First 14ers - Plan Assessment

[ZNixon]

I'm not sure Sean's advice on Massive applies to the SW slopes route. You can't even see the summit on that route until you're basically on it.

Maybe Sean can see it from Raytown, MO. It is Massive.

Hahaha, yeah, that's what it is.
Like I sometimes do, I didn't bother to check which route the OP was climbing. Tjmartin1 is correct; I was thinking of the standard route, so disregard that bit of advice OP.

Sean Nunn

It's okay, Sean! Thanks for the advice for when I attempt to tackle it again someday on a different route! I'm coming from around St. Louis, by the way! Small world!

[mtree]

From the SW slopes route I don't recall being able to see the summit even while hiking along the ridge. Its not obvious until just before the final summit pitch, I think???
Maybe I wasn't paying close attention. After all, I did miss the "exit" on the descent and began heading down the east slopes route. That sucked. Talk about getting your bearings out of whack. And the upclimb to find the intersection was a blast I'll never forget.

Can you explain the upclimb that you're referring to? I'm curious!

Also, how can I avoid having the same issue on the descent?

The east slopes route and SW slopes route intersect at some point along the ridge. It was cloudy with storms rolling in and I was just hustling down, blabbing away and missed the turnoff. After happily descending quite a ways I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore. The rest is history. When I climbed it the SW trail was very faint near the ridge intersection and I never saw any signs. For all I know I may have scrambled on some rocks and bypassed the actual trail. Just don't miss your exit from the ridge.

With that extra travel time I was able to enjoy a lovely thunderstorm from just above a steep snow field (around 12K) all the way back to the trailhead. Fun fun.

[ZNixon]

From the SW slopes route I don't recall being able to see the summit even while hiking along the ridge. Its not obvious until just before the final summit pitch, I think???
Maybe I wasn't paying close attention. After all, I did miss the "exit" on the descent and began heading down the east slopes route. That sucked. Talk about getting your bearings out of whack. And the upclimb to find the intersection was a blast I'll never forget.

Can you explain the upclimb that you're referring to? I'm curious!

Also, how can I avoid having the same issue on the descent?

The east slopes route and SW slopes route intersect at some point along the ridge. It was cloudy with storms rolling in and I was just hustling down, blabbing away and missed the turnoff. After happily descending quite a ways I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore. The rest is history. When I climbed it the SW trail was very faint near the ridge intersection and I never saw any signs. For all I know I may have scrambled on some rocks and bypassed the actual trail. Just don't miss your exit from the ridge.

With that extra travel time I was able to enjoy a lovely thunderstorm from just above a steep snow field (around 12K) all the way back to the trailhead. Fun fun.

Ohhh I see, that sounds like quite a fiasco! I'll try and be sure to pay attention there!

[tjmartn1]

As far as the intersection of the routes goes, there is a sign there now but it's still not hard to miss. In fact as I was going down the SW slopes route not far beyond the intersection of the trails, another climber appeared confused and asked me if this was the route down the east slopes. So even with the sign on a bluebird day people still miss it.

[RockiesAdrian]

Your planning does seem quite good. A day hiking at slightly lower altitude will certainly help you acclimatize. The main two things which jump out to me about your plan are:

1. Hiking solo
2. Selected the highest peaks available

While these peaks are not especially demanding (for 14ers), HACE can affect perfectly fit individuals who are well within their limits aside from altitude. Without a hiking buddy to detect potentially altered mentation, a situation which should have been NBD can snowball in a bad way. I know it's only a 500 foot difference between the tallest and shortest 14er, but I would think you might still reduce risk of edema by selecting some lower peaks. If you are hiking with someone else, I wouldn't really worry about this risk at all, and you can certainly find willing partners on this here forum.

On Massive, I recommend the Southwest Slopes route. I really enjoyed it. Just watch for the turn off the ridge on your way down! (I missed it too)

If you want to find a prettier hike with a similar driving commitment, take a look at the Southwest Ridge route on La Plata. For my money, it is the prettiest hike in the Sawatch range.

[ZNixon]

Your planning does seem quite good. A day hiking at slightly lower altitude will certainly help you acclimatize. The main two things which jump out to me about your plan are:

1. Hiking solo
2. Selected the highest peaks available

While these peaks are not especially demanding (for 14ers), HACE can affect perfectly fit individuals who are well within their limits aside from altitude. Without a hiking buddy to detect potentially altered mentation, a situation which should have been NBD can snowball in a bad way. I know it's only a 500 foot difference between the tallest and shortest 14er, but I would think you might still reduce risk of edema by selecting some lower peaks. If you are hiking with someone else, I wouldn't really worry about this risk at all, and you can certainly find willing partners on this here forum.

On Massive, I recommend the Southwest Slopes route. I really enjoyed it. Just watch for the turn off the ridge on your way down! (I missed it too)

If you want to find a prettier hike with a similar driving commitment, take a look at the Southwest Ridge route on La Plata. For my money, it is the prettiest hike in the Sawatch range.

I've watched several videos of the Southwest Slopes, and had a friend hike it last year taking a million pictures along the way and at the summit, it looks gorgeous! And I'll have to try La Plata next time, I haven't studied it much at all and don't know much about it! It looks lovely though, from the little I've seen!


This is good information, and greatly appreciated! And if I'm being completely honest, I did push any anxiety/worry about going solo to the side entirely. It's probably something I should look at. I may throw a post up on the climbing connections and see if anyone else will be going up, these days. Unless of course, you're up for it?

[RockiesAdrian]

This is good information, and greatly appreciated! And if I'm being completely honest, I did push any anxiety/worry about going solo to the side entirely. It's probably something I should look at. I may throw a post up on the climbing connections and see if anyone else will be going up, these days. Unless of course, you're up for it?

I wish I still lived in CO! I would totally be down. Definitely worth a post on climbing connections (looks like you already made one, good on ya). Maybe my buddy Hersh would join, not sure what plans he already has, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't bagged Massive yet, unless he missed updating his checklist.

Good luck on the hike!

[jschooch]

I would be concerned about acclimating properly. Have you been above 9000'+ often and are you driving straight to the trailhead or spending time in the Denver area first? It is probably good idea to spend a night (or at least several hours) on the front range before heading up to the trailhead. You mentioned you acclimate well so if you have been to this elevation before without issue then maybe not a big deal. Just something to consider.

[ZNixon]

This is good information, and greatly appreciated! And if I'm being completely honest, I did push any anxiety/worry about going solo to the side entirely. It's probably something I should look at. I may throw a post up on the climbing connections and see if anyone else will be going up, these days. Unless of course, you're up for it?

I wish I still lived in CO! I would totally be down. Definitely worth a post on climbing connections (looks like you already made one, good on ya). Maybe my buddy Hersh would join, not sure what plans he already has, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't bagged Massive yet, unless he missed updating his checklist.

Good luck on the hike!

Ahhh man, that would have been awesome! Regardless, I hope your buddy might be down for the hike! Point him toward my post if he mentions wanting to tackle Massive, I'm sure we would have a blast!

[ZNixon]

I would be concerned about acclimating properly. Have you been above 9000'+ often and are you driving straight to the trailhead or spending time in the Denver area first? It is probably good idea to spend a night (or at least several hours) on the front range before heading up to the trailhead. You mentioned you acclimate well so if you have been to this elevation before without issue then maybe not a big deal. Just something to consider.

I've climbed/skied several mountains in Idaho over 10,000' and haven't had any issues yet! My plan is to set up camp near the Elbert trailhead, and spend the first day I'm there hiking at lower altitude to acclimatize. No climbing on Day 1, just enjoying the scenery and getting accustomed to the altitude!

[mtree]

It sounds like you don't have an issue with altitude so I wouldn't be overly worried about it. Be aware of headaches or nausea or anything more serious. In my experience most folks who exhibit mild altitude sickness exhibit the symptoms after they descend. So stay alert to that possibility. And the difference between 14,001 ft. vs 14,433 ft is insignificant. File that under useless info.

Also, you will get virtually zero acclimation over the first 24 hours whether you stay in Denver or camp at 10,000 feet so don't fret. The most significant "acclimation" you can do prior to the hike is maybe some short wind sprints or high intensity hikes to get your heart and lungs used to what's coming. If this was your first 14er and you were saaaaay 65 years old I might say take it easy at first, but if you're fairly young, fit, and know your limits I say go for it! I've had many seaborn friends visit over the years and took them hiking all the time. With the exception of being SHOCKED by the amount of breathing they had to do, none had any other issues. Just stay hydrated and don't go crazy. I always say start slow and finish strong. Beats the other way around. You may be solo, but there will be others out there especially on Elbert so you won't be alone. Just stay on route.

It sounds like you have the requisite gear for this adventure... which is 90% above the shoulders. Enjoy!

[ZNixon]

It sounds like you don't have an issue with altitude so I wouldn't be overly worried about it. Be aware of headaches or nausea or anything more serious. In my experience most folks who exhibit mild altitude sickness exhibit the symptoms after they descend. So stay alert to that possibility. And the difference between 14,001 ft. vs 14,433 ft is insignificant. File that under useless info.

Also, you will get virtually zero acclimation over the first 24 hours whether you stay in Denver or camp at 10,000 feet so don't fret. The most significant "acclimation" you can do prior to the hike is maybe some short wind sprints or high intensity hikes to get your heart and lungs used to what's coming. If this was your first 14er and you were saaaaay 65 years old I might say take it easy at first, but if you're fairly young, fit, and know your limits I say go for it! I've had many seaborn friends visit over the years and took them hiking all the time. With the exception of being SHOCKED by the amount of breathing they had to do, none had any other issues. Just stay hydrated and don't go crazy. I always say start slow and finish strong. Beats the other way around. You may be solo, but there will be others out there especially on Elbert so you won't be alone. Just stay on route.

It sounds like you have the requisite gear for this adventure... which is 90% above the shoulders. Enjoy!

It's almost as if you've read my mind, I swear! My game plan for Day 1 is to get my heart rate up and experience sucking some Colorado wind! I would hate to get halfway to the summit and realize my lungs were not prepared at all! I do a lot of breathing exercises and meditation that involves great focus on my breathing, so this is very important to me.

Speaking of hydration; Do you think a 2.5l bladder should get me up and down each of the peaks, or should I carry an extra liter or two? I feel like 3.5-4.5l will be too much and end up being a lot of unnecessary weight. What do you think? This is excellent advice, experience, and knowledge by the way, I really do appreciate it!