If you could do it over again...

[KeithK]

There's not a single thing I would do differently. Those 39 months of my life are encapsulated in my trip reports, and I remember many climbs like they were yesterday, though it's been over 16 years now. The people I met, the friends I made, the epic threads here on 14ers... nothing would be better if I had it to do over.

[Monster5]

Similar thoughts to Scott and Kushner, I would've deferred list-chasing in favor of friends, harder objectives, and developing time-intensive skillsets earlier.

I finished the 14ers in undergrad, and most solo. While there are some aspects that helped mountaineering progression later on, the learning curve for class 1-4 flat-lined fast. In grad school, my 13er bagging was mostly focused around friends' lists, snow climbs, and scrambles. That was a LOT more fun, the partnerships have endured longer, and progression occurred faster, though still limited relative to what I now enjoy in technical alpine climbing.

Nowadays, my goals include harder and more technical peaks. Despite the boom and media, climbing alpine trad at even 5.6 is HARD for most people! Consistently climbing harder than say 5.9 on gear takes the average person 4-6 hrs of training, multiple outdoor sessions a week, and a strong roster of partners! The window for folks to train for and climb > 5.9 alpine seems, on average, much shorter than the window to do 14ers. It was easier to find time to develop those early on, and I sometimes regret trudging up lonely trails in the dark when I've since had plenty of opportunities to do the same peaks with friends.

[Istoodupthere]

The only thing I’d change is taking a selfie on Windom, my finishing peak. Instead I trusted a guy I met on Sunlight to send me a pic he took of me. I never received said pic.

[painless4u2]

Probably wouldn't have gone so hard against highpilgrim on this site. Probably. Maybe. Life is short.

[nyker]

I would have started this passion earlier in my life. At 68, there are many peaks that I will never do. However, I am so glad I did start 6 years ago.

I hear you. Amazing and impressive how so many people started while in college.

.

[JROSKA]

I would have started this passion earlier in my life. At 68, there are many peaks that I will never do. However, I am so glad I did start 6 years ago.

I’m kind of in your camp. Would have been nice if I could have started a bit earlier in life. Although, when I review my history, I moved to Colorado in 2008 (age 39) and hiked my first 14er in 2010 (age 41) so I probably couldn’t have started much sooner than I did.

For me though, once I did get rolling with the 14er checklist, I do wish I had been a bit more decisive on the “finisher” goal early on. And progressing to Class 3, Class 4, etc. I was extremely slow and deliberate with all of those progressions and looking back, there were several summers in my mid to late 40’s where I only went out and climbed two 14ers. When I look back at 2015-2019 almost every year I climbed two when I could have gone for 3-5.

The slight regret at not doing more in my 40’s comes into play because now in my late 50’s there are definitely more challenges in terms of the long drives, long approaches and big one day elevation gains. All of those things, in hindsight, seem so much easier back then. It’s all good, these checklists aren’t “be all, end all” but if I do fall a few 14ers short of 58, I’ll always know that the accounting is probably reconciled had I just hit it a little harder in my 40’s.

[ScottLovesRMNP]

I'm also with Scott, Kushner, and Monster5: While I fully respect that for some people the lists of mountains that this and other sites promote help create enticing projects.......

.......I think for me chasing lists has, to some extent, turned this into a "job" more than I ever intended. I've been stuck on 98 centennials now for three years, and at some point it has become like a weight hanging over my shoulders. In short, if I were to do it over again, I wouldn't have assigned myself any list of peaks that I must check off in the first place. I don't think ticking off that list is truly the key to my happiness.

[davevanwicklin]

Oh, if I could only "Do it over again"!
In reality, the quest for the 14ers played out so well that I might play it again, Sam....having found the 14ers whilst running Leadville in 2007, I returned in 2009 to bag a few Colligates, then went dormant until '16 due to life commitments. After getting back on the 14er horse, '17, '18' & '19 were quite productive ( for a California boy), and Bam, covid took the wind outa my sails.
What to do now? Not the brightest of ideas, dove headfirst into dirt biking (moto) and devoted my attention there. Hark, in '24 I caught the 14er bug once again (now 40 peaks under my belt) and returned in '25 to bring me within 4 peaks of the goal. Now to this year, 74 years young (still riding moto's) and mopped up the remainders, along with East Crestone, just because! (Just because somebody went to extreme efforts to prove its height).
"It" was an enjoyable & educational journey, getting to know Colorado, the people, the towns, the dirt roads, the trails, the weather patterns, and, the Wind! People here in Ca claim the we have mountains. Colorado HAS mountains!
And the icing on the cake? unbeknownst to me, my daughter & son-in-law, had a custom belt buckle made! Now that's bringing it home full-circle!
I'll be back, time to try new routes on the 14ers!

[desertdog]

I would have climbed East Crestone.

[JerJerBinks]

Better snacks, more partners/more solo peaks, more snow climbs, different routes, more backpacking adventures, more belt buckles, bring a 4' ladder up Grizzly A, and more appreciation. Oh, wait, there's still time! Guess I'll keep going back.
Oh and definitely East Crestone, which I already went back for/shared it with friends. Now for NE. Looked harder than c4 to me. Guess I'll have to study daways better.

[daway8]

Oh and definitely East Crestone, which I already went back for/shared it with friends. Now for NE. Looked harder than c4 to me. Guess I'll have to study daways better.

That's what I love about NE Crestone - it looks insane from the saddle but then when you actually get over there it's like - oh wow, this is like the kiddie wall at the climbing gym - it's super rare to find such huge, chunky solid holds in the mountains!

[Veory]

Perhaps my only regret is not saving a logistically easier Cent to finish on so I could've invited a bunch more friends and my girlfriend. Luckily Ben Loftin came all the way out to the San Juans for me still!

I personally do not regret not knowing to combine peaks while tagging early 14ers. Gives me an excuse to come back and enjoy the area all over again with different eyes. Besides, I probably wasn't fit enough to do that at the beginning anyways, the 14ers really helped up my fitness. It also helps I don't have aspirations to finish the 13ers since I don't live in CO anymore