How did you get into Mountaineering?

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Rollie Free
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by Rollie Free »

Jon Frohlich wrote: Fri Jan 06, 2023 10:23 am As with many others I don't really consider most of my outdoor excursions mountaineering.

I grew up in Nebraska and moved to Colorado in March 2000 when I was 22. I'd already been working in IT since I was 18 and had never done anything in the outdoors. I was an extremely stereotypical computer nerd and an asthmatic. A year or so after moving I realized I'd been basically just holed up in my apartment doing not much of anything and decided to try hiking. I think I went up Green Mountain first. Didn't even come close to making it to the radio tower. Memory is fuzzy but I might have done a mile roundtrip. For some reason decided to try again. Started getting a little better. I remember going up Evergreen Mountain at some point in June 2001 or so and making it all the way up but was sore for 3 days afterward.

Around my birthday in July 2001 two of my coworkers asked if I wanted to try a 14er. Not having any idea what that was or what I was getting myself into I said yes and they decided on Quandary. Aside from sitting down and nearly throwing up at 13,800 or so I eventually made it up. Then hugged a tree on the way down. Then fell asleep in the car on the way home. Somehow or other I persisted and did Grays and Bierstadt that summer as well. I figured out my asthma wasn't bothered by altitude and I enjoyed the outdoors so I kept going. Joined 14erworld at some point. Got to know some hiking partners. Eventually got better gear and learned what I was doing. Also realized that hiking was beneficial to my mental health and made me a happier person.

Fast forward 22 years and I've been hiking on 6 continents, climbed a few things over 15k, finished the 14ers, and my whole family (dogs included) have LoJ profiles. So I guess I offically qualify as some sort of addict to this.
There are two paths after hardship and defeat. Figure this isn't for you, not a natural fit, or, I am going to conquer weakness, even if my natural abilities aren't all world.
Congratulations on doing the latter, much greater reward internally than just sticking to things that come easy to you. Natural ability is admirable but overcoming adversity is a whole different kind of admirable.
I say that because, I get lost, tend to lollygag, despite my effort don't always think of the things I should or plan well. But having a great time learning along the way.
"Quicker than I can tell it, my hands failed to hold, my feet slipped, and down I went with almost an arrow’s rapidity. An eternity of thought, of life, of death, wife, and home concentrated on my mind in those two seconds. Fortunately for me, I threw my right arm around a projecting boulder which stood above the icy plain some two or three feet." Rev. Elijah Lamb
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dan0rama
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by dan0rama »

I miss my newbie years when I was just getting into mountaineering. Every climb was so magical. The dopamine rush was tremendous. I miss that.
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nyker
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by nyker »

One of the experiences that helped push me into mountaineering was well before I ever climbed a peak over 20 years ago; I was in Rainier National Park coming back from just a normal hike. Walking towards the parking lot I saw what appeared to be a team of people moving across the asphalt, plastic boots clacking on the pavement, carrying big packs, ice axes, helmets and other mountaineering gear and they seemed like superheroes coming down off the mountain. That really stuck with me. I knew that mountains were going to be in my future.
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by xcrunner365 »

My introduction to the mountains/ mountaineering was a one week summer high school cross country camp (the inspiration for my username) at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville in July 2008. Aside from driving up Pikes Peak once and skiing a handful of times as a kid I had not been in the mountains much before then. Aside from the usual running and conditioning that occurred at the camp there was a final optional challenge, this was ascending Mount Elbert via the NE ridge route. I wanted to make varsity that year so I jumped on the opportunity to get some more training in.

I did make it to the top of Elbert without too much trouble (just slow) and really didn't feel too sore until a day or two later. Despite feeling accomplished, this climb didn't ignite my passion quite yet. I returned to camp again the next summer in 2009. The 14er for that year was Mount Massive via the east slopes. Again I took the opportunity, hiked, and summited. This time on a misty and cloudy morning. Not sure what changed this time, but I was hooked after that. I spent the entirety of that next fall/ winter/ spring researching 14ers, mountains, etc. I discovered SummitPost.org, LOJ, and this site and read everything I could!

To this day the Leadville area is a special spot for me and try to visit every year.
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summitrunner
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by summitrunner »

xcrunner365 wrote: Wed Jan 11, 2023 5:49 pm My introduction to the mountains/ mountaineering was a one week summer high school cross country camp (the inspiration for my username) at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville in July 2008. Aside from driving up Pikes Peak once and skiing a handful of times as a kid I had not been in the mountains much before then. Aside from the usual running and conditioning that occurred at the camp there was a final optional challenge, this was ascending Mount Elbert via the NE ridge route. I wanted to make varsity that year so I jumped on the opportunity to get some more training in.

I did make it to the top of Elbert without too much trouble (just slow) and really didn't feel too sore until a day or two later. Despite feeling accomplished, this climb didn't ignite my passion quite yet. I returned to camp again the next summer in 2009. The 14er for that year was Mount Massive via the east slopes. Again I took the opportunity, hiked, and summited. This time on a misty and cloudy morning. Not sure what changed this time, but I was hooked after that. I spent the entirety of that next fall/ winter/ spring researching 14ers, mountains, etc. I discovered SummitPost.org, LOJ, and this site and read everything I could!

To this day the Leadville area is a special spot for me and try to visit every year.
That's great! Do you have any collegiate eligibility left? I'm always looking for runners to compete at CMC Leadville!
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." PRE
xcrunner365
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by xcrunner365 »

summitrunner wrote: Thu Jan 12, 2023 7:58 am
xcrunner365 wrote: Wed Jan 11, 2023 5:49 pm My introduction to the mountains/ mountaineering was a one week summer high school cross country camp (the inspiration for my username) at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville in July 2008. Aside from driving up Pikes Peak once and skiing a handful of times as a kid I had not been in the mountains much before then. Aside from the usual running and conditioning that occurred at the camp there was a final optional challenge, this was ascending Mount Elbert via the NE ridge route. I wanted to make varsity that year so I jumped on the opportunity to get some more training in.

I did make it to the top of Elbert without too much trouble (just slow) and really didn't feel too sore until a day or two later. Despite feeling accomplished, this climb didn't ignite my passion quite yet. I returned to camp again the next summer in 2009. The 14er for that year was Mount Massive via the east slopes. Again I took the opportunity, hiked, and summited. This time on a misty and cloudy morning. Not sure what changed this time, but I was hooked after that. I spent the entirety of that next fall/ winter/ spring researching 14ers, mountains, etc. I discovered SummitPost.org, LOJ, and this site and read everything I could!

To this day the Leadville area is a special spot for me and try to visit every year.
That's great! Do you have any collegiate eligibility left? I'm always looking for runners to compete at CMC Leadville!
Unfortunately, I never ran at a collegiate level when I was in college. I still run, but high school was the only time I ran competitively.
vertical_volume
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by vertical_volume »

To preface, I'd still consider myself a peak bagger/glorified hiker over a mountaineer but I digress. in 2019, living in upstate new york a girlfriend at the time (now my ex) found the ADK 46 during the summer and we talked about finishing them together. We went out on a couple trips, climbed about 6 of the peaks that summer, and I had a lot of fun, enjoyed the challenge, etc. the rest of the summer it was like pulling teeth to get her to go out again, but she still expressed interest in it. She left me for another guy the following spring. Both heart broken and to spite her the following summer, I went and hiked the remaining 40 peaks, at the time I only had 1 day off a week and the peaks were 3 hours away but I was hurtin, so i was determined. the trails calmed my mind and gave me a sense of achievement.

The following summer I wasn't sure what I was going to do- did I want to hike more peaks? then a slew of events funneled me back into peak baggind; I graduated college and couldn't find a job (covid 2020), went on unemployment and I got stir crazy sitting home. so i hiked the rest of the 115 northeast 4000ers. A lot of it was solo and I didn't get as much satisfaction from it as I had hoped. But then in September a friend invited me on a two week trip out west at the end of the summer, to the Sierra Nevada. I had never been out west and I had just learned about 14ers shortly before the trip, and the elevation alone for them seemed way above my abilities. I joined her on the trip. We drove straight out and hit Denver at sunset and the skyline was just ridiclous... I'd never seen anything like it. I wanted to move here. With no scrambling experience or much experience on actual rock (northeast is mostly dirt and no scrambling) I got my ass handed to me in the Sierra, failing an attempt on Mt Humphries' east Arete, an alternate route up Langley and a few other peaks. On the drive home, I tagged along with a new friend for two weeks and we explored UT AZ and then came to Colorado and knocked out 10 of the easier 14ers in about 4 days and that settled it for me, this was gonna be my personality :lol:

2021 included re climbing the ADK 46, but in one winter season and then I got laid off due to covid again so I took another road trip. taught myself to scramble over the proceeding 6 week road trip, climbed a few CA 14ers- Williamson, Whitney, Muir, along with the Middle Teton, Reynolds in Glacier and knocked out another 14 14ers in CO over 2 weeks. and Finally got my opportunity to move to Colorado. Since I've moved here I've been employed and I've been chipping away at peaks on weekends, working on building up my risk tolerance and fitness. I'm up to 124 (ish?) summits above 13k now with a solid 150 summits of the main 4 flatiron peaks and now I'm looking toward some of those fun mega routes like the mosquito-tenmile and LA freeway on top of building out my rope, skiing and alpine skills.
Runnin around - Rob_e179
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JohnnyLeadville
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by JohnnyLeadville »

I knew someone that owned a rock climbing gym in my early teens. I had learned how to climb and tie knots at summer camps but I think forgot most of that.
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cardgenius
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by cardgenius »

My love for the mountains came from spending a lot of time with my grandparents growing up. They taught my siblings and I to ski and would take us on lots of camping and hiking trips every summer. My pops is a car enthusiast so we'd wake up at the butt-crack of dawn(at least to me as a kid) and drive up Pikes Peak every year to watch the Hill Climb. Then in my mid 20's I read 'Into Thin Air' and was quickly reminded about our big peaks here. Hiked a few 14ers and then found out you could ski them and that's what got me hooked. Its been a great adventure ever since!
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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by docjohn »

1971, about to enter med school, somewhat out at sea, a friend suggested I climb a mountain, recommending Mt. Audobon. So my girl friend Shirley and I did so. I wore Levi jeans, light jacket and army combat boots! Thought I was going to die.
On return someone had clipped a note to our tent, stating we were camped on the trail! After that it was off to the races.
...let me remind you of the pilgrim who asked for an audience with the Dalai Lama.
He was told he must first spend five years in contemplation. After the five years, he was ushered into the Dalai Lama's presence, who said, 'Well, my son, what do you wish to know?' So the pilgrim said, 'I wish to know the meaning of life, father.'
And the Dalai Lama smiled and said, 'Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?'

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Re: How did you get into Mountaineering?

Post by I Man »

I was living in the very flat state of Florida in my early 20s when I stumbled across the show "Everest: Beyond the Limit" on the Discovery Channel. From there I read about Everest and Denali and was fascinated. "People KNOW how dangerous it is, and they still go??" I thought. I was hooked.
I packed up my life into my car and drive to Colorado the month I turned 25. It wasn't until I was 31 that I sort of got my life together! Very grateful for those years of bumming around the country (and the world) chasing summits.
You can touch the void, just don't fall into it.

I fly a starship across the universe divide....and when I reach the other side...I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can. Perhaps I may become a Mountain Man again.
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