Running a peak: What it takes

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by RETEP 1 »

jmanner wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:43 pm
BillMiddlebrook wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:30 pm And you must not stop running when passing others, even as you blast down Grays on a summer Saturday.
Real runners go before or after work on a week day. Everyone knows this.
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by JQDivide »

How much of the trail/route do you have to actually run/jog to count it as running a peak? Is there a percentage?
Does a fast walk count?
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by d_baker »

Ran to treeline because of thunder and lightning.
There's a checkmark! ✔
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by RETEP 1 »

JQDivide wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:10 pm How much of the trail/route do you have to actually run/jog to count it as running a peak? Is there a percentage?
Does a fast walk count?
Hmmm...I say put a check mark based on your own convictions. Capitol is the one peak I’ve done but haven’t run. I did it in 2017 with a friend because of all the craziness. I could only get him to run a mile or two. Definitely gonna go back this summer and knock it out...
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by jmanner »

RETEP 1 wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:29 pm
JQDivide wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:10 pm How much of the trail/route do you have to actually run/jog to count it as running a peak? Is there a percentage?
Does a fast walk count?
Hmmm...I say put a check mark based on your own convictions. Capitol is the one peak I’ve done but haven’t run. I did it in 2017 with a friend because of all the craziness. I could only get him to run a mile or two. Definitely gonna go back this summer and knock it out...
I am fascinated to know what min/mile you consider “running”, particularly as an average over the course of the peak’s distance.
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by cougar »

The skimo standard is 5000 ft per hour elevation gain, so running must be much faster than that.

https://14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=59436
Last edited by cougar on Sat Apr 17, 2021 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by jmanner »

cougar wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:39 pm The skimo standard is 5000 ft per hour elevation gain, so running must be much faster than that.
5,000’/hour! 🤣
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by Carl_Healy »

What about speed walking peaks?
If you can't run, you walk
If you can't walk, you crawl
If you can't crawl, you find someone to carry you
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

jmanner wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:44 pm
cougar wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:39 pm The skimo standard is 5000 ft per hour elevation gain, so running must be much faster than that.
5,000’/hour! 🤣
Downhill? No probz
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by RETEP 1 »

jmanner wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:31 pm
RETEP 1 wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:29 pm
JQDivide wrote: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:10 pm How much of the trail/route do you have to actually run/jog to count it as running a peak? Is there a percentage?
Does a fast walk count?
Hmmm...I say put a check mark based on your own convictions. Capitol is the one peak I’ve done but haven’t run. I did it in 2017 with a friend because of all the craziness. I could only get him to run a mile or two. Definitely gonna go back this summer and knock it out...
I am fascinated to know what min/mile you consider “running”, particularly as an average over the course of the peak’s distance.
I guess what Anton considers running vs what I consider running vs what you consider running are all pretty different and depend on the peak. The closest I ever got to Anton was 28 min mile on hourglass, LB-Blanca traverse. I guess running approaches and climbing class 4...but somewhere between 12-15 for a class 2 14er is what I consider running.
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by ekalina »

What footwear do you running folks wear for an outing that requires running+scrambling? I want to run the approaches but bring something that works for the scrambling that comes later, too.
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Re: Running a peak: What it takes

Post by aholle88 »

According to the Strava, Joe Gray did the uphill portion of Quandary in 47:43, for an avg of ~15min/mi (3.3k gain over 3.18mi). That's 4230ft/hr. So ~15min/mile, or 4230ft/hr is about the fastest anyone is going to move uphill at an average 20% grade on trail, using this single study. Most of the peaks average right around this grade. Some less, some more, but most of the routes that are on a trail, especially the above treeline portion, are about this grade (anywhere from 18-30% typically). So that's the gold standard right there. To delve a little further, there are ~1500 strava logs of the quandary ascent. #150 is around 1:21, or a 25min/mile pace. #75 is at 1:13, 23min/mile. So the top 5-10% of strava-ers have at least a 2500-2800ft/hr uphill pace. Based on this very scientific information, we could presume the top 5-10% of strava-ers that logged these attempts as what is considered "running" up a mountain, in terms of uphill pace.

Round Trip Times:
1. Joe Gray -> 1:15 (11:36/mile)
75. 2:01 (18:32/mile)
150. 2:17 (21:00/mile)

So, if your round trip time on a mountain with an avg of 20% grade is roughly >3mph, then you are "running", according to Strava science. Just a casual walk around the grocery store :-D
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