FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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mtree wrote: ↑Fri Dec 12, 2025 3:13 pm
Longs was my first 14er. And a success! That said, I was completely unaware of what I was in for. 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.
Longs was my first 14er as well. I thought I knew what I was getting into and I did until I got past the Keyhole.
Although, I made it to the summit and back, I cannot say I would recommend Longs as your first 14er. My body was a wreck the next day and I could barely walk.
If you do decide to do Longs, bring some light weight gloves, as the granite will wreak havoc on your hands due to the high abrasion of the rock.
Mike
"Just because you love the mountains doesn't mean the mountains love you."
-Lou Whittaker
Longs is very doable, IMO, at the end of a 7-day trip for the final day. Stay and sleep at 8-9k feet, you'll be fine after a few days. The following plan should work for a fit individual.
Day 1: Easy hike at altitude like an approach trail to a popular 14er or Loveland pass, 1k to 2k elevation gain max.
Day 2: A harder hike at altitude, 13er or 12er summit reasonable, look to gain 2-3k feet or so
Day 3: A 14er equivalent to Elbert, Grays/Torreys via the Class 1 route or Quandary
Day 4: Another 14er of the same or relatively greater difficulty.
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Longs Peak, should be feeling strong and having fun from start to finish.
You could swap Day 4 and 5 if you wanted. A weeklong visit is ideal for a stepped prep like this or any number of versions. You could step this up if any day just feels TOO easy or back it down if it feels too much like a grind. In any case, following a rest day and with 5-6 days at altitude under your belt, Long's is probably in the bag if you can get a parking spot. For this plan, Long's won't be your first 14er, but you can bag 3 or 4 in one trip, have fun and gain a great base of experience for future visits.
Tyler, Welcome to the site. Appreciate all the detail of your post.
Longs 'may' be fine as your first 14er, depending on your prep work and experience.
I'd think about preparation loosely as follows:
Before getting to the altitude, while you don't need to run a marathon to be prepared, you do need a solid aerobic base and ability to carry a medium heavy pack for the day (as does your wife), which depending on how you move could be 8-16 hours roundtrip on Longs.
Start moving your 5-7 mile hikes longer and work your way up to 15-17 mile day hikes before summer (meaning in one shot, no camping) while carrying a pack, ideally same pack you'll have on Longs. Assuming you're contemplating Longs as a day trip (logistically easier).
Have you have done some of the harder east coast mountains in NC, NY, NH? There are plenty of great mountains where you can get 15+ miles in coupled with a nice vertical gain of 4,000ft or more without the altitude to make sure you can cover that distance and terrain first at low elevation before adding in higher altitude.
I'd also suggest adding in leg/hip weight training and dedicated flexibility work.
Over the year, going from those 5-7 mile hikes to a 16-17mi hike with 4000-5000ft vert you will learn what footwear works and what doesn't as well as other gear. Ideally you don't discover that on Longs itself. Try on occasion to do an early start to see how your body feels hiking in the dark at 3:00am. It's different and you should be familiar with that once on Longs.
Work your way up to the elevation and start those hikes in dry weather, i.e. no snow at first. No need to introduce too many variables too early.
In addition to Colorado, you can find several lower mountains which are straightforward summit hikes in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon, Washington; Get up to 8,000ft, then 10,000ft then 12k or 13k and see how you feel as you exert yourself at altitude. Test what food works and which don't. How much water do you need? If you did something like Wheeler Peak (either in NM or NV) and felt good, that would give you pretty good confidence of adding another 1,000ft on with a 14er like the easier ones mentioned above. After that assuming you felt good, Longs should be in reach.
Hey Tyler!
Hoping your trip goes well with whatever you end on settling on!
Couple points from my own experience, Longs peak wasn't my first 14er, but it was my Father's, at age 47. I had done Grays, Torreys, and the DeCaLiBron group in the five days leading up to Longs. Safe to say both my dad and I were pretty smashed by Longs, but we made it up the Cables route and down the Keyhole route just fine. So, it is possible. However, it was no easy task and as many others have stated, I would highly recommend doing an easier 14er before Longs. With a 7-10 day trip out here, that is definitely possible. Take a few days to acclimate, go up an easier 14er, take a rest day or two, and if you're feeling good about it, make an attempt for Longs. Just remember reaching the summit is only halfway.
I would stay away from Kelso Ridge for the time being. Though Kelso is one of, if not my favorite route I've done on any 14er, the exposure is pretty extreme in places and it would be a very bad place to find out you were struggling with the altitude. Kelso also doesn't have much of a 'bail' once you get to the knife edge. You either go over it, of back down the white wall which isn't the easiest down climb if you don't have a good amount of rock climbing familiarity. Much of the same can be said for the West Ridge on Quandary. These routes are great, but I'd recommend more class 2 and easy class 3 practice before doing these.
As other people said, there are plenty of good options for easier 14ers. My personal recommendations would be Yale which has some easy and fun scrambling at the top, La Plata which has great views, or Grays + Torreys via the standard route.
Have fun out there and be safe!
Colorado is addictive!...yet another easterner seduced by the awesome Longs/Meeker massif. My first 14er was Longs and at the time, climbing Longs was my only goal. My experience was similar to mtree's, it was a 12-hour trip, and I really did not know how serious it would be. 27 years ago online resources (like this awesome website) did not exist. The biggest difference between me and mtree is that I got caught in a serious thunderstorm on the way down, which started as sprinkles and thunder while descending the Boulderfield. I remember thinking, if I ever came back, to GUARANTEE a dry passage above the Boulderfield, the terrain beyond the Keyhole would have been trouble for me in any wet weather. People have been blown off by wind gusts too. So while I did Longs first, I would say that something less technical as your first is a better idea. The allure of those photos from Twin Sisters, or anywhere to the east just draws you to Longs, but beware it is a Class 3 effort and exposed. Just because it was the first for many does not make it any safer. Many other Front Range 14ers have Class 1-2 terrain, and if you desire to have less than 1000 people as company, head to the Sawatch Class 1-2 routes (the Sawatch have the added benefit of no appointed times / no red tape). Some of the most basic guidance (reiterated on this Forum 1000 times): 1. As an easterner, do not underestimate the impact of altitude. You need several days of rest and moderate exercise in Colorado before (comfortably) trying a 14er. YMMV, but most folks need at least 3-4 days in a mountain town before they are ready and sorry, your fitness level has no impact. This also means trying something less than daring, a standard route, nothing spicy. Thanks to altitude, I am humbled by the difference between my aspirations and my performance. 2. Start really early on any 14er in summer. Know the forecast. Any clouds in the sky at daybreak is a bad sign. Building clouds are a very bad sign. If you see locals running downhill, follow them. Colorado weather can turn on a dime. 3. Stay well hydrated on your trip, the whole time. 4. Sunscreen. A good rule of thumb I learned was to apply at 9 am and apply again at the summit. Good luck capturing the 1st of 58 no matter where that takes you.
