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mountainrat
Jan 8, 2002, 1:17 AM
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Registered: Nov 22, 2001
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I live In Va., and I'm looking for someone interested in climbing a 14er this summer... probably one in Colorado, (drive time is a factor), and probably one that has a route that isn't SUPER technical.
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stardust44
Jan 8, 2002, 3:26 AM
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Registered: Sep 22, 2001
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Anytime you wanna go out west I am definitely, definitely there. I don't know if I could get a 14 yet . . . If you decide to make a trip to Colorado, I would be there in a snap and I live in Maryland. I think I am going to California and stuff for spring break and Utah and Colorado too. It's gonna rock.
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climbchick
Jan 8, 2002, 4:21 AM
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Registered: Dec 29, 2001
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mE! mE! I'm going to CO in Feb to do a winter mountaineering class. And ice. I'll definitely be up for going back in the summer. Which one did you have in mind?
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squeeks
Jan 8, 2002, 5:23 AM
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Registered: Aug 21, 2001
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i live here in colorado so im always up for 14ers. ive got about 15 done and plan to double that number this summer. let me know when you are coming and if people need places to stay.
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mountainrat
Jan 8, 2002, 12:02 PM
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Registered: Nov 22, 2001
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With regards to which mountain I'm interested in, the answer depends on two things:
1. The advice/suggestions of our native Colorado bros who have all the skinny, and
2. which peaks are not crowded like Wal-Mart at the first of the month... I do not dig on fighting crowds in places that I go to escape the rat race in the first place.
Sounds like there is some interest so far... it would be cool to have a group of us going, wouldn't it?
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squeeks
Jan 9, 2002, 3:04 AM
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Registered: Aug 21, 2001
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a group would be nice. i have plenty of recommedations, but, it depends on how difficult of a 14er you would like to bag. also would you like to nail a few in one shot or just one? let me know and ill tell you what you need to know.
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mountainrat
Jan 9, 2002, 2:57 PM
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Registered: Nov 22, 2001
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Squeeks-
As difficult as possible, man! I don't have any alpine experience, but I'm in pretty good shape. The more adrenaline, the better. I just don't want to rush into something that might jeopardize the safety of one of my climbing partners or even myself. I think a mountain that is very challenging physically without requiring a ton of ultra technical experience is what I'm looking for. Any suggestions?
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wigglestick
Jan 9, 2002, 3:10 PM
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
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thetechnician is right as always. I think every 14er can be hiked (notice I said hiked, no climbed) without any technical knowledge or equipment. Crestone may be an exception, but I have never done it so I don't know. And in the winter/spring most are still under snow so technical equipment is needed. But in the summer, say july or august, you can do most with just some good hiking boots. Heck you can even drive to the top of a couple of them. If you want to bag some non-technical routes you can take your pick. What mountains you do may depend on what part of Colorado you will be visiting and what time of year you will be there. There are a number of books on the subject. If you want to summit as many as possible you may want to find the couple that can be linked together via ridgelines and you canbag 2-3 in a day.
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atg200
Jan 9, 2002, 3:40 PM
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
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I've done most of the 14ers, and haven't needed a rope on any of them. I would avoid Capitol, El Diente, Little Bear, the Crestones, the Eolus massif, and the Maroon Bells until you are comfortable with climbing the easier ones.
Good first 14ers include:
Elbert, easy, but the highest.
Grays and Torreys, very crowded
Quandary, also crowded, has a very cool 5.4 alpine rock route(not for the 5.4 climber however)
Castle, not a great climb, but spectacular views of the Elk Range.
Sunshine, Redcloud, and Handies - easy and in the middle of the San Juans
When you want something more challenging:
Longs Peak - long hard hike with some scrambling, very crowded. Nice Grade V hard free and aid routes on the Diamond.
Mt of the Holy Cross - long hard hike, spectacular snow couloir route in the late spring
Snowmass - almost feels like a glacier
Sneffels - one of my favorites, cool scrambling
Wetterhorn - can be combined with Uncompahgre if you are very fit
In winter, I suggest the following in order of difficulty:
1. Bierstadt - did it in 3 hours car to car on New Year Eve last year.
2. Quandary Peak
3. Lincoln Massif
4. Grays and Torreys, may need skis to approach
5. Sherman, may need skis to approach
I second the suggestion of the 13ers, especially in winter because more are easily accesible. The 14ers are really crowded these days, but you usually have the 13ers to yourself.
Anyway, climbing 14ers is more serious dayhiking than climbing for the most part. Gerry Roach's guide is the best by far. Start very early in the morning so you are off the summit by 1 PM or so. It can be very exciting to get caught on an exposed ridge above treeline in an electric storm, and they hit like clockwork around 2 or 3 every afternoon.
I've been slowly working on a high peaks section for Colorado in the routes database. If there is interest, I can add non and somewhat technical summer peaks as well.
andrew
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squeeks
Jan 10, 2002, 1:41 AM
Post #10 of 14
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Registered: Aug 21, 2001
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mountain rat, atg has got it right. i would agree with him on all that he stated. but, if you do beirstadt, you gotta do the sawtooth ridge and bag evans too. no reason not to bag two when they are right there. those two are very close and easily accessable from denver as well as fun. the appearance of the sawtooth ridge can scare some people but i have done it a few times and its definitely a good trip. also, if you want a good full day, there is democrat, lincoln and bross, and if you want to bag 4, you can do sherman too but it isnt counted because the top of the peak doesnt rise 300 ft above the ridge or saddle, but it is over 14000 ft. elbert is a good one to bag because like atg said it is the highest in colorado. pikes peak is a long one but is a good one too. longs can be difficult and you always have to get an early start. grays and torreys are easy to bag but, as atg put it, it is always crowded as it is(in my opinion, the easiest). so if you want difficult, i would say go for longs peak if you dont want to travel to southern colorado. again, i highly recommend beirstadt and evans.
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atg200
Jan 10, 2002, 3:00 PM
Post #11 of 14
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
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i had an epic on the sawtooth in winter, but it is excellent in the summer. i still want to do it in winter, but it is considerably harder. also, there are some excellent steep snow couloirs right above summit lake that make great climbing and skiing-an excellent introduction to harder and longer couloir routes like the holy cross couloir.
lincoln democrat and bross can be combined with cameron, not sherman. you basically have to walk right over the top of cameron to go to lincoln anyway, so why not. sherman is an official 14er a little further south, and can be combined with a high 13er called sheridan.
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rck_climber
Jan 10, 2002, 3:31 PM
Post #12 of 14
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Registered: Aug 28, 2001
Posts: 1010
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Come on guys, can't SoCo get a little love too?
There are a couple cool ones in the Sangre de Cristos as well. Take a look at Humboldt for easy, Crestone Peak for a little harder, and Crestone Needle (Ellingwood Arete) for easier (5.7) technical.
Mick
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atg200
Jan 10, 2002, 4:31 PM
Post #13 of 14
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Registered: Jul 27, 2001
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The Ellingwood Arete on Crestone Needle seems like a pretty stout outing for someone just getting into mountaineering-way more committing than the alpine rock routes in RMNP.
But since you mentioned it:
The Crestones are incredible. The traverse between the Needle and the Peak is a sandbag at 4th class and roping up is pretty much out of the question, so be solid before you try it. Humboldt is worth climbing for the view of the Peak-Needle Traverse and the Ellingwood Arete alone, plus it is a nice hike. Kit Carson is an awesome complicated mountain with a mind-blowing 5.8 technical route, but it is very long, difficult to escape from, and hard to protect(though not sustained). Before doing the technical routes in the Sangre de Cristos do some routes in RMNP like the S Face of the Petit Grepon, N Ridge Spearhead, etc.
The Blanca group is also cool. The backpack into Lake Como can be brutal in summer-I did it at night this July to avoid the heat. Do the 3rd class ridge on Ellingwood Peak, and descend the Blanca normal route - the ridge is solid and great, and the Blanca normal route is a tedious scree and talus scramble. Little Bear is really dangerous. Wear helmets and be very careful of rockfall. Bring a rope to rappel the "4th class" gully. I was totally gripped downclimbing it because of all the water running down it. The traverse to Blanca looks incredible, but I didn't do it because of a storm moving in.
Feel better rck_climber?
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squeeks
Jan 11, 2002, 12:30 AM
Post #14 of 14
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Registered: Aug 21, 2001
Posts: 193
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atg- oops! yeah i should have known that, i just forget lots of the combos after doing so many. i havent done the sawtooth in winter but im planning on doing it this month or next i think. so ill see how that one goes.
yes SoCo does get love too but im in denver so im just talking about the close ones here. i dont even know where he wants to go though.
love to all the 14ers!
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