Poll: Rank the Colorado 14ers

[HikesInGeologicTime]

There’s been enough curiosity about the defunct user-generated list of fourteeners ranked by difficulty...maybe there’s enough interest out there to create an updated version? If nothing else, it beats trying to get actual work done during Official Holiday Season(TM)*!

Link to the poll: http://www.polljunkie.com/poll/zaeqjy/rank-the-co-14ers

*Happy Hanukkah!

[Salient]

I'm interested to see how close it gets to the old list.

[two lunches]

thanks Geo! i reviewed the old list this morning (web archive link posted in the Lake Como Rock thread) and was wondering if it's possible to get an update, as the popularity of 14ers has increased since the last poll was taken. the trails have undoubtedly changed over the last few years due to increased foot traffic and reconstruction efforts by CFI, but there are also more finishers (or close to it) now than there were five years ago, so therefore more data should be available

thanks in advance to everyone who participates- i'm really eager to see the results

[BillMiddlebrook]

First, you have to come up a good definition for “hardest” and “easiest.”

Based on just the hardest move? What about the effort required (distance, gain)? And what about the Risk Factors?

I have all of the data to create any list on the site. All you have to do is come to agreement on the algorithm. If we just have people rank them like we had previously, it’s too subjective and ends up being not so helpful. AND like previously, you get a bunch of people ranking peaks that haven’t done them all or are considering non-standard routes, etc. That old list was not very useful to the average person on this site, working through the list. That’s why it was replace with the current one.

Sure, I could create a page with a bunch of dials and sliders for all of the different factors if people really feel it’s helpful.

[seano]

I just tried taking this poll and failed. Is Elbert easier or harder than Massive? I dunno -- they're both tundra-walks. Is Grays harder than Torries? I did them together, and remember a use trail through talus on both. Poll Junkie apparently can't do it, but this should be done like Ranked Choice Voting, where you rank candidates until the rest are all the same to you, then leave those blank. I suspect I'm not alone in not seeing much difference between similar CFI trails.

[Scott P]

Sure, I could create a page with a bunch of dials and sliders for all of the different factors if people really feel it’s helpful.

It might be interesting, but I don't know if such a list is really that helpful. Personally I feel that if you can do one of the class 4 14ers, you can do them all, and the same with the class 3 ones, etc.

[Chicago Transplant]

I think the old list also had some weird anomalies that led Oxford to be listed as easier than Belford and Tabeguache as easier than Shavano despite the vast majority of people doing one by going over the other. (Bill later fixed that glitch)

I guess technically there is less mileage and elevation gain to get the second one from the first, but I would think people would agree going out and back for the second peak is certainly harder than just turning around after the first one.

[cedica]

I could create a page with a bunch of dials and sliders for all of the different factors if people really feel it’s helpful.

Could we please also have Eraserhead movie poster to stand guard over that mixing console, like this:
.

dials and sliders.jpg (51.83 KiB) Viewed 1313 times

[supranihilest]

First, you have to come up a good definition for “hardest” and “easiest.”

Based on just the hardest move? What about the effort required (distance, gain)? And what about the Risk Factors?

I have all of the data to create any list on the site. All you have to do is come to agreement on the algorithm. If we just have people rank them like we had previously, it’s too subjective and ends up being not so helpful. AND like previously, you get a bunch of people ranking peaks that haven’t done them all or are considering non-standard routes, etc. That old list was not very useful to the average person on this site, working through the list. That’s why it was replace with the current one.

Sure, I could create a page with a bunch of dials and sliders for all of the different factors if people really feel it’s helpful.

I've always wondered how Gerry Roach calculated his R Points in his 13ers and 14ers guidebooks. Not that a point scale will really capture things on a "difficulty" scale either, but just something that came to mind that somehow distills a bunch of criteria into a single value. Anybody know how Roach's R Points calculation works?

[CheapCigarMan]

First, you have to come up a good definition for “hardest” and “easiest.”

Based on just the hardest move? What about the effort required (distance, gain)? And what about the Risk Factors?

I have all of the data to create any list on the site. All you have to do is come to agreement on the algorithm. If we just have people rank them like we had previously, it’s too subjective and ends up being not so helpful. AND like previously, you get a bunch of people ranking peaks that haven’t done them all or are considering non-standard routes, etc. That old list was not very useful to the average person on this site, working through the list. That’s why it was replace with the current one.

Sure, I could create a page with a bunch of dials and sliders for all of the different factors if people really feel it’s helpful.

I've always wondered how Gerry Roach calculated his R Points in his 13ers and 14ers guidebooks. Not that a point scale will really capture things on a "difficulty" scale either, but just something that came to mind that somehow distills a bunch of criteria into a single value. Anybody know how Roach's R Points calculation works?

I think Roach's R system does include difficulty and Class. Isn't there a correlation between difficulty and speed? Class and speed? It's built into his system. Though, I didn't find it very useful. After a few peaks you pretty much know what your speed is. I found the peaks broken down into classes as a quick guide more useful.

There's a thread somewhere on how Roach came up with his formula. I don't think it was ever answered. His secret sauce.

[Snow_Dog_frassati]

"Which is the hardest 14er" is probably the most pointless debate in all mountaineering. I find the people that debate it most aren't finishers. It's wildly subjective to individual experience. Depending on where you are skill wise when you attempt a certain amount you might perceive it as harder or easier than someone else. Season, route etc all affects it. To debate it is debating subjective opinions - its like trying to catch butterflies. Some of them are harder and require more thinking, some of them are easier. People have died on Elbert, people have died on Capitol. Educate yourself on the risks and what not to do.

Trying to somehow figure out which one should be crowded hardest is just a waste of energy.

[Scott P]

"People have died on Elbert, people have died on Capitol.

When were there deaths on Elbert?