Hiking first 14'er solo

[Ptglhs]

A true solo ascent is no longer possible in Colorado in any season.

I disagree. I did Humboldt in March of '17 during the week and didn't see a soul the whole day. 13 miles, 11 hours, and no one.

I've stood on several summits by myself for a time: Quandary at Sunrise last June 21 (saw a hundred or so people going up when I was coming down but for the 1st 4 hours I was by myself), Lincoln or Bross or Missouri or Elbert or Sherman in October, Sherman in November, even Huron and Columbia Point in August, for a brief period. All of these are weekday climbs. The only 14er I've ever hiked on a weekend was in the San Juans. I can't think of much that would encourage me to volunteer to hike a front range / sawatch / tensquito 14er on a summer weekend.

To the OP: Sorry for the digression. I've hiked far more peaks by myself than with other people. I don't do anything differently when I'm by myself. I've done several 13ers and one 14er and not seen anyone all day. All I can say is let people know where you're going, and what route you're taking. Text them from the summit (I've never not had service on a summit, though I'm sure it's possible). If you're really alone you don't have as much margin for error. Keep that in mind when considering a risky move.

[mtree]

I agree that you can find solitude on many hikes and peaks depending on various factors. I found myself alone on the summit of Bierstadt just this past November! Go figure.

That said, don't worry about going solo. As others have mentioned, inform others of your intentions and don't stray from them. Bring proper survival gear. Be smart and don't take any unnecessary risks. You'll be fine. Have fun.

[wildlobo71]

Unless you are seeking out something on the easier range such as Handies and aiming for a Tuesday morning to do it - you will not be "alone" on a peak in the summer. Take everything recommended for you to have in preparation, but know that you will have a following and be a follower... especially on the more popular Front Range and Sawatch peaks on a typical day.

[JTOlson26]

A lot of people are mentioning the inevitability of running into people wherever you end up hiking in Colorado, but I have to disagree. Solitude can definitely be found if you work hard enough for it and don't have to hike on a weekend or holiday. It's not guaranteed, but it's definitely possible. A couple summers ago a friend and I did Oxford during the week and saw no one on the summit (we summitted around 8:30) nor did we see anyone on the way up or the way down. The only time we saw anyone was the day before on our hike in while we were on the CT for a short time.

Of course, the route we choose was a bushwhack from hell for a while and not on a trail, so I guess if you're planning to stay on trail it can be quite a bit more difficult to escape ALL people, but finding relative solitude is still possible.

I've only done one solo 14er and I enjoyed it. I think I enjoy spending time in the mountain with a select group of friends even more, but it was a great experience. I also saw very few people that day as well. Here's a link to the trip report if you're interested in trying this route. Best of luck.

https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/triprepo ... trip=13943

[madbuck]

my wife, kids, and best friend have all wussed-out on me and now it looks like I'm going solo.

"Wuss-out" means to "fail to do something because of cowardice." Barring exceptional medical circumstances/physical limitations, hiking a 14er of choice, on a choice day in summer, needn't require exceptional courage for an average, motivated person. (OTOH, some folks may be disinterested in hiking a 14er).
If you do want to hike a 14er with friends/family, are there ways to present and communicate a plan throughout the summer to work toward that goal, and share and evangelize your excitement? There is plenty of time to develop skills and confidence for an August/September summit hike.

While I love time in the mountains, with considerable time spent solo, leisurely hikes with family have created some great memories.

[CHWitte]

leisurely hikes with family have created some great memories.

Amen to that brother. My dad, brother and I spent 24 years together hiking the 54 and enjoyed it so much, we wrote a book about our experiences and stories.

[rpdawes]

A true solo ascent is no longer possible in Colorado in any season.

I vehemently disagree. If you go to a more remote 14er on any weekday, you can find yourself all alone hiking to a summit even on a standard route all day no matter what season it may be. Or you can go out in a night even to a more popular peak without seeing a soul. So your statement is not correct according to my past experiences.

Maybe 5 years ago, but not anymore. Well maybe if you hike windom from 10pm-5am on a Tuesday in December, but that’s about it.

Well, I challenge you to sit with me on top of a 14er mountain of your choice from sunrise to sunset during weekdays through the four seasons of 2018-19 and count how many hikers reach the summit solo per day. There will be some according to the laws of probability in statistics. What do you say? I still say that your statement is not true. We are not supposed to misinform anybody.

[rpdawes]

I agree that you can find solitude on many hikes and peaks depending on various factors. I found myself alone on the summit of Bierstadt just this past November! Go figure.

That said, don't worry about going solo. As others have mentioned, inform others of your intentions and don't stray from them. Bring proper survival gear. Be smart and don't take any unnecessary risks. You'll be fine. Have fun.

I second that. Plus I carry my InReach Explorer all the time so my family can monitor my track. If something bad happens to me, I can always text SOS unless I am dead or unconscious.

[jmanner]

I vehemently disagree. If you go to a more remote 14er on any weekday, you can find yourself all alone hiking to a summit even on a standard route all day no matter what season it may be. Or you can go out in a night even to a more popular peak without seeing a soul. So your statement is not correct according to my past experiences.

Maybe 5 years ago, but not anymore. Well maybe if you hike windom from 10pm-5am on a Tuesday in December, but that’s about it.

Well, I challenge you to sit with me on top of a 14er mountain of your choice from sunrise to sunset during weekdays through the four seasons of 2018-19 and count how many hikers reach the summit solo per day. There will be some according to the laws of probability in statistics. What do you say? I still say that your statement is not true. We are not supposed to misinform anybody.

SchralpTheGnar is probably being factious, at any rate I climbed and skied Handies on a Monday two weeks ago and we were the only people in that entire area.

[Jim Davies]

I think by "true solo ascent" he meant you have to be alone on the mountain, with no contact with the outside world, and not see another person or vehicle the whole day, even in the distance. Airliners passing overhead have ruined many a solo attempt.

[rpdawes]

I think by "true solo ascent" he meant you have to be alone on the mountain, with no contact with the outside world, and not see another person or vehicle the whole day, even in the distance. Airliners passing overhead have ruined many a solo attempt.

Well, by your definition, how can anything be different since 5 years ago like SchralpTheGnar said?

Will seeing mountain beasts and even insects ruin my true solo ascent? Your definition makes no sense when you mentioned airplanes.

[Jim Davies]

He's joking, I'm joking, we're all joking. "Solo" just means you don't have a partner, in my definition. "Alone" is different. Oh, and no dogs. Dogs count as partners.