FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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I'm hoping to hike Grays and Torreys this weekend. I'll be starting from the bottom parking lot right off of I70. I'm kind of a skeptic on a lot of popular sports nutrition and calorie information -- it always seems like way too much. So, I have a few questions:
How much food do I need to pack for the day of?
Are sports drinks alright? Last week, my wife and I packed some Pedialyte in lieu of a more traditional sports drink.
How many calories will I burn throughout the day? I'm 6'2" and 175lbs.
What should I eat the night before? I'm going to try to get around 6 hours of sleep the night before and start at 5am at the bottom.
If you can, I would really prefer the nutritional recommendations to be accompanied with reputable medical studies/journals/articles.
Or, if you'd like, you can just share me a good guide you follow on some of this stuff.
Personally I pack enough food for 24 hours in case something was to go south, but honestly on Grays and Torreys this time of year, that is probably overkill since there might be several hundred people on those mountains who could help if you got into trouble. Either way it is pretty individual. If you are well carbo-loaded you could probably climb both peaks without any food, but most people like to eat something on a climb.
Sports drinks are fine, but not as a replacement for water. Personally I take 1L of a sports drink and 2L of water. Again, that may be overkill, but it is better to be safe than sorry with regards to water. Past the stream at the beginning, there isn't a water source that I can think of on either mountain (well I guess you could melt snow if there is still any up there).
No idea how many calories you would burn. You are similar to me size-wise, so if I was going to make a SWAG I would say 200 calories/mile going up and 150/mile coming down.
Personally I would carbo-load the night before, but others would disagree. I would rather have my "fuel" and my water both in my body at the start than in my pack for later.
And even though you didn't ask, start early. Afternoon thunderstorms are not something you want to experience above treeline. I would think this was common knowledge but we saw lots of people going up Grays & Torreys and Elbert clear into the early afternoons last week.
Have fun.
"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains."
Psalm 36:6
I'd suggest eat normally the night before, and have something - but not too much, in the morning. Sometimes, eating too much day-of hike can be upsetting once at altitude. If you're not sure what works for you, bring along a few different options in the sweet to savory spectrum - it's sometimes interesting to find out what you may crave. I do well with gummy candy as chewing on them stops me from eating them too fast (and perhaps getting cramps) and M&Ms with peanuts or almonds are nice and not super messy if they escape from their bag. Bring around 250 cals/hour. So, maybe snacks, and something for lunch at the summit (if the weather looks good).
As for hydration, water is probably the best, so I'd pack something that's simply *water*. Usually I can't do anything mixed in my water - it just makes me more thirsty. So pack along the pedialyte, but have water as another option. Dehydration can ruin a hike, so don't skimp on that. I don't do Gatorade myself, although others do as a treat. If you think you need salt, just bring something salty (pretzels, etc).
With food, I usually have a small bit of things that can help unexpected problems with my digestion/mood: An Alleve or two (works great for me for altitude headaches), a 5 hour energy, and my inhaler. Really can save the day.
If I'm well hydrated I can even get away with 1L of water, but I usually bring at least 1.5L. On more remote hikes I'll bring tablets or other means to treat water.
Bring snacks you like and you enjoy eating... not stuff you need to muscle down the gullet. Sometimes you're hungry, but that energy bar doesn't sound too good. Some things I like to bring:
I'll just east 1-2 snacks on the way up and then typically will have a small "lunch" on the top... usually just some cheese/crackers/summer sausage.
Don't overthink it. You'd survive for a day hike even without any food, although you'll be super hungry. Like mentioned above you'll probably be hiking with hundreds of people on weekend hike of G&T.
I like plain water. You can get your electrolytes from food. If you like flavored drinks you can bring some drink mix powder (gatorade, lemonade, nuun tablets) and mix as you see fit. Occasionally, I'll do this just for the way down and have like 16oz of lemonade as a treat on the way down.
“what matters most is
how well you
walk through the
fire” -Charles Bukowski
my staples are-
- >350cal shake for pre-hike breakfast (Ensure, Fortify, etc.)
- jerky/beef stick
- salted nuts (usually almonds, sometimes cashews)
- dried fruit (apricots or sugared mango are my favorites)
- energy gel (honey stinger is awesome!)
- 2L water
- (Great Outdogs OutBar or Tucker's CarniBar + 1L of water for my dog)
i always get super nauseated at altitude, but these work for me!
also i need to be better about post-hike BCAAs. anyone have a favorite?
“To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles.” – Mary Davis
The last 2 posts gave great info. I would just add that you don't want to eat anything that could cause an upset stomach or problems in the morning. This is something you would know about the foods you eat. Oatmeal with honey, nuts, fruit would be good in the morning. I also do Greek yogurt like fage 2% which has 20g of protein with honey and maybe fruit. You would know which sets better with you though. I would skip the pedialyte but that's me. I have started to use a nuun tab in water after big hikes and it really helps. I've found recently that perfect bars are the best meal replacement for me. I rode my bike from Boulder to Mitchell Lake TH on Saturday and hiked Mt. Audobon and rode back. I brought 2 perfect bars, 1 Bobo bar, and some dried mango. I had 1 perfect bar left after the trip and wasn't hungry. I find that the more fit I become, the less I need to eat. Keep that in mind with your level of fitness. If you're really confident in your abilities, you may need less than you think. It's always safe to bring more though. This is not a big hike and the extra weight will not really matter. Also, if you're hungry after the hike then Smokin Yards in Idaho Springs is the best BBQ I've had in Colorado!
I’m sure you’ll get plenty of advice on what to eat. Almost importantly is what NOT to eat before... we all have stories. Spicy foods can be tricky. Really anything that might speed up digestion should be avoided. Like lay off the probiotics
"Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games." - Ernest Hemingway (or was it Barnaby Conrad?)
Your knees only get so many bumps in life, don't waste them on moguls!
“No athlete is truly tested until they’ve stared an injury in the face and come out on the other side stronger than ever” -anonymous
I like to hit a mcdonalds the night before reaching the trailhead to sleep. This allows me some quick cheap cals and the ability to pick up a few mcdoubles to throw in my pack for the hike. Also works with five-layer burritos from taco bell.
I wish I was joking.
But I guess for people that like boring "nutritional" food, take a banana and some granola bars for the hike, jerky is good for that protein, drink beet juice on the reg, make sure you have something with some sugar in it to keep the muscles cranking.
I really don't find myself eating a ton on 14ers, really depends. Depends on the person and their fitness for how many calories you're burning and how long it's gonna take to determine how many calories you'll be needing. It gets to be too much to think about. Which is why I don't think about it too much. For more serious extended backcountry excursions I think about it much more, but with 14er day hikes I really don't stress too much about it. It's always good to have a little more than you need though in case of emergencies.
Like it's getting hinted at, after hike food is far more important than during hike food. Make sure you don't eat too much hiking so as to ruin your appetite for that victory burger and beer (don't take this advice literally, someone on here is already gonna have a mental contusion over it, it's a joke, kinda).
It really doesn't matter what you eat as long as it doesn't upset your system. Stay hydrated and you'll be fine. My latest hike I had a bowl of Frosted Flakes for breakfast. I had the usual trail mix in my pack, but didn't eat it. I might have some old jerky in there as well. I ate a strawberry Pop Tart on the way down. Not sure what I had for dinner the night before because...it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. You'll be fine. Again, stay hydrated. Enjoy!
- I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.
Are sports drinks alright? Last week, my wife and I packed some Pedialyte in lieu of a more traditional sports drink.
How many calories will I burn throughout the day? I'm 6'2" and 175lbs.
What should I eat the night before? I'm going to try to get around 6 hours of sleep the night before and start at 5am at the bottom.
Generally you know what your body will need better than anyone else. Go with what has worked best for you on other long outings. Everyone is so different so it is best to have options. Have something for lunch, and some snack bars and fruit and trail mix available. You don't have to eat it all, but will have it with you. You are going to have to experiment to figure out what works best for you. I would have plenty of water, 2 liters, with you in case your body doesn't respond well to the sports drinks on the hike. It's also good to have extra water in the car so you can hydrate on the drive home. I would advise sticking to a fairly normal routine the night before, you don't want to do anything to piss off your digestive system before you even start hiking. You'll be able to make adjustments after each hike and will quickly learn what works best for you. Always good to have some Pepto and Advil just in case. Have fun
