans) at 14,265’, but I drove up. Twice. The first time I was fine, but I had been in the Rockies for 3 days before going up. The second time I went up the same day after driving from the flatlands and I felt sick that time. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/32 "2011-05-04T00:08:09Z")
[Grays Peak](http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a216/InigoFMontoya/?action=view¤t=7.jpg) – 14,270 feet. Kicked my ass because I’m a fat pig, but it was totally worth it. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/33 "2011-05-04T00:14:22Z")
Yet another Mt. Whitney. Glad to know I got an extra 11 feet out of the refined measurments. When I summited the height was believed to be 14,494’. Now the USGS is saying 14,505. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/34 "2011-05-04T00:18:58Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Stories please! Especially if you checked off 29,029 ft.! I’d think the below sea level option even more interesting. Another 10-15ker here. Colorado ski resorts are fun. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/35 "2011-05-04T00:30:27Z")
Drove up Mount Evans, over Independence Pass, Trail Ridge Road, etc., like a lot of folks here who live(d) in Colorado. Walked up Medicine Bow Peak in Wyoming which is only a thirteener… But I’m an overweight asthmatic so I was still happy. 🙂 I should note, however, that you can be over 10,000 feet in parts of South Park Colorado (yes, THAT South Park), which is for the most part flat as a pancake. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/36 "2011-05-04T01:05:17Z")
Anther for Mount Evans. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/37 "2011-05-04T01:06:33Z")
19,341 - summit of Kilimanjaro. I had plans (“hopes” might be a more accurate term) to get to 19,347 (Cotopaxi, Ecuador) a few years ago, but a white-out put the kibosh on that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/38 "2011-05-04T01:11:40Z")
I’ve climbed two fourteeners, Long’s Peak in Colorado and Mt. Shasta in California. I’ve also been over 14,000 ft in the Peruvian Andes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/39 "2011-05-04T01:15:18Z")
Mauna Kea, the tallest, but not highest elevation, mountain in the world. Most of it is below sea level. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606/40 "2011-05-04T01:32:55Z")
Another one for Pike’s Peak, and I seem to recall having traversed Independence Pass one time or another. Also have been over a pass in the Ecuadorian Andes that was about 13,000’ or so. If I can’t drive up it I can’t be arsed. Just kidding. Never did any technical climbing but I did walk up an 11,000 footer (from a base at 9800’) in the Tetons once. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-highest-elevation-youve-ever-been/580606.md?page=3)