14er Summits: 0 of 58

[TLeddy57]

Hello everyone, my name is Tyler and I live around Atlanta, Ga. Recently my wife and I visited Estes Park for our anniversary. First time in Colorado and we fell in love with the state! I have moderate hiking experience, though my hikes are typically shorter distances (around 5-7 miles), with heavy packs and always at low elevation, though we do have a lot of ups and downs on the trails along with river crossings. My biggest concern physically is my lack of experience with exposure and altitude. When we visited, we enjoyed a hike up to Gem Lake which was beautiful! While on the way up and down I unknowingly captured some awesome pictures, I say unknowingly because they included Longs and Meeker in the background, one of which I believe I can even make out the Keyhole on Longs and when I later discovered that I was pumped! At the time I had never really considered climbing a mountain, but as a mountain trout fisherman I have always looked up to the surrounding peaks and been called to just visit them for what always seemed like no good reason. And with the tiny mountains on the east coast, I really never had been given a great reason. That all seemed to change while we were boarding our flight home. Thinking about the hike to Gem Lake I decided to research the tallest mountain in the Estes area (where we had been), I was hoping to find out if you could "hike" to the top of it. Well, that's when I found Longs and learned what the "14ers" title I had been seeing everywhere was all about, and it didn't take me long to uncover breathtaking videos of "hikes" to the summit. I was hooked right away. Came out to Estes to hook mountain trout and got hooked by a Mountain. I'm drawn in by the different legs of the hike which make it seem like such an epic journey with many great natural checkpoints. Not only that, but there's also something about the exposure and my moderate height jitters. It feels like that mountain will make me push my limits and may even freeze me up and make me turn around, but that's the type of challenge and growth I desire. After returning home I began binge watching YouTube videos of Longs. The fire only seemed to grow so I researched and quickly uncovered this great site. After scrambling to research the mountain ranges of Huron and Pyramid so I could pass the security questions, I was in! I felt like a kid in a candy store but it was candies I had never even seen or thought of. I was uncovering so many awesome mountains and trails using these great resources and perhaps got a little too excited. I started making a list of mountains and trails to go after, taking notes on vehicle access, exposure levels, route finding difficulties, length, elevation gain, anything and everything I could think of and find out while watching videos and using 14ers forums and tools. Quickly I had a wish-list of mountains that is likely longer than I will be able to achieve in my life, and I'm only 36. One common sentiment on here is to highly consider doing another peak before longs. While I do think I could do it as my first and would be proud to do so, I worry about mixing my first time at 14k feet with those exposure elements. Maybe I'd be just fine other than the shortness of breath... but very possibly would not be ok with the altitude or exposure. My biggest problem with doing another 14er first is that I can't come to Colorado often or for a long period of time and I want to get through the keyhole and on the Longs journey so bad. But after the extensive research and with my strong desire to complete this goal of Longs I feel like attempting another summit first is the right call and proper thing to do. I have a rough draft ready for my first trip and I'm open to any criticism or advice so I wanted to share it with you guys.

The plan. I plan to fly in from Atlanta for 7-10 days in August, depending on how much time I can get off work and coaching. I picked August because It is the best month to avoid snow/ice and I don't mind seeing people on the trails. I hope my attempt of Longs can land on a weekday with my timing and the weather. I think a weekday hike would help with keeping trail crowding down but I'm uncertain of this. I have access to private property near Hartsel which I plan to camp on. The property has no structures, but it will be summer so I will come prepared for weather and wildlife and get a room for a night or 2 if I desire while there. I will have a rental car so the location seems awesome for getting to many of the 14ers. I plan to acclimate for a few days then whenever I feel physically ready, I want to attempt my first summit by either going up Torreys via Kelso Ridge, Tour de Abyss on Bierstadt and Evans (Blue Sky), or West Ridge on Quandary. Tour de Abyss seems easier than longs as far as exposure but similar in length of the round trip. Kelso Ridge on the other hand Seems like it would give me exposure experience before trying longs and I'm curious if the exposure is more concerning on the knife edge of Kelso Ridge or the Narrows of Longs? Also, am I right in the assessment that Tour de Abyss is the lightest of the 3 with exposure? Are these routes "easier" than Longs and thus good selections for a summit to do before I try Longs? After hopefully summiting whichever route I land on for my first 14er attempt, I plan to take a couple of days to replenish myself and reassess how I feel both physically and mentally. If at that point I have the time, good weather, and desire to attempt my ultimate goal of Longs, I will drive out to Estes Park and head for the keyhole, starting at the trailhead at 2:00am of course. I have started training. I've always been in decent shape, but I want to be able to run a marathon without stopping by summer in order to be prepared, as well as hopefully improving leg, arm, and core strength. I Also plan to do a handful of hikes in the North Georgia/Tennessee mountains, including 1 with rock structure that will give moderate exposure experience. I am recruiting 2 friends in hopes that 1 or both can come along with me for extra motivation and accountability. While asking them to come I'm making it clear that we have to keep realistic expectations and not go beyond our own comfort level or push the others past their comfort level. So far I haven't hooked either of them on the idea but there's slight interest from them I guess, so we'll see.

I'm not done planning and that's not the totality of my goals in the Colorado mountains as I'd like to summit as many of the 14ers as I can along the way, but so far that is the framework of my plans for the first trip. I would love to get some feedback and help with fixing this plan from some people with experience on these peaks, and I felt there was no better place to ask than here. Thank you to all who contribute to this site, it has already provided me with so much in the way of motivation and education to explore the Colorado mountains. Thank you in advance for any replies, positive or negative, and I hope everyone out there gets to see many more summits along the way. God bless and have a great day!
(I included 3 pictures. In the 1 that my wife and I aren't in the frame at all you can zoom in and see the keyhole. Kind of cool because at the time of the pictures I had no knowledge of Longs or the Keyhole other than looking at the Mountain from across the valley.)

-Tyler

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:31

[PJ88]

Hi. Welcome to the wonderful world of 14ers! Longs is an awesome mountain and it is easy to see how it could have drawn you in during your trip.

Plenty of people have done Longs as one of their first, if not their first mountain. That being said, testing yourself out on another mountain before jumping straight into a climb of Longs isn't a bad idea. I am not sure that Torreys via Kelso or the Tour de Abyss are great starting points though. (Full disclosure: I haven't done either of those routes but am looking forward to giving the tour a shot this next summer once the road reopens.) Neither of these routes have great bail out options to my knowledge if you are affected by altitude or exposure along the way. I know it sounds boring, especially if your main goal is Longs, but starting off with a class 1 or 2 mountain would be ideal. The usual go tos for first mountains are Bierstadt, Quandary, or Elbert on the standard routes. I think that Yale is another solid option or you could give Massive or Harvard a go to get you closer to the overall mileage and gain you would experience on Longs. If you run into any issues on these mountains (altitude sickness, fatigue, etc.) it is easy to just turn around and go back the way you came. The main point of these first hikes is to get an idea of how the effort at altitude will affect you and to dial in what to pack as far as layers, food, and water. You can then add in the exposure after you get that under your belt. Just my two cents. If you do plan to try out a class 3 route during your trip here - don't forget to have a helmet with you.

Whatever you end up doing - have fun and don't be worried about turning back if the weather or other circumstances don't cooperate. Enjoy!

[two lunches]

hey OP! if you're posting up in Hartsel, i'd check out Sherman for your first 14er. Quandary is nearby, but the permitting process is not worth it that time of year. the Kite Lake 14er loop (DeCaLiBroN / Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, Bross) would also be a better option than driving all the way back to the front range. neither would be as crowded as Greys/Torreys or Blue Sky, but there will be enough people there to assist with routefinding that you certainly won't be alone- that's kind of a luxury on 14ers.

if you're open to another option (because again, Hartsel is not close to RMNP), you could try Missouri Mountain- it's a little bit shorter, similar elevation gain, less crowded, and there is one short area with a little bit of exposure and a little bit of scrambling that might give you a better idea of what you're getting into on the other routes you mentioned. another top contender would be Mt. Harvard- Horn Fork Basin is stunningly beautiful that time of year and again, way shorter drive, shorter hike, bit less elevation gain, and only a fraction of the crowding that you can expect on Longs Peak any day in August.

certainly not here to say you can't/shouldn't do any of the routes you suggested on your first outing, just that it's kind of a waste to be out in Hartsel driving hours each way to get to the Front Range when you're so close to the Sawatch/Mosquito/Sangre de Cristos.

the Fairplay Flats are at 10,000 feet- great place to acclimate, but be prepared for at least one or two sleepless nights at elevation. also, the trailhead for Mt. Sherman is one of the best places i've ever found to enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower, which usually peaks mid-month, but can be enjoyed for a week or so before/after.

[Chicago Transplant]

I had a similar experience, after only having come out to ski a couple of times, in 2002 I took a trip to Estes Park for a short backpacking trip in RMNP. Everywhere I looked I saw Longs, it was this icon you saw from so many vantage points. I climbed Hallet on that trip (12er above Bear Lake) and when I got home had to learn more about Longs. I found out like you that it was a "14er" and bought the Gerry Roach 14ers book. Started reading about Longs and thought that might be over my head, but a few others caught my attention as something I could do.

Having been to Summit County to ski a few times, I focused there looking at either Quandary or Grays/Torreys. Not being able to pass up the opportunity for two, I went for Greys and Torreys. Thinking the daylight would be great, I decided on the summer solstice 2003 for my trip and backpacked in from Chihuahua Gulch (because it was in Summit County). It was an interesting experience that included getting scared by an off leash lab in my camp because I thought it was a bear cub but I summited both peaks and was already thinking about the next one. I even bought the 13er book and those looked even cooler than the 14ers.

So with 2 walk up 14ers under my belt and living in Chicago I decided I was going to climb the Highest 100 in Colorado. Ambitious to be sure! So of course I moved here in 2004 and the rest as they say is history.

Part of the reason I settled on G/T for the first was because I was nervous about combining the exposure and scrambling of longs with the unknown of the altitude, so decided to test altitude first before those other elements. While Longs as a first is certainly do-able and done, there area also tales of people getting in over their head on that one and I think something easier may be a better first choice. Maybe a walk-up summit to see how the altitude felt then a rest day or two and something with the scrambling challenge you seek after? A Hartsel base camp sets up a few options close that are easier but maybe not so interesting whereas if you have the ability to get to the 4WD TH Huron as a first may be a more enjoyable wilderness type experience over the mined-out Mosquito peaks then you could possibly look at Tour de Abyss or the Sawtooth for the second part of the trip.

[Monte Meals]

Hartsel ? Seriously NO unless you are a certificated recluse.

Leadville is nearby with tons of FS dispersed camping. (Plus it is a really cool town!)

Rather than Kelso or the Tour de Abyss - see how you feel after
hiking up the FS road to Mosquito Pass - then try Elbert or Massive.

[Trotter]

While asking them to come I'm making it clear that we have to keep realistic expectations and not go beyond our own comfort level or push the others past their comfort level.

Everyone says that, but once they have run into poor weather or sketchy terrain but climbed up 2600 out of the 3000 feet to the summit, their attitude changes to "well i don't want to turn around now that I've put in most of the work and I'm so close"

Torreys via Kelso Ridge, Tour de Abyss on Bierstadt and Evans (Blue Sky), or West Ridge on Quandary

Too much too fast IMO.
Start with something thats NOT class 3 route. Do a class 1 or 2, then THINK about doing a class 3 after that.

[CUaaron25]

I agree with what others have said here. unless you plan to fish the dream stream I wouldn’t camp anywhere
Near Hartsel. I would suggest camping off of Cottonwood pass at the dispersed camping located directly across from the avalanche trailhead. Then that first day after you camp drive up to the Denny Creek trailhead and hike Yale as the first one. it has a trail pretty much the whole way to the ridge and is a super fun 14er. It’s highly likely that you won’t be alone and you’ll experience plenty of other hikers. After that I would set your sights on some of the other things on your list. I’m only suggesting this because you’re going to get plenty of suggestions to hike Sherman or Quandary (for good reason) but Yale doesn’t have anything super technical, it’s just longer than those other ones. I probably wouldn’t do longs as your first one but plenty have.

Whatever you do have fun and remember to turn around if weather rolls in. No point in becoming a statistic on a 14er.

[Phill the Thrill]

First of all, I LOVE your enthusiasm, but I think you should pump the brakes a bit here. Don't underestimate the "difficulty" of climbing at 14,000 ft in Colorado. Yes, you'll be in great shape, but dealing with altitude, loose scree and talus, de-hydration, unexpected thundershowers, etc. I believe you should stick to class 1/2, maybe easy class 3, for your first Colorado tour. You'll still have a blast, and you'll learn a lot of what it takes and how your body responds. I would recommend an itinerary something like this:

As someone else mentioned, the Leadville area is a great place to camp. I'd recommend driving out Chaffee County Road 390 toward the ghost town of Winfield. There are TONS of dispersed camping options in that area (free) abundant sources of water. There are hiking trails EVERYWHERE. Spend the first couple of days acclimatizing and exploring the area. Perhaps a hike to Lake Ann (12,000 ft) as a warm up? Beautiful area with great views of the Three Apostles and Huron Peak. Then climb a couple of 14ers in the area, maybe beginning day 3.

Huron Peak
Missouri Mountain
Mt Belford
Mt Oxford
Mt Elbert
Mt Massive
Mt Harvard
Mt Columbia
Mt Yale
Mt Princeton
La Plata Peak
Mt Antero
Mt Shavano
Tabeguache Peak

These are ALL in the immediate area.

If you want to explore another part of Colorado, perhaps go to Lake City area, one of my favorite areas in Colorado (3 1/2 hrs from Leadville). Tons of dispersed camping available here as well.

Uncompahgre Peak
Wetterhorn Peak
Handies Peak
Redcloud Peak
Sunshine Peak

That's NINETEEN 14ers available in just two areas.

If you REALLY want to climb Longs Peak, I get that, but I'd say do that after you've climbed a few 14ers, maybe your next trip to CO. Wetterhorn Peak is a great intro to class 3 climbing. Also, if you really want a bigger challenge look into the Harvard-to-Columbia traverse and you'll get some class 3 there as well.

Whatever you decide, start EARLY, be prepared for weather, turn around if you're having a bad day, and enjoy Colorado!

[Ed_Groves]

Somewhat like you, I am a flatlander and I joined this forum a year before I started climbing 14ers to study routes and to make sure I was prepared for what was to come. I also studied information on hypoxia and the dangers of climbing at higher elevations. My mountain climbing experience at that time included some Appalachian peaks up to over 6000 feet and 10 to 12 mile distances, along with some climbing up to 9000 feet in the Canadian Rockies. I had experienced higher elevations up to 12,000 feet in RMNP but that experience did not include climbing to reach that elevation. For those reasons I chose a mountain that was well-known for first-timers: Grays Peak. I didn't know how my body would react to climbing at higher elevations so I chose to play it safe. Additionally, my wife was with me on my first 14er hike and I didn't want to put her in any more danger than necessary.

Looking back, playing it safe was the way to go. My wife really struggled with the elevation above 12,000 feet and it was a new experience for me as well. I did an easy class 3 13er my second year of climbing as well as the Harvard - Columbia traverse, and in my third year I climbed my first class 3 14er. I can't say that your experience will be the same as mine, but there is a small but significant percentage of people who have a worse experience with higher elevation, regardless of their physical fitness. I would recommend making sure your body has no issues with higher elevations before proceeding to more technical peaks. If the excitement in your first post is any indication, you will enjoy less technical peaks just as I, and others, have.

[mtree]

There was way too much for me to read in the original post, but - based on input - I think the question is about climbing Longs as a first 14er.

Longs was my first 14er. And a success! That said, I was completely unaware of what I was in for. I was naive and simply tagged along because a friend wanted to climb it. I wasn't in fantastic shape, but was always a good hiker. He had more experience and climbed a number of 14ers in the past yet gave me zero info on anything including footwear, supplies, gear, etc. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, a plum, and filled a wineskin with water (probably a whopping 16-20 ounces). I wore running shoes, jeans, donned a wind breaker over a T-shirt, tied some work boots around my shoulder and off I went. Sounded like a good idea at the time!

We were on the trail at 830am. I had no issue with heights past the Keyhole. The Trough was a challenge, but we managed. From a distance (the narrows) the homestretch scared the hell out of me. Looked like spiders on a wall. Once on it I was ok. We hung out at the summit for about 45 minutes. I sat at the edge looking over Chasm Lake. The boulder field became a bigger challenge on the return and the forest went on forever. We were back at the car at 630pm. The weather was perfect the entire time... not that I ever thought about it.

After some dinner and a few beers, I took a shower and passed out in the living room. The next morning I had never been so sore in my life. I could barely walk my soles were so sore (never did wear those boots!). My thighs burned for 3 days. Since then I realize I was totally tricked into the hike. Oh well. I survived. Enjoy.

[Wentzl]

There was way too much for me to read in the original post, but - based on input - I think the question is about climbing Longs as a first 14er.

Hey mtree. Like you I also could not wade through the entire original post, and decided it might be about climbing Longs as a first. Like you, I also did Long's as my first 14er. Unlike yours, mine was a January solo hike.

Got home, soaked my feet in warm water and read about frostbite. ha ha. Still have all my toes, and learned a lot!

[mtree]

There was way too much for me to read in the original post, but - based on input - I think the question is about climbing Longs as a first 14er.

Hey mtree. Like you I also could not wade through the entire original post, and decided it might be about climbing Longs as a first. Like you, I also did Long's as my first 14er. Unlike yours, mine was a January solo hike.

Got home, soaked my feet in warm water and read about frostbite. ha ha. Still have all my toes, and learned a lot!

Hahaha! Naivety has its merits. Served with stitches, bandages and a slice of humble pie.