18 Month Old baby? Go or no?? HELP!

[polar]

I was taken up Pikes on the Cog when I was 16 months.
...
If anything, it started me on a path to being a future climber as an adult, so be careful, you might create a monster!

You really remember an experience from when you were 16 months old?

[12ersRule]

I was taken up Pikes on the Cog when I was 16 months.
...
If anything, it started me on a path to being a future climber as an adult, so be careful, you might create a monster!

You really remember an experience from when you were 16 months old?

My first memory is losing my bathing suit in our privy up in Minnesota.
I was old enough to go on my own, so I was at least potty trained. Definitely at least 2 years old.

[polar]

I don't recommend for these two main reasons...

What if something happens to you? That puts the baby at risk.

Can the baby communicate that he is getting sunburned, his eyes hurt, he's dehydrated, that the pack is hurting, his ears hurt, he has a headache, etc?

There is no benefit to the baby to go on the 14er. It's all about you, for whatever motivations you have.

There is a risk, not a huge risk, but still not worth it. You need to ask yourself, why?


Others will disagree. Others have done it.
What's the risk worth to you and your family?
JQ

^^^ this. I have a 12-month old boy, so I know the desire to spend more time with your family and spend more time hiking/climbing. But at the end, I’m not going to carry my son up a 14er just so I can fulfill both desires at the same time. When my son is old enough to appreciate the outdoors, I’d be happy to take him hiking and climbing, but he has to make that choice willingly. If I take him up a 14er right now when he can’t even remember what happened to him an hour ago, I would be doing that for myself, not for him.

Edited to add:

The effect of high altitude in young children has not been well studied, mostly due to lack of data. This is the only paper I found on the subject, maybe worth reading.
http://ismm.org/tl_files/infocenter/ISM ... titude.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, I came across an article on the effect of extreme high altitude (above 8000 meters) exposure on the brain. This may not have any bearing on climbing a 14er (less than 5000 meters), but since a young child's brain is still in development, it's at least food for thought.
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/health ... /108825143" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Chicago Transplant]

I was taken up Pikes on the Cog when I was 16 months.
...
If anything, it started me on a path to being a future climber as an adult, so be careful, you might create a monster!

You really remember an experience from when you were 16 months old?

My first memory is losing my bathing suit in our privy up in Minnesota.
I was old enough to go on my own, so I was at least potty trained. Definitely at least 2 years old.

I don't, but my parents do. Besides, I look pretty content in the picture

[claguire]

I a have a 3yr old and 6 year old. Each have logged 100s of miles in the child carrier. We spend most summers in southern Utah and have even done an overnight-er in the Smokie mountains. However I have never serious considered hauling the family up a 14er. You have to get them up too early, and the weather could be life threatening (wind, hail, rain). Each summer we stop off in Colorado so I can climb a 14er or 2 on the way back from Utah, I get up fairly early and rejoin the family after lunch, much more enjoyable and safer.