New Climber Prep

[Meg_R]

Hey all!
Long story short, I'm going to attempt my first 14er in about three weeks (San Luis).
I'm getting nervous about being in good enough physical condition to complete the goal of reaching the summit.
First of all, I'm from North East Iowa. I feel like I'm in pretty good physical condition as I've been doing some cardio, but mainly weight training over the past year. I was wondering if any mountaineers out there had any advice to help me with having the best experience possible? I've done a lot of research and was wondering if anyone could help me estimate my climb time? And to possibly determine if I'm in good enough physical condition to defeat the summit.

I'd really appreciate any advice you guys have.

Thanks in advance.

[TallGrass]

Four beats of the drum, pack the Ten Essentials, 3 liters of water, start early, and drink your fill before departing the trail head. You'll be fine.

[Cruiser]

Great choice on a 1st peak!

My advice is to do more cardio in these next 3 weeks. Every minute of cardio at home will pay dividends on the trail.

[Fr3ako]

San Luis is like you walk 2 hours flat and then walk up a building for 30 min, so it's a great way to start in

[Meg_R]

Thanks for the advice!

[LIV]

Meg - I did San Luis as one of the last 14ers (only because I didn't get to it before). Early in the morning, there was a ton of dew on the grasses that you hike by on your way toward the peak. I was absolutely soaked by those grasses. I would wear a pair of waterproof pants over your regular pants and gaiters to give a little extra protection. You can take them off later and be comfortable. Second, research your route and when to jog left to get to the peak - I almost went straight up a streambed, corrected myself and backtracked and found the correct way. Finally, I would make sure to not go alone, particularly for your first one. That area is VERY remote with a long drive into the campsites. The hike itself is very long.

[chubbles365]

Meg, I'm in Eastern Iowa too, not the pretty northern part; the flat boring part south of that, I would definitely recommend more cardio. I climbed my first 14er last year and I really wished I had done more. Take advantage of the bluffs up there, up and down hills will help no doubt. I would also carry a pack as much as you can when training, I did not expect how sore my abs would get just from that.

[pw]

If you are in decent shape, you can make a rough estimate of climbing time by figuring it will take an hour per thousand feet. There are several variables of course, like the mileage involved to climb each of those thousand feet, and how rough is the terrain (San Luis not rough at all), and some people are faster than that, but it will still give you an idea of how long it will take. Do lots of cardio, if you have a bike, which is how I've always gotten into shape, do some longer rides. I think if you can knock off 25 or 30 miles and not feel too tired you are probably in good enough shape.

[hskrhiker]

I used to think that being in good cardio shape was the key for success when I came out to Colorado. Then, about seven or so years ago, I decided to go for a jog the day after I arrived in Estes Park. Now, please understand that I was in tremendous shape - tremendous Omaha shape. I mean I was really ready to go. Or maybe not. I ran about 2 miles, maybe just a hair more. I had to stop 2 times, both after slight inclines. I was shocked and pretty much humbled.

So I started to rethink my strategy. The next year I started lifting weights about 60 days before coming out here. On day one I would lift weights, day two I would jog, day three I would rest, day four I would lift weights, day five I would stair climb with a backpack on, and day six I would rest. This seemed to have a very positive effect for me.

Yes, no doubt you should do a lot of cardio work. But my theory now is that no matter how good of cardio shape I am in coming from Omaha I am still not going to be able to breathe when I get to Estes Park and beyond. So my strategy is to build up my legs as much as possible so that they can help push me up. The weight lifting really helps in this regard. Just my two cents.

[invisiblebear]

San Luis from Stewart Creek was my first attempt at a 14er. I started out at 6AM but turned back at 1PM at the high meadow below Baldy Alto. I found the hike up Stewart Creek enjoyable. It had been days since anyone had signed the trail register and the remoteness of San Luis was noteworthy. I returned a couple of years later starting at 4AM and was on the summit by 10AM. There was a woman on the summit that day wearing a denim dress which speaks well of the gentleness of this hike. The day after my first San Luis attempt I went over to Handies and from American Basin made my first 14er summit there.

[snowypeaks]

First and foremost, enjoy your hike/climb and don't let the anxiety of wanting to "defeat" the summit overshadow the experience. San Luis is one of my most favorite 14ers because it is simply gorgeous, less-traveled country. Start early and pace yourself... it is quite a long walk as 14ers go and your feet will feel it on the return. In posts such as yours seeking first 14er advice, I believe that one of the aspects that is often overlooked is that first-timers don't yet know how it feels to have the altitude above about 12,500' or so literally take the physical and emotional gas out of your tank... be prepared for that and work through it by maintaining a sustainable, consistent pace, slow as it may be. All summits have in common that they were achieved one step at at time. There is plenty of water along the way, so as long as you have a way to purify it, you can carry less. Best wishes for great first 14er!

[DArcyS]

Don't over-train the last week; rested legs are better than tired legs. And hike at a pace that you can sustain. Hiking hard and resting every 10 steps because you're out of breath may lead to a high altitude headache. Easy-does-it is the strategy that gets you to the top.