Death on Long’s Peak proves a harrowing reminder

[painless4u2]

Ran across this on the web. It's from a person new to climbing 14ers and their perspective of the fatality on Longs this past August:
http://www.grindtv.com/lifestyle/cultur ... -reminder/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

edit: Yes, I know Longs doesn't have an apostrophe. I just copied and pasted the article's title.

[peter303]

Fortunately 2013 was a luckier than average year. Just 4 confirmed Colorado passings and two supected (bodies never found). The past several years its been 10-12.

[bigtrout]

Fortunately 2013 was a luckier than average year. Just 4 confirmed Colorado passings and two supected (bodies never found). The past several years its been 10-12.

I don't think I'd use the word "luckier". This was not a lucky year for those who lost dear friends and family members.

[MonGoose]

I thinks she wrote a good account of the days events on Longs Peak.

I am continually amazed at the number of people who attempt Longs Peak as their very first 14er and are then surprised to discover how challenging it can be. No one (well, hardly no one) attempts the Maroon Bells, Colorado's deadliest mountain, as their first 14er but hoards of people flock every summer to summit Colorado's second deadliest mountain, Longs Peak.

[Fisching]

Fortunately 2013 was a luckier than average year. Just 4 confirmed Colorado passings and two supected (bodies never found). The past several years its been 10-12.

I don't think I'd use the word "luckier". This was not a lucky year for those who lost dear friends and family members.

Completely agree and can relate to that.
Death is a difficult subject to reduce to statistics. The sentiments are not something which can be captured in quantitative form.

To those who lose a friend or family member in the mountains, the emotional toll makes it feels like the loss of 1000.

[iholdthepain]

True... but death is quantified all the time, in every single tragedy, and for mountain rescue teams, park rangers, and other 1st responders, it has definitely been a 'lucky' year, by comparison... and as someone who just tragically lost a family member to a freak accident, I think you guys are picking nits.

[MountainHiker]

This person saw death on her first fourteener. For me it was after almost 400 fourteener climbs and close to three decades. The world changed in an instant when I realized what was happening. These past couple years have been rough losing friends and acquaintances in the mountains along with seeing death firsthand.

Just last month Dorthe & I met with the mother of someone we lost this year. We threw some Colorado rocks in the ocean at his favourite beach. That was a powerful experience going to her home and seeing family pictures of Mike growing up.

We know from the start that people are taken by the mountains. As long as it was people in the news it wasn’t as real. But everyone of those people left somebody behind. I’ll keep climbing. But I’ll never regain the innocence of not knowing just how real it can become in an instant.

[JROSKA]

I am continually amazed at the number of people who attempt Longs Peak as their very first 14er and are then surprised to discover how challenging it can be. No one (well, hardly no one) attempts the Maroon Bells, Colorado's deadliest mountain, as their first 14er but hoards of people flock every summer to summit Colorado's second deadliest mountain, Longs Peak.

It took me 18 fourteener summits and a handful of learning experiences to feel ready for Longs, but I can relate to why people choose it as their first. So close to Denver, its majestic appearance, easy access to trailhead, the challenge that it offers, and the sense of invincibility that most people don't lose until they are well into their 20's.

But I can think of so many other reasons NOT to choose Longs as the first. Personally, and I didn't even realize it at the time, but attempting Longs during my first or second year would have been a horrible idea, because it took me that long to completely cure myself of "summit stubbornness". That is, learning that there is absolutely no shame in having to turn around, that it's not a failure in any way. But for me, it took time to come to that understanding, and it was best to fulfill that lesson on simpler mountains. Summit stubbornness is tricky enough to deal with (internally) on any mountain, but to me, it would open the door for many serious errors if someone is up past the keyhole, dealing with that emotion. Not noticing changing weather, rushing through difficult terrain, ignoring fear of exposure, pushing ahead despite deteriorating conditions, not acknowledging that gear may be inadequate for the situation. Had I attempted Longs within my first 5-10 fourteeners, I would have been at great risk of committing ALL of these mistakes, simply because I would have wanted to avoid turning back at all costs. And Longs is a bad place to be making those kinds of misjudgments.

I'm not necessarily saying that Longs should never be someone's first 14er, but if I knew someone who was doing that, I'd simply ask them "Will you feel any sense of shame if you have to turn around before the summit?" I'd tell them that if they feel that they would, to get a some experience on some other mountains prior to attempting Longs.

[opticstalk]

IMO I think Longs is a great first 14er.
It was my first and all of my kids first and grand kids first. I like it as the first because (without going into detail) it prepares someone for most of what they will encounter on most of the others.
Also once Long's gets its hooks in ya its hard not to want to do all of them a lease that was me and my family's case.

[rickinco123]

No one (well, hardly no one) attempts the Maroon Bells, Colorado's deadliest mountain, as their first 14er but hoards of people flock every summer to summit Colorado's second deadliest mountain, Longs Peak.

I don't think the loose rock and route finding are even comparable between Longs and the Bells. Longs is also well "staffed" while the Bells climb is more of a wilderness romp.

I hate to see those 2 women from Nemo lumped into her account with the guy who slipped on some ice, that bugs me.

[myfeetrock]

I thinks she wrote a good account of the days events on Longs Peak.

I am continually amazed at the number of people who attempt Longs Peak as their very first 14er and are then surprised to discover how challenging it can be. No one (well, hardly no one) attempts the Maroon Bells, Colorado's deadliest mountain, as their first 14er but hoards of people flock every summer to summit Colorado's second deadliest mountain, Longs Peak.

I hear you, but Pyramid was my first, and the elk range was my first range to finish.

[JROSKA]

I don't think the loose rock and route finding are even comparable between Longs and the Bells.

True, that's a valid point. The existence of all of those "bulls-eyes" really does provide a lot of route-finding assistance to those who are just starting out. I guess my thinking (life in general) is to start out low, build confidence, and progress higher. But I can relate to the other side of that too; starting high, pushing the limit a bit; that can also build confidence, and much quicker than my method. I suppose as long as someone is ready for the challenge, and has a reasonable degree of maturity, there's nothing wrong with Longs as someone's first. Generally speaking, however, when I see those threads asking "What is a good choice for first 14er?", even if they say "I'm in great shape and I like a challenge", I don't think I'd go much beyond something like Uncompahgre or Harvard as a recommendation for a starting point. I just think it's best to "get the feet wet" on at least one peak before Longs, but I suppose my approach is more cautious than most.