The ultimate guide to hiking colorados fourteeners 5280. There are 54 official mountains and 5 others that do not quite meet the criteria for being official peaks 300 foot elevation rise above the saddle connecting to its neighbor. Grays peak 14,270 ft and torreys peak 14,267 ft are two fourteeners that are often climbed in the same outing by traversing their connecting ridgeline. Formed in 2000 by breckenridge, colorado resident bill middlebrook, 14ers. An introduction to hiking colorados 14ers denverdavis. Mount democrat, mount lincoln, mount bross from the trailhead at kite lake, many hikers do a loop to reach the summit of all three 14ers in. Our favorite 14ers to hike in colorado kayak photo. Best 14ers in colorado for beginners and beyond vacasa. Ranking all 58 colorado 14ers by difficulty duration. Hiking grays peak and torreys peak is a popular intro hike to the famous colorado 14ers peaks above 4267 m. The spectacular photography by todd caudle provides inspiration to get out and achieve those summits. I like the book because it covers all the major and minor routes up 14ers. The locals guide to the 12 easiest colorado 14ers for.
Even the tougher 14ers have crowds of people flocking to climb them. The website offers route descriptions, photographs, information about. By march 1, andrew hamilton only had 11 peaks left on his latest mountaineering todo list. While they are all scenic, some are lessthanwonderful to scale. Hiking 14ers mount yale is a hidden gem in colorado. If you like to hike mountains, and want to hike the 14,000 foot mountains fourteeners in colorado, this is the musthave book. Colorado 14ers became more of a novelty than a quiet mountain hike. Colorado s famed 14,000plus foot peaks draw a crowd of hiking and mountain climbing enthusiasts. This siberian husky summited all 58 of colorados 14ers outside. A classic guidebook known for its accuracy and comprehensiveness, colorados fourteeners has been updated to include gps coordinates, revised topographic maps. For six months we have been planning our summer vacation. This edition is probably a bit old now, but still the benchmark book to learning the routes, difficulties, directions to trailheads, and the payoff of.
New 14er dog book seven summits brandon and kristine. We also have a limited number of days to climb in rocky mountain national park which includes longs peak. Colorado hiking trips hiking in colorado wildland trekking. Another class 2 14er, mount elbert has a wide but steep trail that will take you all the way to the summit. Shortly after the trail junction youll reach the weminuche wilderness 9.
There are 96 14ers in the us, and colorado has the most at 57. Many coloradans and people all over the world find personal achievement in hikingclimbing these 14ers, and those that do find the experience addicting to say the least. Hiking all of colorados 14ers is a big bucketlist item for many people. Colorado guided 14er climb colorado adventure guides. We are attempting to climb all of the 14,000 foot mountains in colorado this summer. It is found in the sawatch range of central colorado, which contains five of the top ten and fifteen colorado 14ers in total. When you make it to the top, youll have clear views of the sawatch range and dozens of other 14ers. Between july 20th and september 29th of 20 we summited all of them by walking from each peak to the next. Climbing colorados 14ers with sawyer is truly an amazing book i have enjoyed hiking in colorado for years and have been involved in dog rescue for years as well. The mission of is to provide free access to peak information, photos, climbing routes and an active forum, all in an open environment thats easy to use. Climbing a colorado 14er is a rite of passage for state natives and a tough but rewarding adventure for new visitors. For more details about the book, or to order a copy, visit facebook and search bookthe 18 year. Hiking my first 14er handies peak, colorado girl on a hike. The 14,000foot peaks get all the fame, but these five mountains are worthy of a hike.
The best colorado ers, from beginnerfriendly to advanced. Colorado fourteeners, pictures, trip reports, routes and more and more. After hiking 14ers all over colorado and all of the other collegiate peaks, i have plenty to compare it to hike a fourteener this fall. All this makes colorado one of the best climbing areas in the world. I cant imagine trying to hike a lot of 14ers out there without it. Torreys and grays hike colorado 14ers 10adventures. To climb all 54 of the 14,000foot peaks in colorado is truly an achievement, no matter how long it takes. Additionally we also offer guided climbs of easier 14ers in. The map and list show all peaks higher than 14,000 feet in elevation in colorado.
Starting the hike at the guanella pass trailhead, the most popular route up the mountain is via the west slopes. It has become an absolutely indispensable resource for me as i plan my 14er treks. The book is available at the boulder book store, tattered cover and online. Dan england, outdoor and entertainment editor for the greeley tribune, occasional mountain guide, and conqueror of all of colorados fourteeners, suggests four shorter hills. Colorado has some of the best concentration of scalable mountains in the entire world. Having the two peaks so close together makes for an exciting and scenic day, hiking two colorado 14ers in a single day out. This was one of the most intense days of our project both physically and emotionally. With a list of over 50 colorado 14ers, there is a lot of hiking, scrambling, mountaineering to be had.
Formed in 2000 by breckenridge, colorado resident bill middlebrook, is the premier resource for climbing the high peaks in colorado. To climb all 54 of the 14,000foot peaks in colorado is truly an achievement, no matter how. Some of colorados 54 fourteeners require technical climbing skills. This book is an honest, real life, heartfelt account of josh climbing all but one of colorados 14ers with his best friend, sawyer. The best routes is the definitive guidebook from the people who volunteer countless hours building trails, educating hikers, and working with land management agencies.
I dont know about you, but thats almost cheating in my book. With two route options, one from the east and one from the west, an attempt of grays and torreys is an excellent way to immerse oneself. Climbingmountaineering routes are graded by difficulty on the following scale 15. Mount sneffels my only climb in the san juan mountains in southwest colorado. For all, theres an undeniable lure of climbing as high as you can go and be on top of the world around you. This siberian husky summited all 58 of colorados 14ers. This is the greatest concentration of fourteeners in the country. Heres all you need to know about climbing your first colorado 14er, including trail use guidelines, what to pack and other great bragworthy hikes without the 14er. Colorados fourteeners get all the attention, but many other peaks are just as fun to climb. Compared to other 14ers, this is considered a short summit, there is no scrambling, a well defined trail to the summit, and therefore is quite popular. Not to mention, all 14ers have a trail and an app you can use to get a stepbystep guide on how to climb them. The colorado 14ers mount elbert 14,440 ft 4,401 m is the highest peak in the colorado 14ers and the rocky mountains of north america.
Many books have been written on colorados fourteeners i believe this guide is the most useful. Handies peak is probably considered the easiest 14er, since it is only 7 miles rt and gains a mere 2,400 ft. Colorados fourteeners, 3rd ed from hikes to climbs by gerry. It is amazing how much information the author packed into this book. Colorados fourteeners from hikes to climbs by gerry roach. The colorado 14ers pack guide measures 4 x 7 inches and weighs less than 4 ounces.
Mount yale, is an amazing hike, im not sure why i waited so long to climb it. How to climb your first colorado 14er breckenridge, colorado. Frequently, ill print out the guide to take with me, just in case i need some help route finding along the way. Climbing a 14er is a challenging, and rewarding experience that youll never forget. It is little wonder why the surrounding area provides enough trails, hikes, and routes to climb for a lifetime. This popular mountain is an easy drive from denver.
Colorados fourteeners, 3rd ed from hikes to climbs. Five 14ers to hike in colorado the rocky mountain collegian. Looking ahead at the weather forecast and nursing two foot injuries, hamilton, who currently holds the 14er speed record, knew that in order to tick off all 58 by spring, things might have to get a little spicy. While these are our favorite 14ers to hike in colorado there are still plenty you can climb. This book report describes gerrys book colorados fourteeners from hikes to. While fort collins offers plenty of trail to hike, sometimes a more experienced hiker needs a more challenging climb. Cross the animas river on a suspension bridge, turn right and begin your hike toward chicago basin. For those looking to get into beginner 14ers, there is a wide range of beautiful peaks to choose from. There are 88 mountains in the united states with peaks that tower over 14,000 feet in elevation above sea level. Well, after 7 years in the making and 11 years of climbing 14ers with his golden retriever named sawyer, josh aho of denver completed his wonderful coffee tablestyle book chronicling his and sawyers 14er adventures together in an attempt to become the 2nd humandog duo to climb all of colorados 14ers. With the right gear in your osprey day pack, including sunscreen plus plenty of water and snacks, hiking a 14er can be really fun. Youll hike with an expert guide, enjoy delicious food, use the best gear and stay in wonderful accommodations, whether youre at an inn or a camp. Andrew hamilton becomes first to summit all colorado 14ers.
The state of colorado has 58 named summits that rise 14,000 feet above sea level. From their summits, expansive views open up east towards the front range and west towards summit county. Mount bierstadt hike colorado 14er full guide and gps. Whether youre looking for the easiestquickest route to the summit or something more challenging, you need this book. If youre interested in climbing a 14er, read the route description to make sure its within your ability and then print a version for the trail.
The bible of guide books remains gerry roachs colorado fourteeners. A guide to the easiest 14ers near aspen almost everyone who visits aspen will want to sneak in a hike at some point on their trip. So when it comes to selecting the best 14ers to ascend, the. Colorado needs to been on the bucket list for every outdoors lover. While it may seem simple to load up the car and go climb a 14er, it can be deadly. In this portable book format, each description includes clear, concise directions for driving to the trailhead, where to park, a route description, a map of the route, difficulty rating, elevation gain, roundtrip distance, estimated time to the summit and back. A flat 14er is a designated hike that is meant to simulate the experience of climbing one of colorados actual 14ers. The mount bierstadt hike might be the best introduction to a colorado 14er. Be ready for some offtrail hiking over talus or scree, and maybe even some simple scrambling over larger rocks. If that is the case, here are five 14ers in colorado to try. Skip the crowded colorado 14ers and hike one of these beautiful ers from beginnerfriendly to hardcore, these are the colorado ers that should be on your bucket list by john meyer. Aho, turned their adventures into a book, climbing colorados 14ers with sawyer.
Youll be scrambling up and over rocks, as well as tackling lots of offtrail hiking. Broomfield author anthony masseys new book, the 18 year quest includes stories and photos from his years spent climbing all 55 of colorados 14,000foot peaks. Before going on any hike, i read the description in roachs book, the route guide on, and then skim for recent trip reports to see if theres any detail that i should know about. The hike is challenging but forgiving, making it one of the best 14er in colorado for beginners. There are a wide variety of resources available to help you plan for your big adventure. South elbert it doesnt officially count as a 14er, but i did summit the mountain via the black cloud trail. Day 10 of 14 day 10 of our project brought us to a special moment. Colorados fourteeners, 3rd ed from hikes to climbs roach, gerry on. The author takes you through his quest to climb all of cos 14ers. A guide to the easiest 14ers near aspen the limelight hotel. Includes a lot of info and routes you wont find online at or summitpost nice for when you want to climb a nonstandard route and avoid the crowds.
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